- How do I install mpociot/slackbot in a Laravel app?
- Install it with composer require mpociot/slackbot, then publish the package configuration and register a Slack app whose event and slash-command URLs point at your Laravel route. The code path is straightforward, but most of the setup time goes into Slack app manifests, OAuth scopes, signing-secret verification, and token rotation. Before committing, verify dependency resolution on your target Laravel and PHP versions because the last release was in September 2020.
- Does mpociot/slackbot support Laravel 10 or Laravel 11?
- The 2.6.1 release notes claim support for Laravel 7 and 8 only, and the package has had no release since September 2020. Its pinned dependency constraints predate Laravel 10, Laravel 11, PHP 8.2, and PHP 8.3. Treat compatibility as unproven until composer update --dry-run passes in a scratch project on your real target stack.
- Is mpociot/slackbot still maintained?
- No, it should not be treated as actively maintained. There have been no releases since September 2020, and mpociot/slackbot was superseded by botman/botman directly. It also has zero dependents, so there is no peer ecosystem for patches, forks, or package-specific answers. Model it as an unannounced maintenance freeze rather than a supported dependency, and plan for owning patches yourself.
- What is the difference between mpociot/slackbot and botman/botman?
- mpociot/slackbot is a Laravel-flavored wrapper around BotMan's Slack driver, and the linked repository resolves to botman/botman itself. Depending on the wrapper gives you identical staleness, a narrower surface, and one more layer to fork or patch. If you decide to use this stack, depending on botman/botman directly is usually the better starting point.
- Does mpociot/slackbot use webhooks or an RTM websocket connection?
- The available descriptions conflict: one presents it as a Slack RTM driver using websockets over ReactPHP with a supervised long-running process, while another presents an HTTP endpoint for slash commands, the Events API, and interactive components. Those models have different availability, scaling, and security implications. Resolve which model the pinned version actually implements before estimating the work.
- How do I handle Slack slash commands with mpociot/slackbot?
- You register the slash-command URL with Slack to point at the package's Laravel route and implement handlers that call your existing domain logic, such as Eloquent models, policies, jobs, and queues. That thin-adapter approach is the main leverage case for an existing Laravel monolith. Confirm in the driver source that signing-secret verification and replay protection are enforced, because a slash-command endpoint is public.
- Can mpociot/slackbot handle Slack events and interactive messages?
- Yes, the package is described as supporting Slack events and interactive messages alongside slash commands, using BotMan's normalized message objects and middleware. You can use hears() and ask() style handlers and route responses through Laravel queues. Verify the pinned version's support for newer interactivity payloads and granular scopes, since the framework predates those Slack features.
- How do I test Slack bot handlers in Laravel?
- Keep your handlers thin and test the domain logic they call as normal Laravel code, independent of Slack. For the inbound path, test payload parsing, signing-secret verification, timestamp replay rejection, and queued response jobs without relying on a live Slack workspace. BotMan's normalized message objects and middleware can be exercised directly in tests.
- What security concerns should I review before using mpociot/slackbot in production?
- If the confirmed deployment is a webhook, the endpoint is public and must verify Slack signing secrets, reject unsigned payloads, and protect against timestamp replay attacks. Confirm those checks exist in the driver source rather than inferring them from 2020-era documentation. Also plan for token rotation, least-privilege OAuth scopes, and operational ownership of the bot.
- What are alternatives to mpociot/slackbot for Laravel Slack bots?
- Consider botman/botman directly if you want the underlying framework, the official Slack Bolt client if Slack is your only channel, or a small custom Laravel HTTP endpoint for slash commands and events. For a dormant multi-channel framework, a purpose-built Slack client often has better API coverage and maintenance. If you need a supported dependency, neither mpociot/slackbot nor BotMan is a strong choice without an internal maintenance plan.