# Slack Compliance Archiving for SEC & FINRA

Capture Slack messages, DMs, edits, and deletions on Team plan or Enterprise Grid. Compliant with SEC 17a-4 and FINRA 4511.

Source: https://commacompliance.com/channels/slack-compliance
Last updated: 2026-07-14

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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](/regulations/finra-rule-4511) and [SEC Rule 17a-4](/regulations/sec-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.

## 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 →](https://docs.commacompliance.com/getting-started/slack-setup/)

**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 →](https://docs.commacompliance.com/guides/slack-plan-requirements/)