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Introduction

To develop and host on Square Cloud, it’s essential to follow a structured sequence of configurations and prerequisites. This technical guide will cover the entire process, from initial setup to production deployment.

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Prerequisites

  • Square Cloud Account: Hosting platform for your application. Register through the signup page using your email.
  • Active Paid Plan: Ensures dedicated resources and optimized performance for your application. Check our available plans and choose the most suitable for your needs.
Wondering how much RAM and CPU your plan needs to host Slack bots?
Don't worry, we're here to help. Our Hobby plan offers 2GB of RAM and 2vCPU, which should be sufficient for most Slack bots. However, if you are working on a larger project and seeking extra stability, we recommend considering our Pro plan. With additional resources, you can maintain stability even during demand spikes. To purchase, simply click here.

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Creating project

To create a Slack Bot, you will need an account and permissions to create apps on Slack. Create or access your account at https://slack.com/ before following next steps.

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Bot application on Slack

  1. Go to the Slack API - Your Apps and click “Create New App”.
  2. Choose “From scratch”, give the app a name and select the workspace where you will install it.
  3. Note the Signing Secret (under “Basic Information”) and create a Bot Token in the “OAuth & Permissions” section, adding the appropriate scopes for your bot (e.g. chat:write, channels:read, commands, app_mentions:read).
Security: Never expose the Signing Secret or the Bot Token publicly. Treat them as sensitive credentials.

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Developing project

Use the sections below depending on the language you choose. Both examples demonstrate a bot that responds to mentions or simple commands.
Node.js Environment Setup
  1. Make sure Node.js is installed.
  2. Initialize a project and install dependencies:
Terminal
npm init -y
npm install @slack/bolt
  1. Create an index.js file with the following content:
index.js
const { App } = require('@slack/bolt');

const app = new App({
  signingSecret: process.env.SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET,
  token: process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN,
});

// Responds when mentioned
app.event('app_mention', async ({ event, say }) => {
  await say(`<@${event.user}> Thanks for mentioning me!`);
});

// Example slash command
app.command('/hello', async ({ ack, respond }) => {
  await ack();
  await respond('Hello from Square Cloud!');
});

(async () => {
  await app.start(process.env.PORT || 3000);
  console.log('⚡️ Slack Bolt app is running!');
})();
Note: on Square Cloud, set the environment variables SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET and SLACK_BOT_TOKEN in the application panel.

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Deploying

After preparing your project files, you can now upload them to Square Cloud and host your project. To do so, create a ZIP file containing all your project files.

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Via dashboard

1

Access the Upload Page

Access the upload page and upload your project zip file.
2

Configure Your Environment

After uploading your zip, you will need to configure the name, main file or runtime environment and other settings for your project.
If you are uploading a web project, make sure to select "Web Publication" and set a subdomain to your project.
3

Deploy Your Project

Finally, click on the "Deploy" button to host your project on Square Cloud.
After deployment, you can monitor your project's status and logs from the dashboard.

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Via CLI

To use this method, you need to create a config file named squarecloud.app in the root directory of your project. This file will contain the necessary configuration for your project.

Learn more about: how to create the configuration file for Square Cloud.

The squarecloud.app file is a configuration file that will be used to configure your application; it will be used to define your environment.
1

Install the CLI

First, you need to have the CLI installed in your environment. If you don't have it yet, run the following command in your terminal:
npm install -g @squarecloud/cli
If you already have it, we recommend updating it. To do this, run the following command in your terminal:
squarecloud update
2

Authenticate

Now, to authenticate and use other CLI commands, you will find your authorization key here by clicking on "Request API Key". After obtaining your authorization key, run the following command:
squarecloud auth login
3

Upload Your Project

Finally, to deploy your application to Square Cloud using the CLI, you need to run the following command:
squarecloud upload
Or if you created the zip manually, you can use:
squarecloud upload --file <path/to/zip>

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Testing the Bot

  1. In the Slack App panel, under “OAuth & Permissions”, install the app to the workspace.
  2. If the bot exposes endpoints (for events or commands), configure the Request URL in “Event Subscriptions” and “Slash Commands” to point to your application’s public URL (Square Cloud provides the domain after deployment).
  3. Test mentions in a channel or the /hello command to validate responses.
Example install link (replace the client_id): 
https://slack.com/oauth/v2/authorize?client_id=000000000000.000000000000&scope=commands,chat:write,app_mentions:read

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Additional Resources

For further reading, check the official Slack documentation:

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Contact us

If you continue facing technical difficulties, our specialized support team is available to assist you. Contact us and we'll be happy to help you resolve any issue.