Salesforce deepens Slack integration, launches CRM-linked collaboration channels

Salesforce’s new bi-directional channels integrate Slack’s interface directly into its CRM, enabling teams and AI agents to access records, collaborate in real time, and automate actions using Agentforce’s intelligent summaries and task recommendations

Salesforce has announced a major update to its platform by deeply integrating Slack into its core CRM system, aiming to transform how teams collaborate across departments. This integration introduces Salesforce Channels, a new type of Slack channel directly linked to CRM records such as Accounts and Opportunities.

These bi-directional channels allow sales, marketing, and service teams to stay aligned in real time without toggling between tools. Slack’s familiar chat interface is now embedded within the Salesforce experience, allowing teams—and AI agents—to view records, make decisions, and act collaboratively within a single interface.

The company’s AI engine, Agentforce, also gains access to these conversations (with permissions). It can now provide summaries, recommend actions, and even initiate tasks based on live discussions, further blurring the line between human collaboration and digital automation.

AI-powered insights within Slack

In a related development, Salesforce will roll out Tableau Next in Slack on June 13. The move brings live analytics dashboards and AI-powered insights directly into Slack threads, supporting natural language queries like “Show me this quarter’s sales pipeline.” Users will be able to interact with data without leaving their workflow.

According to Salesforce, the changes aim to address widespread workplace inefficiencies. The company cites internal research suggesting that disjointed systems and poor communication cost U.S. businesses over $1 trillion annually.

Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack at Salesforce, emphasized that the new features “break down barriers between structured CRM data and everyday collaboration,” making Slack the primary interface for work across the Salesforce ecosystem.

Salesforce Channels will begin rolling out over the next few weeks to all customers on standard Salesforce editions and any Slack plan. The company is also piloting a new feature, Salesforce Approvals, which is expected to launch in the near future.