Search to Slack

Research topics and format findings as Slack-ready messages, digests, and threaded summaries.

Overview

This skill automates the workflow of researching a topic via web search and formatting the results into a well-structured Slack message. Instead of manually searching, reading articles, summarizing key points, and formatting them with Slack's Block Kit syntax, this skill handles the entire pipeline. It produces messages that use Slack-native formatting -- bold headers, bulleted lists, linked sources, dividers, and emoji markers -- so the output can be pasted directly into a Slack channel or sent via the Slack API.

The skill is designed for recurring team communication patterns: weekly technology digests, security vulnerability alerts, competitive intelligence updates, and ad-hoc research sharing. It supports single-message summaries, multi-part thread formats for longer research, and scheduled digest templates that can be reused each week.

Instructions

1. Specify the research topic and target channel:

• "Research React Server Components news this week and format for #frontend"
• "Find CVEs related to OpenSSL from the last 30 days, post to #security"
• "Create a weekly AI digest for #engineering"

1. Choose the output format (optional -- defaults to single message):

• "Single message" -- one well-formatted Slack message with all findings
• "Thread" -- a parent message with key takeaways, followed by individual replies for each source
• "Digest" -- a structured weekly/daily digest format with sections and categories

1. Customize the output (optional):

• Tone: "keep it casual" or "formal for leadership"
• Length: "brief, 3-5 bullet points" or "comprehensive with full summaries"
• Sections: "include a TL;DR at the top" or "add an action items section"

1. Review and post the output:

• Copy and paste the formatted message directly into Slack
• Or use the generated curl command to post via Slack webhook
• Or save the Block Kit JSON for use with the Slack API

Output

The skill generates Slack-formatted content in one or more of these forms:

• Formatted Message (Markdown with Slack syntax): A message using Slack's mrkdwn format with bold, italic, > blockquotes, bullet lists, and hyperlinks. Ready to paste directly into Slack.
• Block Kit JSON: For programmatic posting, a JSON payload using Slack's Block Kit with sections, dividers, context blocks, and action buttons. Compatible with Slack's chat.postMessage API.
• Webhook Command: A ready