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Ask from Slack

Teela's Slack integration lets you ask questions right from Slack. You can mention the bot in a channel, open a thread for a conversation, or send a direct message. Teela runs your question, shows the answer as a styled table, and gives you a link back to the web app whenever you want to go deeper.

Before You Start​

A couple of things need to be in place before you can use Slack:

  • Your admin has connected your Teela workspace to Slack. If they haven't, ask them to follow the Slack Integration guide.
  • Your Slack email matches the email on your Teela account. That's how Teela knows it's you. If the emails don't match, the bot will let you know so you can ask your admin for help.

The Four Ways to Ask​

1. Mention with a question​

Type @teela followed by your question in any channel where the bot has been invited.

@teela what were total sales last month?

Teela opens a thread under your message, posts a short "On it..." status, and updates that same message as it works. When the answer is ready, you'll see a styled table, a result count, and two buttons.

2. Open a thread first, then ask​

Sometimes you want to pick a connection before you type, or you're not sure exactly what to ask yet. Mention @teela on its own:

@teela

The bot replies in a thread with a friendly greeting. If you have multiple connections, it will also show a connection picker. Once you're in the thread, just type your question as a reply. You don't need to @teela again.

3. Inline connection with brackets​

If you have more than one connection and you already know which one to use, put the name in brackets at the start of your message. Connection names are matched case-insensitively.

@teela [Sales DB] top 10 customers by revenue

The bot skips the picker and goes straight to the answer. If the name doesn't match any of your connections, the bot will list the connections you have access to so you can try again.

4. Direct message​

You can also DM the Teela bot. Open a direct message with the bot and type your question. The same rules apply, but you don't need @teela in DMs, and the conversation is private to you.

what were total sales last month?

What Happens While Teela Is Working​

While Teela is processing, you'll see the status message update in place:

On it...

Looking into your question...

Scanning the data...

Formatting the results...

This is the same kind of progress narration you see on the web. It's there so you know Teela hasn't stalled.

What the Answer Looks Like​

Once Teela has an answer, it posts a Slack message with a styled table image, a short result summary, and two buttons.

The table shows the first 10 rows and up to 6 columns. Above that, you'll see a line like "Showing 10 of 847 results" so you know how much data the query actually returned.

The two buttons:

  • View in Teela: opens the full conversation in the Teela web app. If you're not logged in, you'll be prompted to sign in and then taken straight to the thread. Teela also switches to the right connection automatically.
  • Download CSV: generates a CSV with the full result set (not just the first 10 rows) and uploads it back to the Slack thread.

Not every answer needs a table. Teela will reply with plain text when that makes more sense:

  • A single number, like "Total revenue last month was $1,247,832."
  • An empty result, like "No results found for that query."
  • An error, with a short explanation and a link to open the thread in Teela for more detail.

Follow-Up Questions​

Once a thread is started, just reply in it. You don't need to @teela again. Teela remembers the connection you're using and the context of the conversation, so you can refine or drill down the way you would on the web:

You: @teela top 10 customers by revenue

Teela: (table image)

You: now filter to this year

Teela: (updated table)

You: break that down by region

Teela: (final table)

Every follow-up in the thread updates the same Teela conversation behind the scenes. Click View in Teela on any answer to see the full history.

Working With Multiple Connections​

How Teela handles connections in Slack depends on how many you have access to.

One connection: Teela uses it automatically. You'll never see a picker.

Multiple connections, no bracket: Teela shows a dropdown in the thread listing the connections you can access. Pick one and it sticks for the life of the thread. If you already typed a question, Teela processes it automatically as soon as you pick.

Multiple connections, with a bracket: Start your message with [Connection Name] to skip the dropdown. Names are matched case-insensitively. If the name doesn't match, Teela lists the connections you have and asks you to try again.

Switching connections mid-conversation: A connection choice sticks for the whole thread. To work with a different connection, start a new thread.

Slack vs. the Website​

Slack is great for quick answers. The web app is where you explore.

Great in Slack:

  • Ask a question and get an answer without switching apps
  • Quick look at the first 10 rows and up to 6 columns
  • Download the full result as a CSV
  • Follow up in a thread with full context
  • Share a result by forwarding the Slack message

Better on the website:

  • Sorting, filtering, and scrolling through large result sets
  • Charts and visualizations
  • Saving a question as a DataClip
  • Adding results to a Dashboard
  • Setting up Alerts
  • Editing or rerunning queries
  • Seeing Teela's reasoning in detail
  • Answering clarification questions with clickable options
  • Managing your connections

If you want to dig deeper into any answer, click View in Teela.

Rate Limits​

To keep things fair and the bot responsive, Teela limits how fast you can ask questions:

  • 10 questions per minute per user
  • 60 questions per minute per workspace

If you go too fast, Teela will reply with a friendly "slow down for a second" message. Wait a beat and try again.

Troubleshooting​

"Looks like you don't have a Teela account": Your Slack email doesn't match a Teela user. Ask your admin to invite you with the same email address you use in Slack, or to update your existing Teela account to match.

The bot doesn't reply: Check a couple of things:

  • In a channel, make sure the Teela bot has been added to the channel. Use Slack's "Add people" option if not.
  • Ask your admin to check that the Slack integration is still connected on the Admin Portal.

Teela picked the wrong connection: A connection choice sticks for the entire thread. Start a new thread and use the [Connection Name] bracket to pick the right one up front.

"I couldn't find a connection called...": The name in your bracket didn't match any of your connections. The bot will list what you do have access to. Copy the exact name (case doesn't matter) and try again.