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Comma Compliance

Messaging & chat platforms

Most vendors skip Slack Team plan.

Comma archives it.

One OAuth connection captures public channels, private channels, DMs, Slack Connect threads, edits, deletions, and file shares into a SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511 compliant WORM archive. Works on Slack Team plan and Enterprise Grid.

No apps on user devices. No modified Slack client. One admin-consent OAuth install and capture begins.

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How Slack capture works

Comma installs as a Slack workspace app via standard OAuth. The admin consents once, and capture begins automatically for every channel the bot has access to: public channels, private channels where it has been invited, and DMs for users who have completed a one-time authorization. Every message is written to a WORM archive that satisfies FINRA Rule 4511 and SEC Rule 17a-4 recordkeeping requirements. Edits and deleted messages are preserved alongside the original. File shares are written to WORM storage with their original Slack metadata intact.

Slack messages captured in the Comma archive with sentiment scoring and case management
Comma Compliance dashboard showing a Slack thread from #client-portfolio archived with sentiment scores and Add to Case actions

Team plan vs Enterprise Grid

Most compliance vendors require Slack Enterprise Grid before they’ll touch your workspace. Comma works on the standard Team plan your firm is probably already on.

Slack Team plan

Comma works on Slack Team plan with three things to know upfront:

Public channels are captured automatically once the workspace is connected.

Private channels require the Comma bot to be invited into each one. The Comma bot (listed in Slack as “Comma Compliance Archive”) is the workspace app that does the capturing — a channel member types /invite @Comma or uses the Add Apps menu inside the channel, and it begins capturing immediately. Channels the bot hasn’t been added to are not captured. See the setup guide →

Direct messages require a one-time per-user authorization. Users who haven’t completed it appear as unlinked in the Comma dashboard and their DMs are not captured until they connect.

Enterprise Grid

Slack’s Enterprise Grid tier provides the Discovery API, which gives Comma organization-wide access without per-user authorization or per-channel invitations. All users are covered from day one, all private channels are captured automatically, and admins have full visibility into channel coverage from the Comma dashboard.

See full plan comparison →

Frequently asked questions

Do we need Enterprise Grid for Slack archiving?
No. Comma works on Slack Team plan. Public channels are captured automatically. Private channels require the bot to be invited in, and DMs require a one-time per-user authorization. Enterprise Grid removes those steps through the Discovery API, but it is not a prerequisite.
What gets captured?
Public channels, private channels (where the bot has been invited), direct messages (for authorized users), Slack Connect external threads, file shares, and message edits and deletions. Edits and deletions are preserved with the original message intact.
If a message is edited, does the archive capture every revision or just the original?
The original message is captured at the point it is sent and written to WORM storage immediately. When a message is edited, the archive retains the original alongside the edit event. Intermediate drafts between edits are not captured — only the original send and the subsequent edit record.
Does anything need to be installed on user devices?
No. Comma operates at the workspace level via OAuth. There is no Slack client modification, no app on employee phones or laptops, and no change to how anyone uses Slack.
What happens when an employee leaves?
Their historical messages remain in the archive under your retention policy. Offboarding a user from Slack does not affect the archived record.
Can Comma archive Slack Connect channels with external organizations?
Yes. Slack Connect channels are captured the same way as internal channels once both sides of the connection are established and the Comma bot has access.

Still on Slack Team plan?

You don't need to upgrade to Enterprise Grid to stay compliant. Comma handles it.

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Built to the standards regulators ask about

  • FINRA 3110 Review & retention
  • FINRA Reg S-P Books & records
  • SEC 17a-4 WORM archive
  • SEC 17a-3 Supervision
  • GDPR Data protection
  • MiFID II EU comms recording
  • CIRO 3800 Canadian records
  • FCA SYSC 10A UK taping
  • MAS SF(LCB)R SG 5-year order records
  • ASIC Australian financial
  • SFC Hong Kong
  • CASL Consent archiving

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