Slack Codex Bot

Overview

This repository provides a simple relay that lets you trigger Codex CLI from Slack mentions. A Slack Socket Mode bot (slack_bot/app-socket.py) listens for @codex-bot mentions, builds a prompt with recent thread context, and launches Codex CLI to work inside the local project folder. Codex then posts progress back to the same Slack thread via the Slack MCP server and performs code changes/PRs via the GitHub MCP server.

Why use this

• Run Codex on your own machine, so it can access local files, Docker, and GPU workloads.
• Trigger coding tasks from anywhere (phone, tablet, etc.) while staying in Slack threads.
• Automate a full loop: receive a request, edit code, run tests, and open a PR.

Repository layout

• codex_dir/: The actual working folder for Codex CLI. This is where Codex runs commands and edits files.
• slack_bot/: The Python Socket Mode app that receives Slack mentions and launches Codex CLI.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This project runs Codex CLI in --full-auto mode, which grants it significant autonomy to execute commands, modify files, and interact with external services (Slack, GitHub) without manual confirmation. While this enables a powerful hands-free workflow, please be aware of the following:

• Use at your own risk. The authors of this project are not responsible for any unintended changes, data loss, or other issues that may arise.
• Review the permissions carefully. The GitHub token and Slack app have broad access. Consider limiting scopes or repository access where possible.
• Start with low-risk tasks. We recommend testing with non-critical repositories first to get comfortable with how the bot behaves.

By using this project, you acknowledge that you understand these risks and accept full responsibility for its operation in your environment. Happy automating! 🚀

Usage

1) Prerequisites

• Slack app with Socket Mode enabled.
• Slack bot token (SLACK_BOT_TOKEN) and app token (SLACK_APP_TOKEN).
• Slack team/workspace ID (SLACK_TEAM_ID) for Slack MCP.
• GitHub Personal Access Token with repo permissions for the GitHub MCP server.
• Codex CLI installed and configured.
• Node.js (for MCP server execution via npx).

2) Create the Slack app (Socket Mode)

1. Go to Slack API: Your Apps (https://api.slack.com/apps) and click Create New App → From scratch.
2. Name it (for example codex-bot) and select your workspace.
3. In Socket Mode, enable it and generate an app-level token (starts with xapp-).
   • The token must include the connections:write scope.
   • Save this as SLACK_APP_TOKEN.
4. In OAuth & Permissions, add Bot Token Scopes:
   • app_mentions:read
   • chat:write
   • groups:history
5. Click Install to Workspace and copy the bot token (starts with xoxb-).
   • Save this as SLACK_BOT_TOKEN.
6. In Event Subscriptions, enable events and subscribe to Bot Events:
   • app_mention
   • Save changes (you may be asked to reinstall the app).
7. Get your workspace (team) ID for Slack MCP:
   • Run curl -X POST https://slack.com/api/auth.test -H "Authorization: Bearer xoxb-...".
   • Save the "team_id" value as SLACK_TEAM_ID.

3) Create a GitHub Personal Access Token

1. Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings.
2. Select Personal access tokens → Fine-grained tokens.
3. Click Generate new token.
4. Configure Repository access:
   • Select All repositories (or specific repos if you prefer).
5. Configure Permissions (Repository permissions):
   • Administration: Read and write
   • Contents: Read and write
   • Issues: Read and write
   • Pull requests: Read and write
6. Click Generate token and copy the token (starts with github_pat_).
   • Save this as GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN.

⚠️ Note: These permissions are relatively broad. Handle the token with care and consider limiting repository access if possible.

4) Configure Codex MCP servers

Edit ~/.codex/config.toml (or create it if missing):

sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"

[features]
streamable_shell = true
web_search_request = true
skills = true  # for skills

# Slack MCP: progress reports
[mcp_servers.slack]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack"]
env = { SLACK_BOT_TOKEN = "xoxb-...", SLACK_TEAM_ID = "T0..." }

# GitHub MCP: code operations
[mcp_servers.github]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
env = { GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN = "github_pat_..." }

Replace the placeholders with your real tokens/IDs.

5) Configure the Slack bot environment

Create slack_bot/.env:

# Slack tokens
SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-...
SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-...

# Folder where Codex will run (this repo's codex_dir)
CODEX_ACTION_FOLDER=/absolute/path/to/this/repo/codex_dir

# Optional: how many recent messages to include in the prompt
SLACK_HISTORY_LIMIT=50

6) Install Python dependencies and run the bot

cd slack_bot
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install slack-bolt python-dotenv

python app-socket.py

When you see Start App, the bot is running.

7) Use it from Slack

Mention the bot in a channel the app is invited to:

@codex-bot Fix the login validation and run tests, then open a PR.

The bot will:

1. Collect recent thread messages (if any).
2. Launch Codex CLI with a prompt that includes the Slack thread context.
3. Codex posts progress and results back into the same thread.

Notes about the current Python implementation

The current slack_bot/app-socket.py differs from older examples:

• It runs codex exec --full-auto directly (no fixed session ID).
• It injects recent Slack history into the prompt using SLACK_HISTORY_LIMIT.

If you update the Python bot, keep the README in sync with its behavior.