Slack MCP conversations_search_messages fails with a bot token (needs xoxp user token)

Slack MCP conversationssearchmessages fails with a bot token (needs xoxp user token)

TL;DR: Message search requires a user token (xoxp); bot tokens are rejected for conversationssearchmessages. Add an xoxp user token with search:read scope to the server config. Restart the client and retry the search.

The error

conversations_search_messages fails with a bot (xoxb) token

Fix it

1. Confirm the failing tool is a search call and other tools work.

Expected: Only search fails.

1. Create a user token (xoxp) with the search:read scope.

Expected: You have the xoxp value.

1. Add it to the Slack MCP server config env.

Expected: The config carries the user token.

1. Restart the client and run the search.

Expected: Results return.

When this applies

Slack MCP search tools fail on a bot token while channel reads and posting work.

When this does NOT apply

If nothing works, the bot token is wrong. If search 403s on a user token, the scope is missing.

Tool compatibility

korotovsky/slack-mcp-server, recent versions

Also seen as

• Slack MCP search needs user token
• conversationssearchmessages xoxp
• Slack MCP search forbidden bot token

Why it happens

Slack's search API is user-scoped; it searches what the user can see. Bot tokens are not accepted for it regardless of scopes, so the server needs a user token for search tools.

Edge cases

• Search results follow the user's permissions, not the bot's.
• xoxp tokens expire with the user's sessions; reissue if search breaks later.
• Enterprise Grid search has extra visibility rules.