Slack Agent

# Web monitors and live updates in Slack

Tell the Parallel Slack agent what you’re interested in, and @parallel will notify you when a relevant event happens. Or ask @parallel a question, and get an answer powered by the most comprehensive web index.

[Add to Slack](https://slack.com/marketplace/A0AP6UAHQ4A-parallel)

## Watch the web from any channel

Monitors check the web on the schedule you set, from hourly to every 30 days. If you don’t give a frequency, the agent checks hourly.

`@parallel monitor new funding rounds for AI startups, daily`

* ### Set up a monitor in one sentence  
Mention @parallel with what to watch and, if you like, how often. It confirms with a card that shows the topic and the schedule.
* ### Short alerts, details in the thread  
When something relevant changes, the agent posts a headline and its source in the channel. The full details go in the thread, so the channel stays easy to scan.
* ### Follow the monitors you care about  
Anyone can hit the bell on a monitor to get @mentioned when it fires. Hit it again to stop.
* ### Manage monitors in plain language  
Ask “show me the active monitors,” “make the funding update weekly,” or “cancel the pricing monitor.” Each alert also has a Manage button for changing the cadence, editing the query, or stopping the monitor. Parallel confirms before it removes anything.

## Get cited answers in the thread

Tag @parallel with a question in a channel, or message it directly. It searches the web and replies with sources you can check.

* `@parallel what did the Fed announce today, and how did markets react?`
* `@parallel compare pricing for CRM providers`
* ### Ask about an alert  
Reply in an alert’s thread, and the agent already knows which event you mean. “Have they invested in similar startups recently?” works without repeating yourself.
* ### Follow up in the thread  
Each thread is its own conversation, so follow-up questions build on earlier answers.

## Get started

1. ### Install the agent  
Install Parallel from the [Slack Marketplace](https://slack.com/marketplace/A0AP6UAHQ4A-parallel), or from [Parallel Platform](https://platform.parallel.ai/settings?tab=data-connections) under Settings > Data connections > Add to Slack.
2. ### Add it to a channel  
Type /invite @parallel in any channel, or open Parallel from Slack’s Agents panel.
3. ### Tell it what to watch  
Mention @parallel with your first monitor or question. Everyone in your workspace can create, follow, and manage monitors.

## FAQs

* **How often does Parallel check for changes?**  
As often as you ask, from hourly to every 30 days. Add a frequency to your request, like “daily” or “weekly.” If you don’t give one, it checks hourly. To change it later, ask in plain language or use Manage on any alert.
* **Who can create and manage monitors?**  
Everyone in your workspace can create, follow, and manage monitors. Anyone can hit the bell on a monitor to get @mentioned when it fires. Parallel confirms before it removes a monitor.
* **Which Slack plans does it work on?**  
@mentions and direct messages work on every Slack plan. The Parallel agent pane requires a paid Slack plan.
* **How does it relate to the Monitor API?**  
Monitors in Slack run on the Parallel [Monitor API](/products/monitor). The Slack agent is for teams who want those monitors without leaving Slack or integrating an API. To build web monitoring into your own product or agent, use the Monitor API directly.
* **How accurate are the answers?**  
Parallel uses AI to search and summarize the web, so answers can be inaccurate or incomplete. Every answer and alert links to its sources. Check them before you act on anything important.

## Start watching the web from Slack

[Add to Slack](https://slack.com/marketplace/A0AP6UAHQ4A-parallel)