Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with TeaL;DR in 5 minutes.

Your First Search

After installing TeaL;DR, try your first search to see the bot in action.

Step 1: Wait for Indexing

The bot needs a few minutes to index recent messages. For new installations, it will automatically index the last 1000 messages per channel.

Tip: You can check indexing status with /stats

Step 2: Run Your First Query

Use natural language to search for something discussed in your server:

/ask query: what did we discuss about the project deadline?

Step 3: Review Results

The bot will return relevant messages with context. Results include:

  • Message content and author
  • Channel and timestamp
  • Relevance score
  • Direct link to original message

Essential Commands

Master these five commands to get the most out of TeaL;DR:

/askMost Used

Search through your server history using natural language. This is your primary tool for finding information.

/ask query: bug reports from last week
/recap

Get AI-generated summaries of conversations. Perfect for catching up after being away.

/recap period: Last 7 days
/stats

View server analytics including message counts, active users, and trending topics.

/stats scope: Server Statistics
/export

Export search results to CSV, JSON, or Markdown for external analysis.

/export query: meeting notes format: CSV
/settingsAdmin Only

Configure bot behavior, exclude channels, and manage data retention.

/settings action: Exclude Channel channel: #private

Common Use Cases

Finding Past Decisions

Quickly locate when and why decisions were made:

/ask query: why did we choose PostgreSQL over MongoDB?/ask query: what was decided about the API versioning?

Onboarding New Members

Help new team members catch up on context:

/recap period: Last 30 days channel: #general/ask query: project overview and current status

Tracking Action Items

Find tasks and follow-ups mentioned in conversations:

/ask query: action items from yesterday's meeting/ask query: who was assigned to fix the login bug?

Research and Analysis

Export data for deeper analysis:

/export query: feature requests format: CSV/stats scope: User Activity

Best Practices

✓ Do

  • • Use descriptive, natural language queries
  • • Exclude sensitive channels from indexing
  • • Review retention settings for your needs
  • • Use channel filters for targeted searches

✗ Don't

  • • Use single-word keyword searches
  • • Index channels with PII or sensitive data
  • • Spam commands (rate limits apply)
  • • Expect instant results on first install

Next Steps