SlackHive lets you choose which AI backend runs your agents. The rest of the product stays the same: Slack, memory, MCP tools, scheduled jobs, Coach, Knowledge Library, Activity, and Observability.
Today SlackHive supports:
| Backend | Best for | Auth options |
|---|
| OpenAI Codex | GPT-5.x models, Codex sessions, ChatGPT login | ChatGPT login, CODEX_AUTH_JSON, OPENAI_API_KEY |
| Claude Code | Claude models, Claude login, Anthropic API billing | Claude login, CLAUDE_CREDENTIALS_JSON, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY |
Choose the active backend
- Open Settings → AI Backend
- Pick OpenAI Codex or Claude Code
- Choose an auth mode
- Click Detect or paste credentials
- Save
Changing backend reloads agents. If an existing agent has a model that does not exist on the new backend, SlackHive moves it to that backend’s default model.
OpenAI Codex
Use Codex when you want GPT-5.x reasoning, Codex sessions, and ChatGPT login support.
Supported credential paths:
- ChatGPT login / device auth - Settings can start the login flow and persist
~/.codex/auth.json.
- Stored auth JSON - paste a
CODEX_AUTH_JSON value in Settings for headless machines.
- API key - set
OPENAI_API_KEY or store it in Settings.
- Custom binary - set
CODEX_PATH if SlackHive should use a specific codex binary.
Codex model choices may include reasoning levels such as Instant, Balanced, Thinking, and Max. SlackHive stores these as model choices and passes the appropriate reasoning effort to the backend.
Codex in SlackHive can read and describe images the user attaches, but image generation/editing output is not delivered to Slack. Agents are instructed to decline image-generation requests and offer text alternatives.
Claude Code
Use Claude Code when you want Claude models, Claude subscription auth, or Anthropic API-key billing.
Supported credential paths:
- Claude login - run
claude login; SlackHive reads ~/.claude/.credentials.json and can detect live auth.
- Stored credentials JSON - paste
CLAUDE_CREDENTIALS_JSON in Settings for headless machines.
- API key - set
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or store it in Settings.
- Custom binary - set
CLAUDE_BIN if SlackHive should use a specific claude binary.
What changes when you switch backend?
| Area | Behavior |
|---|
| Agents | Reloaded so future turns use the selected runtime |
| Models | Invalid model ids are migrated to the selected backend default |
| Coach | Uses a backend-compatible model |
| Sessions | Existing Slack thread mappings remain; the backend owns how it resumes them |
| MCP | Assigned servers stay the same; SlackHive maps them to the backend runtime |
| Observability | Activity, usage, sessions, and traces continue to work |
Backend status badge
The dashboard header shows the active backend and connection status:
- Connected - ready to run
- Expired - login credentials exist but must be refreshed
- Disconnected - no usable credentials found
If status is not connected, open Settings → AI Backend, re-run provider login, click Detect, or paste fresh credentials.
Recommended defaults
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|
| Individual developer with ChatGPT | Codex + ChatGPT login |
| Individual developer with Claude Pro/Max | Claude Code + claude login |
| Production/team deployment | Provider API key in Settings or .env |
| Backend experiments | Switch in Settings, verify model defaults, test one agent before broad use |
