📚 Build an AI-Powered Bot for Instant Team Support

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Hello AI Enthusiast,

Today, we're diving into how to create a ChatGPT-powered Slack bot that automatically responds to team questions using slash commands. Whether you're handling internal Q&A, employee support, or knowledge sharing, we'll show you how to build an AI assistant that provides instant access to company information 24/7.

The Problem

Your team asks the same questions over and over in Slack. Someone wants to know about vacation policy, another person needs the deployment process, and your HR or IT folks end up copy-pasting the same handbook sections all day. The information exists in your company docs, but people can't find it quickly when they need it.

How We Do It: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let's walk through our solution: creating a Slack bot that answers team questions instantly using your company docs through slash commands to trigger OpenAI assistants for instant responses.

You'll need:

• A Make account (Core Plan or above)

• An OpenAI API key with assistant access

• Admin access to your Slack workspace

• Your company handbook or FAQ document

Step 1: Create Your OpenAI Assistant

First, set up a specialized assistant in OpenAI's platform:

1. Go to platform.openai.com and navigate to "Assistants"

2. Click "Create" to build a new assistant

3. Name your assistant (e.g., "Company bot")

4. Configure the system instructions using our template:

Act as a [ROLE] assistant for [COMPANY NAME]. Answer questions about [SPECIFIC AREAS] based on provided company documents.

Guidelines:

- Reference specific document sections
- Provide [TONE] responses
- If information isn't available, state clearly
- Keep responses [LENGTH PREFERENCE]
- Focus on [SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES]

5. Upload your company handbook or relevant documents to the assistant

6. Enable "File Search" tool for document retrieval

7. Save your assistant and note the Assistant ID

Step 2: Set Up Slack Slash Command

Create a custom slash command in your Slack workspace:

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click "Create New App"

2. Choose "From scratch" and name your app (e.g., "AI Assistant")

3. Select your workspace

4. Navigate to "Slash Commands" in the left sidebar

5. Click "Create New Command"

6. Configure your command:

   • Command: /question

   • Request URL: Your Make.com webhook URL (we'll create this next)

   • Short Description: "AI Academy AI Assistant"

   • Usage Hint: "question about the company and its processes"

For now, we're just setting up one command, but you can create multiple slash commands later - /hr for HR questions, /tech for technical support, /policy for company policies. Start with one to get the hang of it.

Step 3: Build the Automation

Now create the automation that connects everything:

1. Log into Make.com and create a new scenario

2. Add a "Webhooks" module and select "Custom webhook"

3. Copy the webhook URL and paste it into your Slack command's Request URL

4. Add an "OpenAI" module after the webhook

5. Select "Message an assistant" action

6. Configure the OpenAI module:

   • Connection: Your OpenAI API connection

   • Assistant: Select your "Handbook bot" assistant

   • Role: "User"

   • Message: Map the "text" field from the webhook (this contains the user's question)

Step 4: Complete the Response Loop

Send the AI response back to Slack:

1. Add a "Slack" module after the OpenAI module

2. Select "Create a Message" action

3. Configure the response:

   • Connection: Your Slack app connection

   • Channel ID or name: Map the "channel_id" from the webhook

   • Text: Map the "Result" from the OpenAI module

Step 5: Test Your Bot

Activate your scenario and test it in Slack:

1. Go to any Slack channel where your bot is installed

2. Type /question how can i take a week off?

3. Your bot should respond with detailed vacation policy information from your handbook

The automation will process the question through your OpenAI assistant and return a comprehensive answer based on your company documentation.

Your Turn

Pick one thing your team asks about constantly - vacation policy, deployment steps, whatever. Build an assistant for just that topic first. Test it with a few people, fix what breaks, then add more documents later. Start simple. You can always create more slash commands once this one works.

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We'll be back with more AI tips soon!