Download a Slack channel's full history, including thread replies

download_slack_history.py

"""
$ export SLACK_TOKEN="xoxb-1234567890-1234567890123-GaT2364GEv72wRpDfSkqn2Wk"
$ python download_slack_history.py CHANNELID
Downloading messages...
...............................................................done!
Downloading threads
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................E..................E.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................EE.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................done!
Channel history written to slack_history_2022-12-27-CHANNELID.json
"""

import os
import sys
import time
import json
import datetime
import slack

CHANNEL_ID = sys.argv[1]
SLACK_TOKEN = os.environ["SLACK_TOKEN"]


def tick(s):
    sys.stdout.write(s)
    sys.stdout.flush()


def get_conversations_history(client, channel=None, cursor=None):
    error_count = 0

    while error_count < 5:
        try:
            return client.conversations_history(channel=channel, cursor=cursor)
        except Exception as e:
            tick("E")
            time.sleep(1)


def get_conversations_replies(client, channel=None, ts=None):
    error_count = 0

    while error_count < 5:
        try:
            return client.conversations_replies(channel=channel, ts=ts)
        except Exception as e:
            tick("E")
            time.sleep(1)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    client = slack.WebClient(token=SLACK_TOKEN)

    all_messages = []

    print("Downloading messages...")
    result = get_conversations_history(client, channel=CHANNEL_ID)
    all_messages += result["messages"]

    while result["has_more"]:
        result = get_conversations_history(
            client,
            channel=CHANNEL_ID,
            cursor=result["response_metadata"]["next_cursor"],
        )
        all_messages += result["messages"]
        tick(".")
        time.sleep(1)
    else:
        print("done!")

    print("Downloading threads...")

    for message in all_messages:
        if message.get("reply_count"):
            message["replies"] = []
            replies = get_conversations_replies(
                client, channel=CHANNEL_ID, ts=message["ts"]
            )
            message["replies"] += replies.data["messages"][1:]
            tick(".")
            time.sleep(1)

    print("done!")

    filename = f"slack_history_{datetime.date.today().isoformat()}-{CHANNEL_ID}.json"

    with open(filename, "w") as f:
        json.dump(all_messages, f, indent=4)
        print(f"Channel history written to {filename}")