channel/close

Closes a Direct Message (DM) or Multi-Party IM (MPIM) conversation, removing it from the bot's active channel list. This operation is only valid for DM (D...) and MPIM (G... group DM) conversations — it does not apply to public or private channels (use channel/archive for those). Requires im:write scope.

When to Use

Support ticket resolution: After a support interaction is completed via DM, close the conversation to keep the bot's active DM list clean and to signal the case is resolved.
Project handoff DM cleanup: After a project coordination group DM is no longer active, close it once all outstanding items are addressed.
Temporary collaboration cleanup: Close short-lived group DMs created for incident coordination or quick decisions once the discussion is concluded.

Configuration

Connection

Field	Type	Required	Description
`botToken`	string	Required	Bot Token starting with `xoxb-`. Requires `im:write` scope for DMs and `mpim:write` for group DMs.

Operation Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`channelId`	string	Required	The DM or MPIM channel ID to close. DM IDs start with `D`; group DMs (MPIM) start with `G`. Must NOT be a public (`C`) or standard private channel — use `channel/archive` for those.

DMs and MPIMs only: channel/close works exclusively on DM conversations (IDs starting with D) and multi-party IMs (IDs starting with G when opened as a group DM). To close standard public or private channels, use channel/archive. Passing a standard channel ID to this node will result in an error.

Closing is reversible: Unlike archiving a channel, closing a DM only hides it from the sidebar. The conversation can be reopened at any time using channel/open and all history is preserved.

Sample Configuration

{
  "operation": "channel/close",
  "connection": {
    "botToken": "{{credentials.slackBotToken}}"
  },
  "fields": {
    "channelId": "{{$json.dmChannelId}}"
  }
}

Validation Errors

Error Code	Cause	Resolution
`channel_not_found`	The channel ID is invalid, is not a DM/MPIM, or is not accessible to this bot.	Verify that the channel ID starts with `D` (DM) or `G` (group DM). Standard channels (`C`) cannot be closed with this operation.
`missing_scope`	Bot token lacks `im:write` or `mpim:write` scope.	Re-authorize the Slack app with the required scopes.

Output

Success Port

Field	Type	Description
`channelId`	string	The DM/MPIM channel that was closed.
`status`	string	`success` or `error`.
`errorCode`	string	Slack error code when `status` is `error`.
`payload`	object	Full raw Slack API response.

Error Port

On failure with Continue on Error enabled, routes to the error port with status: "error" and populated errorCode.

Sample Output

{
  "channelId": "D08DM3XYZ99",
  "status": "success",
  "errorCode": "",
  "payload": {
    "ok": true,
    "already_closed": false
  }
}

Expression Reference

Expression	Result
`{{$node["channel-close"].json.channelId}}`	The closed DM channel ID — use in audit log or ticket resolution records.
`{{$node["channel-close"].json.payload.already_closed}}`	True if the DM was already closed — treat as a safe no-op in idempotent workflows.
`{{$node["channel-close"].json.status === "success"}}`	Boolean gate — confirm close before marking ticket as resolved in external system.

Node Policies & GuardRails

Policy Area	Recommendation
Scope requirements	Requires `im:write` for DMs and `mpim:write` for group DMs. Does not work for standard public or private channels — use `channel/archive` for those.
Rate limiting	Tier 2 (20+ req/min). Safe for individual or moderate-batch close operations.
No hard-coded IDs	Always source `channelId` from the output of a preceding `channel/open` node or from a stored DM channel ID. Never hard-code DM channel IDs.
DMs vs channels	Only pass DM (`D...`) or MPIM (`G...` group DM) IDs to this node. Do not pass standard channel IDs — use `channel/archive` for public/private channels.
Reversible operation	Closing a DM is non-destructive. History is preserved. Reopen at any time with `channel/open`. This is the correct cleanup step for short-lived DM workflows.
Final message before close	As a best practice, send a closing message ("Support ticket #123 resolved — closing this conversation") before closing the DM so the user has a clear record.

Examples

Example 1 — Support Ticket Resolution DM Close

When a support ticket is resolved, sends a final confirmation DM and then closes the conversation.

// Trigger: ticket status → resolved
// $json.dmChannelId, $json.ticketId, $json.resolutionSummary

// Node 1: message/send — resolution notification
{
  "channelId": "{{$json.dmChannelId}}",
  "text": "Your support ticket #{{$json.ticketId}} has been resolved. {{$json.resolutionSummary}} — We're closing this conversation now. Reply anytime to open a new ticket."
}

// Node 2: channel/close
{ "channelId": "{{$json.dmChannelId}}" }

// Node 3: update ticket record in CRM with closed DM status

Example 2 — Temporary Incident Group DM Cleanup

After an incident is resolved, closes the coordination group DM created at the start of the incident.

// Trigger: incident resolved
// $json.incidentMpimChannelId (MPIM opened at incident start)

// Node 1: message/send
{ "text": "Incident resolved. Closing this coordination DM. See #incident-archive for the post-mortem." }

// Node 2: channel/close
{ "channelId": "{{$json.incidentMpimChannelId}}" }

Example 3 — Automated DM Lifecycle: Open, Message, Close

Full DM workflow pattern: open a DM, deliver a message, then close the conversation after a confirmation period.

// Node 1: channel/open — get or create DM with user
{ "userIds": "{{$json.userId}}" }

// Node 2: message/send
{
  "channelId": "{{$node['channel-open'].json.channelId}}",
  "text": "{{$json.messageText}}"
}

// Wait node: 24 hours (allow user to respond)

// Node 3: channel/close — clean up after delivery window
{ "channelId": "{{$node['channel-open'].json.channelId}}" }