slack-catch-up

name	slack-catch-up
description	Scan Slack channels, DMs, and @mentions to surface what needs attention. Filters noise, prioritizes by urgency. Use after being away or to catch up mid-day.
metadata	{"workbench.argument-hint":"[channels] [time-window]"}

Slack Catch-up

Scan channels, DMs, and @mentions, then surface what needs attention — filtering out the noise.

The user's display name is defined in config.yaml under user.slack_display_name. Slack channels are defined in config.yaml under slack.channels.

Input

The user may optionally specify:

• Specific channels to check (otherwise check all configured channels)
• A time window (otherwise default to last 8 hours)
• A topic to focus on

Process

Step 1: Check DMs and @Mentions First

Read config.yaml to get the user's Slack display name. Search for messages mentioning that name using mcp__claude_ai_Slack_MCP__slack_search_public_and_private.

For each DM or @mention found:

• Read the full thread
• Classify as: needs response, FYI, or already handled
• Note who sent it, when, and how urgent it appears

Step 2: Read Channels

Read messages from channels defined in config.yaml: slack.channels.

Check in this priority order:

High priority (always check):

1. Operations channels — system/operational alerts
2. Product channels with "issues" in the name — customer-facing issues
3. Engineering channels — team discussions and PR reviews

Medium priority (check if time allows): 4. Remaining operations channels 5. Remaining product channels

Low priority (scan briefly): 6. General channels — company-wide

Step 3: Identify Actionable Threads

For each channel, classify messages as:

• Needs your response: Someone asked a question, tagged you, or the topic is in your domain
• FYI - Important: Decisions made, announcements that affect your work
• FYI - Noise: Status updates, social chatter, things resolved without you

Only report the first two categories.

Step 4: Read Important Threads

For threads identified as actionable or important, read the full thread context. Summarize:

• What's being discussed
• What's been decided (if anything)
• What's needed from you specifically

Step 5: Present the Summary

## Slack Catch-up

### DMs and @Mentions
1. **DM from @person** — [summary]. Sent X hours ago. (needs response / FYI)
2. **@mention in #channel** — [context]. Thread has X replies.

### Needs Your Response
1. **#channel** — @person asked about [topic]. No resolution yet.
2. **#channel** — PR #NNN needs review, posted X hours ago.

### Important FYI
1. **#channel** — [service] deployed to production. No issues reported.

### Nothing Actionable
Channels with no actionable items: #general, ...

Step 6: Offer to Respond

For DMs and threads needing a response, ask: "Want me to draft a response to any of these?"

Important Notes

• DMs and @mentions always come first. Direct messages are highest signal.
• Never send a Slack message without explicit approval.
• Be aggressive about filtering. Reduce all channels + DMs to 3-5 actionable items.
• If there's an active incident, flag it immediately at the top.
• Prioritize by "what will have the most negative consequence if ignored."