Slack web-api returning channel not found chat.postMessage to a private channel

Question

I have the following code which returns me the following error. The error says channel not found, howerver I am following the docs for a private channel to either use the name of the channel or to use the string that is in the url with a G at the beginning. I have given the correct chat write permissions to the bot for the channel and am using the correct bot api generated toekn, I was able to post via webhook before but I want to use the web-api.

This is the docs I am referring to https://api.slack.com/methods/chat.postMessage#channels

const { WebClient } = require('@slack/web-api');
const token = process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN;
const web = new WebClient(token);

const conversationId = 'private-channel-name'; & tried this instead 'GCV2FGELX'

    const result = await web.chat.postMessage({
        text: 'Hello world!',
        channel: conversationId,
    });

This is the error response I am getting

{
  code: 'slack_webapi_platform_error',
  data: {
    ok: false,
    error: 'channel_not_found',
    response_metadata: { scopes: [Array], acceptedScopes: [Array] }
  }
}

I'm not quite sure what I am doing wrong, but doing a little digging, even when I try to use the tester get request for groups.list here https://api.slack.com/methods/groups.list/test with a auth token with the correct permissions I just get a empty response back, vs a list of groups. Not sure here.

I did note that it said this Post into any channel it has access to for what the bot can do how do I know what channel's the bot has access to. I have given it write permissions to my whole orginization?

any help would be appreciated

Did you trying adding the BOT to the private channel as an APP (You find this under the Channel Details >> More >> Add Apps. Hope that will solve your issue. — Anumoy Sutradhar, May 06 '20 at 13:58

Anumoy Sutradhar · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-06T14:24:12.437

26

I too had faced the same issue.

Did you trying adding the BOT/APP to the private channel (You find this under the Channel Details >> More >> Add Apps.

Once you have added your BOT/APP to the channel. Your messages will be getting posted into the channel.

Hope this will solve your issue.

edited May 06 '20 at 14:24

answered May 06 '20 at 14:17

Anumoy Sutradhar

523
5
11

facing the same issue but this time it's for DM of the bot – Manasvi Mittal Dec 24 '20 at 17:48
@manasvi Can you provide some more details. – Anumoy Sutradhar Dec 26 '20 at 00:38
1

@manasvi Will also suggest you to take a look at "Post to a direct message channel" in https://api.slack.com/methods/chat.postMessage . Hope that might be of some help. – Anumoy Sutradhar Dec 26 '20 at 00:46
Thanks! Helped me with my slash command. Now what about slash commands to other users (i.e., DMing someone and using a slash command to fetch information). I still get `channel_not_found`. – Salesforce_Noobie Aug 12 '21 at 06:34
1

2 years and they haven't updated an error message that says "your bot isn't in the channel" – cbrulak Sep 15 '22 at 01:53

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 23 '22 at 03:51

Still ran into this in 2022 with slack bolt.

The error slack_webapi_platform_error with error channel_not_found seems to mean that there is no ACCESS to this channel because app needs to be specifically added to this private channel. Thanks @Anumoy Sutradhar

Here a newer screenshot (not possible to add in comments):

The modal opens when you click on the channel name.

Slack web-api returning channel not found chat.postMessage to a private channel

2 Answers2