As AI agents like OpenHands incorporate more and more into software development, we expect that developers will want to interact with AI in the same places where they interact with other co-workers. And today, much of that interaction happens in Slack. Today we're excited to announce the beta release of OpenHands Slack integration, bringing AI-powered software development directly into your Slack workspace.

How It Works

Start conversations instantly: Simply mention @openhands in any Slack channel to activate your AI development assistant. Specify which repository you want to work with using natural language -- OpenHands supports both simple repo names ("my-repo") and full GitHub paths ("All-Hands-AI/OpenHands").

Continue in organized threads: Follow up by mentioning @openhands in thread replies, keeping discussions focused while allowing your entire team to follow the AI's assistance and contribute their expertise.

Smart repository matching: When your repo name matches multiple repositories, OpenHands prompts you to select from a filtered list, ensuring you're always working with the right codebase.

Getting Started

Setting up OpenHands in your Slack workspace requires two simple steps:

For Slack Admins: Install the OpenHands Slack App to your workspace and review the permissions.

For Team Members: Sign in to the OpenHands Cloud then visit your OpenHands Cloud integrations settings, click "Install Slack App," and authorize the integration.

Note: Depending on your workspace settings, you may need admin approval for the authorization step.

Some Starting Prompts

Once you have it installed, here are some great ways to get started:

Creating Issues: When you are in a discussion about a new feature, you can mention @openhands create an issue for this using the Github API and it will create an issue in the repository you are working in.

Asking Questions: If you're uncertain about how a particular feature works, you can mention @openhands how is this functionality implemented? and it will provide a detailed explanation of the code.

Adding Features: If you're discussing a new feature, you can mention @openhands add this feature and it will create a PR to add the feature.

One other thing that we've found convenient was to create a channel #openhands-slack and have it be a place where you can send random queries to avoid cluttering up other channels.

We Welcome Feedback

This is a new release, so we're eager to hear your feedback. Share your experience and suggestions on Slack (of course!), Discord, or GitHub Issues.