4/11/2026
The Complaint
I wanted a Slack-based coding assistant that runs on my own computer, not on a hosted service or behind a public webhook.
Why It’s Broken
Most Slack AI bots require a public URL, a server, or a tunnel service. That makes the setup heavier and adds ongoing hosting or network configuration costs.
The Fix
Use Qwen Code with a local Python bot and Slack Socket Mode.
- Install Node.js and Qwen Code locally
- Log in to Qwen to get free credits
- Install Python and the bot dependencies
- Create a Slack app with Socket Mode enabled
- Configure
SLACK_APP_TOKEN,SLACK_BOT_TOKEN, andQWEN_WORK_DIR - Run
python3 bot.pyon the machine that hosts the bot
With this setup, Slack messages travel over a WebSocket to the local bot. The bot sends prompts to Qwen Code and replies back in Slack threads.
What’s Next
- Keep the bot running in a terminal session or process manager.
- Re-run
qwenif Qwen auth expires. - Update the Slack app permissions when Slack or Qwen adds new API requirements.
Related
For the full setup guide, see the blog post: Run Qwen Code AI from Slack on your own machine