Ask Edna in Slack

Connect Edna to Slack so your team can ask Edna questions without leaving Slack. In Avid, open Edna and click Connect Edna to your Slack. Then send Avid (Edna) a DM, @mention Edna in a channel, or type /edna to ask questions with Edna, just as you would in Avid.

Use this article when

You want to add Edna to your Slack workspace.
You want to know the ways to reach Edna in Slack, including the /edna commands.
Edna in Slack is not doing what you expect.

Before you start

Avid access	You can open Edna in the left nav. Any user with access to the organization can connect Slack. You do not need to be an Avid admin.
Slack	You can add apps to your Slack workspace, or a Slack admin can approve the app for you.
Availability	Edna in Slack is in early access and is rolling out in stages to organizations. If you do not see Connect Edna to your Slack, email help@avidai.com or reach out to your account manager for more information.

Connect Edna to Slack

One person connects the workspace. After that, everyone on your team can message Edna.

In Avid, open your organization and click Edna in the left nav. Use the full Edna page, not the dashboard widget.
Under the message box, click Connect Edna to your Slack.

Slack opens a screen that asks you to allow the Avid (Edna) app.
Choose your workspace, review the permissions, and allow the app. Edna uses these permissions to read messages sent to her, reply, and match your Slack email to your Avid account.

Slack shows a red App is not approved by Slack warning on this screen. It means Avid (Edna) is not listed in the Slack Marketplace yet. It does not mean Slack found a problem with the app.

Slack only accepts Marketplace submissions from apps that are installed in 10 or more active workspaces. Every new app shows this warning until then. See Slack's Marketplace review guide.
Return to Avid.

You'll see Edna is connected to Slack. The Connect Edna to your Slack link will no longer show.
In Slack, open Avid (Edna) and type /edna help.

Edna replies with the command list. Only you can see it.

If your workspace needs admin approval, Slack shows Request to install in step 3. Add a note for your admin if you want, then click Submit Request. Slackbot tells you when the app is approved. Then go back to Edna in Avid and click Connect Edna to your Slack again.

Your teammates do not need to click Connect Edna to your Slack. They can message Edna in Slack as soon as it's connected to the workspace in Slack. If their Slack email matches their Avid email, they are linked automatically. If not, Edna asks them to click Sign in to Avid. After they sign in, they send their question again.

Edna answers from your Avid organization, with the same access you have in Avid. You can reach her in five ways:

Send Avid (Edna) a direct message.
@mention Edna in a channel. For a private channel, invite Avid (Edna) first.
Type /edna or /avid. They work the same way.
Use a Slack shortcut, which opens a short form instead of typing a command. Click the slash icon next to the message field, or type /, and search for Avid (Edna). Choose Custom Analysis, Donor Lookup, or Create an Audience. Edna sends the result to you as a DM.
Open the Home tab of Avid (Edna). It shows the same widgets as your dashboard email. To change them, edit your dashboard in Avid.

Slash commands

What you type	What Edna does
`/edna help`	Shows the command list. Only you can see it.
`/edna How is revenue tracking vs last year?`	Answers your question. Click Continue in Avid to keep the conversation going in Avid.
`/edna analysis why did new donors drop last month`	Builds an analysis dashboard in Avid. Click Open in Avid to see it. You can own up to 5 dashboards per organization.
`/edna audience donors who gave $50+ in the last 12 months`	Creates the audience in Avid. The reply shows View Audience, Download, and Cancel.
`/edna donor Jane Smith`	Shows up to 5 matching people, only to you. Pick one to get a donor summary. You can also search by email or ID.

An audience you create from Slack is saved in Avid right away. It is not a draft. If you did not mean to create it, click Cancel on Edna's reply to delete it.

Replies and follow-ups

Reply in the thread to ask a follow-up. In a channel, @mention Edna in your reply so she sees it.
Teammates can join the thread with their own @mention if they have access to that organization in Avid.
Edna reads the text of your message. She does not read attached files, images, or spreadsheets.
Replies arrive all at once. Tables show as plain text, so click Continue in Avid for the formatted version.
Questions you ask in Slack also show in your Edna history in Avid, with a Slack badge.
Dashboard digest DMs follow your Insights setting under Notifications in your Avid profile.

For agency partners

A Slack workspace is not tied to one Avid organization. If you belong to more than one, Edna asks which organization your question is about. Pick one from Select an organization. The Home tab has its own Organization menu.

FAQ and common issues

If this happens	Try this
Slack warns that the app is not approved by Slack	This is expected for a new app. It means Avid (Edna) is not in the Slack Marketplace yet. Slack requires 10 or more active workspaces before an app can be submitted. See step 3 under Connect Edna to Slack.
Does Edna read my Slack channels?	No. She reads only DMs sent to her, messages that @mention her, and `/edna` commands. She does not copy Slack data into Avid. See Data Security and Compliance: Common Questions.
Slack says my admin needs to approve the app	Slack already sent your request to your Slack admins. When Slackbot tells you it is approved, click Connect Edna to your Slack again.
The install did not finish (`Slack installation was cancelled.` or `Slack did not complete the install. Please try again.`)	Go back to Edna in Avid and click Connect Edna to your Slack again. Finish Slack's screen before you close it.
It says Edna in Slack is not enabled for me (`Edna Slack is not enabled for your account yet.`)	Edna in Slack is in early access for some organizations. Email help@avidai.com to ask about access.
Edna asks me to sign in to Avid	Your Slack email is different from your Avid email. Click Sign in to Avid once, then send your question again.
I don't have an Avid account	Ask your Avid admin to add you to your organization in Avid. Then message Edna again.
Edna says I don't have access to the organization this conversation is about	You replied in a thread about an organization you cannot open in Avid. Ask your Avid admin to add you to it.
Edna doesn't answer in a channel	@mention Edna. For a private channel, invite Avid (Edna) first.
I can't keep chatting in a DM with a coworker	`/edna` answers once there. For follow-ups, use your DM with Edna, or @mention her in a channel where the app is added.
Edna stopped answering after a lot of questions	During early access, each person can send Edna 10 messages or commands an hour. Edna does not show an error when you reach it. Wait a bit, or continue in Avid.
I made an audience by mistake	Click Cancel on Edna's reply. It deletes the audience.
The Edna Home tab is blank or missing	Refresh Slack. Press Cmd+R on a Mac or Ctrl+R on Windows.
How do I remove Edna?	A Slack admin can uninstall Avid (Edna) for the whole workspace. There is no disconnect option in Avid yet. An option to disconnect only yourself is planned.

Still stuck? Email LockStep Support at help@avidai.com. Include:

Your Slack workspace name.
How you asked Edna: a DM, an @mention, or /edna.
The exact message you saw, copied from Slack or Avid.
Your Avid organization name, if you belong to more than one.

Ask Edna (plans, email, and in-app chat)
Your Dashboard: Pinning and Personalizing
Data Security and Compliance: Common Questions

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