Between onboarding new hires and offboarding departing employees, manually managing Slack access can quickly become a security risk or consume hours you don't have. When you’re dealing with hundreds (or even thousands) of users, every manual step adds up.

If you’ve ever chased down Slack accounts after someone left, or scrambled to add new users across channels before day one, you know the pain. We’ve heard the same thing again and again from IT admins: “We want to automate everything we can, starting with SSO and deprovisioning.”

That’s where the native Slack–Okta integration comes in.

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So, What Is Slack-Okta Integration?

Slack-Okta integration connects Slack with Okta's identity and access management system. It enables secure single sign-on (SSO), automates user provisioning and deprovisioning of users in Slack, and enforces security policies. This integration simplifies IT workflows and ensures that only authorized users access Slack with verified credentials.

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What Are the Benefits of Integrating Slack With Okta?

If you're managing identity and access for a growing team, tying Slack into your Okta setup is a no-brainer. Here's what you get when you turn on SSO and SCIM between the two:

1. Centralized Identity & Access Management: All user permissions live in one place (Okta), making it easier for IT to enforce consistent policies, apply MFA, and meet compliance requirements.
2. Real-Time Profile & Group Sync: Profile fields (name, title, department) and group memberships are kept up to date in Slack, ensuring accurate directory information and channel access.
3. Stronger Security & Compliance Posture: Combining Okta’s advanced MFA, conditional access, and detailed audit logs with Slack’s enterprise controls helps meet SOC 2, HIPAA, and other regulatory standards.
4. Faster Onboarding & Offboarding Workflows: New hires receive instant access to Slack (with the proper channels and apps) on their first day; departing employees are removed in seconds.
5. Reduced IT Overhead & Help-Desk Tickets: Automated account management and self-service password resets via Okta free up IT resources, allowing them to focus on higher-value projects.
6. Improved End-User Productivity: Fewer login roadblocks, consistent profiles across tools, and immediate access to the right Slack workspaces enable teams to collaborate without friction.
7. Scalable Group-Based Access Control: Assign Slack workspaces and permissions to Okta groups (e.g., “Engineering-India,” “Finance-US”) to manage large, distributed teams at scale.
8. Unified Reporting & Audit Trails: Track sign-ins, provisioning events, and policy changes in Okta’s admin console—providing a single source of truth for security audits.

These benefits are made possible through specific Okta features that work seamlessly with Slack. Let’s take a quick look at the key capabilities that drive this integration.

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Which Okta Features Are Used in Slack Integration?

The Okta features used in Slack integration primarily focus on identity and access management to streamline user access, automate provisioning, and enhance security. Key Okta capabilities in the Slack integration include:

Before diving into the setup process, there's a necessary prerequisite to consider: your Slack plan tier. Not all Slack plans support Okta integration.

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Do You Need a Paid Slack Plan To Integrate With Okta?

Yes. Okta integration requires a paid Slack plan. Only the Business+ and Enterprise Grid plans support native SSO and SCIM provisioning. Free and Pro plans do not offer these features, making them incompatible with full Okta integration. Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from Slack and Okta integration based on the plan you have:

Now that you've confirmed your Slack plan supports Okta integration, let's walk through the complete setup process.

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How Do You Set Up Okta and Slack Integration?

This step-by-step tutorial guides you through the complete setup process for connecting Slack with Okta via SCIM and SAML, enabling automatic user provisioning and deprovisioning.

Step 1: Add the Slack App in Okta

1. First, log in to your Okta Admin dashboard. It will direct you to the authentication screen, where you will be prompted to enter a six-digit code using the Okta Verify mobile app. Once verified, you will be able to see the screen below:
2. In the left-hand menu, go to Applications > Applications, then click Browse App Catalog.
3. Search for Slack, and select the official Slack SCIM app—not the legacy SAML-only version.
4. Click Add.
5. Next, set your Application Label (e.g., “Slack – Enterprise Grid”). If you’d prefer this app to remain visible only to admins, check the box for 'Do not display application icon to users'.
6. Then, click Done to complete the app addition.

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Step 2: Enable API Integration in Okta

1. Once the Slack app is added and users are assigned, you’ll need to enable API integration so that Okta can communicate with Slack.
2. From the Slack app page in Okta, click the Provisioning tab at the top.
3. In the left-hand menu, click Integration.
4. Select the box labeled 'Enable API Integration'.
5. Now, open a new browser tab and log in to Slack as an Org Admin. You’ll need admin-level permissions to authorize the connection between Okta and Slack.

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Step 3: Generate the SCIM Token in Slack

1. Next, you’ll need to grab an SCIM token from Slack so Okta can securely manage users.
2. Start by navigating to admin.slack.com.
3. In the left-hand menu, go to Security > Authentication > Provisioning.
4. Click Create Token. You may be asked to re-authenticate.
5. Slack will generate a long SCIM token (it starts with xoxp-).

Important: Copy this token and store it somewhere safe. It acts like a password, granting full access to manage users via SCIM. You’ll use this token back in Okta to complete the connection.

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Step 4: Authenticate the SCIM API in Okta

1. Head back to Okta.
2. In the API Integration section of the Slack app settings, paste the SCIM token you copied earlier into the API Token field.
3. Click Test API Credentials to confirm the connection.
4. If everything works, you’ll see a green check mark.
5. If it fails, double-check that:
   
   1. Your Slack plan supports SCIM (Enterprise Grid is required)
   2. You’re signed in as a Slack Org Admin

Once you see the green check, click Save to continue.

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Step 5: Set Up Provisioning Features

Now that your SCIM token is connected, it’s time to enable provisioning features (which allow Okta to create, update, and remove Slack users automatically).

1. Still in the Provisioning tab of the Slack app, click To App in the left sidebar.

2. Then, click Edit, and enable the following options:

• Create Users
• Update User Attributes
• Deactivate Users
• Push Groups (optional but recommended)
• Reactivate Users (optional)
• Import Schema Discovery (optional)

3. Click Save to confirm your changes.

Best Practice Tip: Start with a single test user to ensure everything works as expected before rolling it out to your entire organization.

Once your Slack–Okta connection is active, you can fine-tune how users and groups are created, updated, and deactivated.

While this provides excellent foundational capabilities, many IT admins find they need additional functionality for day-to-day operations. This is where supplementary tools, such as ClearFeed, come into play.

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How ClearFeed Completes Your Slack-Okta Integration

The native Slack–Okta integration handles provisioning of Slack Users and synchronization effectively. But as an IT admin, you’re not just managing users in Slack. You’re also managing users across all other SaaS field platforms - fielding urgent access requests, chasing down approvals, and responding to real-time issues. Native tools weren’t built for that.

ClearFeed adds a powerful, Slack-native control layer that enables IT teams to respond faster, reduce noise, and maintain control, without compromising security or auditability. It is also available to all Slack workspaces, regardless of their subscription level.

To illustrate the difference, here's a detailed comparison of capabilities:

As this comparison shows, both solutions serve different but complementary purposes. Okta is your source of truth, and the native Slack-Okta integration is ideal for managing user provisioning directly within Slack. Slack is where your users are. ClearFeed provides users in Slack a comprehensive way to manage users, groups, and app access in Okta - in an easy but secure manner. Try our free trial for 14 days or book a demo to learn more about Slack-Okta integration.