Getting Started
Once the Slack integration is installed, mention@Vigilos in any channel where the bot has been added, followed by your question:
How It Works
When you mention@Vigilos with a question, the bot follows a multi-step process to deliver an answer:
Identity resolution
The bot matches your Slack email address to your Vigilos account. This determines which organization, connections, and semantic models you have access to.
Intent classification
The bot classifies your message as either a data question (requiring database queries) or a conversational message (greetings, follow-ups, clarifications). Conversational messages get a direct response without running the data pipeline.
Model selection
If your organization has multiple semantic models, the bot presents a selection UI so you can choose which model to query against. If only one model exists, it is selected automatically.
Query execution
The AI agent analyzes your question against the semantic model, generates an optimized query, executes it against your database, and analyzes the results.
Thread Conversations
The Vigilos bot maintains conversation context within a Slack thread. You can ask follow-up questions without repeating context:Progress Reporting
For queries that take more than a few seconds, the bot provides progress updates in the thread so you know the analysis is underway. You will see status indicators as the bot works through schema fetching, query generation, and execution.Supported Queries
The Slack bot supports the same types of questions as the web-based Ask AI interface:| Query Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Aggregations | ”What is the total revenue this month?” |
| Rankings | ”Top 5 customers by order count” |
| Trends | ”Show me daily signups over the past 30 days” |
| Comparisons | ”Compare revenue between Q1 and Q2” |
| Filters | ”How many orders from Germany had a value over $100?” |
| Breakdowns | ”Revenue by product category and region” |
Tips for Better Results
Be specific with time ranges
Be specific with time ranges
Instead of “recently”, say “last 7 days” or “in January 2025”. Specific time ranges produce more accurate queries.
Use business terms from your semantic model
Use business terms from your semantic model
The bot works best when you use the entity and column names defined in your semantic model. For example, if your model has a “Customer Lifetime Value” measure, use that exact term.
Start simple, then refine
Start simple, then refine
Ask a broad question first, then use follow-up messages in the thread to drill down. This helps the bot understand exactly what you are looking for.
Select the right model
Select the right model
If you have multiple semantic models, make sure you select the one that covers the data you are asking about. A sales model will not be able to answer questions about engineering metrics.
Limitations
While the Slack bot handles most analytical questions, some scenarios work better in the Vigilos web app:- Complex multi-step analyses that require iterating on intermediate results
- Visual builder configurations where you want fine-grained control over chart types and formatting
- Saving and sharing insights - results from Slack are not automatically saved as insights
- Dashboard creation - use the web app to build and organize dashboards