Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sidecardata.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Use Sidecar Engineer for Slack when your team wants to start an engineering task directly from a Slack channel or thread.

​
Before you start

You need:
  • A Sidecar workspace with Slack connected
  • The Sidecar Slack App added to the channel where you want to start work
  • The Sidecar GitHub App installed on repositories Sidecar may update
  • A single-workspace Slack channel, not a Slack Connect shared channel
Sidecar Engineer does not support Slack DMs or Slack Connect shared channels in this version.

​
Set up Slack

1

Connect Slack

In Sidecar, go to Integrations, open Slack, and click Connect now.Authorize the Sidecar Slack App for the workspace where your team will use Sidecar Engineer.
2

Add Sidecar to a channel

In Slack, open the channel where you want to use Sidecar Engineer.Click the channel participant icon, open Integrations, click Add an App, and add Sidecar.
3

Install the GitHub App

Install the Sidecar GitHub App on every repository Sidecar may need to update.Sidecar can publish a preliminary plan without repository access, but it cannot implement code changes until the GitHub App is installed on the relevant repositories.

​
Start work

1

Mention Sidecar with the task

Post a top-level channel message, or reply in an existing thread.
@Sidecar add a dbt test that verifies customer_id is never null
Sidecar adds a writing reaction after it accepts the mention.
2

Wait for Sidecar's reply

Sidecar replies in the same thread with a plan, clarification question, setup blocker, validation failure, or pull request link.No separate approval reply is required before implementation. If the request is clear and setup is ready, Sidecar can start implementation automatically.
3

Keep follow-ups in the same thread

Reply in the same Slack thread and explicitly mention Sidecar for every new instruction.
@Sidecar also update the model description
Plain replies are ignored and do not refresh the ticket context.
4

Review the pull request

When implementation succeeds, Sidecar posts the pull request or compare link in the Slack thread.Review, request changes, and merge through your normal GitHub process.

​
Behavior to know

  • A Slack thread maps to one Sidecar ticket and one open Sidecar workflow.
  • @Sidecar engineer fix X is treated as normal task text. The word engineer is not a command.
  • Exact commands such as @Sidecar ticket, @Sidecar create ticket, @Sidecar update ticket, and @Sidecar write ticket stay reserved for the ad-hoc ticket workflow.
  • A non-exact phrase such as @Sidecar ticket please summarize this thread routes to Sidecar Engineer.
  • Plain replies in a Sidecar Engineer thread are ignored unless they mention Sidecar.
  • Sidecar replies in the originating thread and does not mention you back.
  • If a rework request expands scope or changes the repository set, Sidecar runs analysis again before making more code changes.

​
Troubleshooting

Confirm the Sidecar Slack App is added to the channel, the message is not in a DM, the channel is not a Slack Connect shared channel, and the mention is for the Sidecar bot installed in that workspace.
Add a new thread reply that explicitly mentions Sidecar. Plain replies are ignored so normal human discussion does not become agent input.
Follow the blocker in Sidecar’s reply. The most common blocker is missing Sidecar GitHub App access for the repository Sidecar needs to inspect or update.