Slack's RTS API and MCP Server Hit General Availability

• Slack's MCP server and RTS API enable secure agent access to live workspace data.
• New context-aware partner agents are now available in the Slack Marketplace.
• Business and IT leaders gain more actionable insights and automation within Slack, potentially streamlining workflows and improving decision-making.

Slack announced general availability of its Real-Time Search (RTS) API and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server today. The tools enable AI agents to securely access live workspace conversations without storing customer data on external servers, according to the company announcement.

The release also expands the Slack Marketplace with new context-aware partner agents built on the RTS API and MCP server. Partners include Guru, Manus, Perplexity, Moveworks, Credal AI and ThoughtSpot.

Slack's AI Integration Architecture

Slack first announced its RTS API and MCP server on Oct. 13, 2025. The RTS API provides query-based retrieval of Slack's conversational data in real time. The system maintains data within Slack's infrastructure with no external storage while enabling AI agents to access relevant information based on defined permissions.

The MCP server framework allows third-party AI applications to interact with Slack data through standardized protocols. Companies including Anthropic, Google, Dropbox, Notion and Vercel are building AI solutions that operate natively within Slack using previously siloed conversations.

Slack's implementation includes enterprise-grade security with granular access controls. However, experts flagged data governance concerns as third-party integrations expand.

The architecture positions Slack as an "agentic OS" — an interface layer between employees and enterprise systems. Early adoption data shows Anthropic accelerated deal cycles by 60% and saved $4.5 million in deal operations, while Dell reduced supplier onboarding from 60 days to 20 days.

What Slack Announced Today

As well as the general availability announcement, Slack listed a number of task-specific agents built with the RTS API and MCP server that are now available.

Capability	Description
RTS API	Secure, query-based access to Slack data without external storage
MCP Server	Unified bidirectional layer respecting user permissions
Search Agents	Context-aware agents from Claude, Guru, Moveworks and others
Workflow Automation	Alysio, Credal AI, Moveworks and WRITER for content and actions
Productivity Agents	Ari, Spotter, Read AI and Tembo to handle daily tasks

2025 Was a Year of Acquisitions for Salesforce

At Dreamforce in October 2025, CEO Marc Benioff unveiled Agentforce 360, built on the renamed Data 360 platform as a unified "agentic operating system" connecting humans, AI agents and enterprise data. Benioff positioned Slack as the conversational interface layer where these elements converge. The company expanded partnerships with Anthropic to make Claude the preferred model across Agentforce 360 and Slack.

Salesforce bolstered this strategy with the $8 billion Informatica acquisition (announced in May, closed in November), followed by the acquisition of Apromore for process intelligence and Spindle AI for agentic analytics in November.

The company delivered record Q3 FY26 results in December with $10.3 billion in revenue (up 9% year over year) and consolidated Agentforce and Slack under President of Enterprise AI & Technology Joe Inzerillo.

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