Approve from a Slack DM
Vacation App sends approvers a DM with interactive Approve / Reject buttons. One decision updates every other approver's message in place.
What it does in Slack
The /vacation slash command
Run /vacation schedule in any Slack channel where the bot is present. Also try /vacation list and /vacation requests.
On-leave mention auto-notify
When someone @mentions a teammate who's on leave, Vacation App DMs the sender with the return date and coverer. They stop waiting for a reply that won't come.
Slack status during leave
Approved vacation auto-sets the user's Slack status with a plane emoji and the return date. Cleared automatically when leave ends.
How it works
01
Add to Slack
Install the app to your workspace with one click. Free to install.
02
Map your people
Members are matched by email, or imported straight from Slack.
03
Approve in DMs
Requests arrive as interactive messages. Decide in one tap.
Permissions we ask for
Vacation App asks for the minimum scopes required for the features above. We never request scopes for unimplemented future features.
Pricing. Slack integration is included on the Plus plan ($2/user/month) and Premium. Free workspaces can sign in with Slack but cannot connect the bot. See full pricing.
AI & data handling. Vacation App uses Google Gemini for absence-pattern detection on internal leave records. Slack message content is never used for AI training or inference. We read channel messages transiently to detect mentions of teammates on leave, then discard. We do not retain channel messages, channel names, or user identifiers in any AI pipeline.
| Scope | Type | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
chat:write | bot | Send approval requests, decision confirmations, and digest notifications. |
chat:write.public | bot | Send leave-event notifications to public team channels admins select, even when the bot has not been invited. |
channels:read | bot | Render channel pickers in admin settings for approval and leave-event notification channels. |
channels:history | bot | Detect mentions of teammates currently on leave and DM the sender with the return date. Slack restricts this scope to channels the bot has been explicitly invited to — Vacation App never sees messages from any other channel. |
groups:read | bot | Same as channels:read but for private channels admins choose to grant access to. |
groups:history | bot | Same mention-detection feature as channels:history, scoped to private channels. The bot must be explicitly invited; messages from channels without the bot are never visible. |
commands | bot | Power /vacation schedule, /vacation list, and /vacation requests. |
users:read | bot | Match Slack users to Vacation App members during one-click team import. |
users:read.email | bot | Match Slack users to Vacation App members by email when names differ. |
users.profile:write | user | Auto-set Slack status to "On vacation" during approved leave (per-user opt-in). |
Frequently asked questions
Still stuck? Email [email protected]. We respond within 24 hours.
How do I install Vacation App to my Slack workspace?
Click "Add to Slack" above. You'll create a Vacation App workspace first (free for up to 10 members) and then authorize the bot for your Slack workspace.
How do I uninstall?
In Slack: Settings & administration → Manage apps → Vacation App → Remove. All bot and user tokens are revoked and deleted from our database within seconds.
Why does Vacation App need channels:history?
To detect mentions of teammates on leave and notify the sender. Slack restricts this scope to channels the bot has been explicitly invited to — we never see messages from any other channel. We do not store message content.
Does Vacation App's AI feature use Slack data?
No. Our AI absence-pattern detection (Gemini) only sees internal leave records (start/end dates, leave types). Slack message content, channel names, and user identifiers are never sent to AI providers, and we do not train models on your data.
Can I install on a free Slack workspace?
Yes. The bot install works on any Slack plan. Vacation App's integration features are included on our Plus and Premium plans; Free Vacation App workspaces can sign in with Slack but cannot connect the bot.
How do I delete my data?
Email [email protected] and we'll permanently delete your account, leave records, and Slack mappings within 30 days.
Ready to install?
Free to install. Free for teams up to 10. Upgrade anytime.
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