> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.paradime.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using DinoAI in Direct Messages

> Run full DinoAI Slack Agent sessions privately from a direct message with the Paradime bot — no shared channel or @mention required for quick, personal tasks.

You don't need a shared channel to work with DinoAI. Once setup is complete, you can message the Paradime bot directly and run entire sessions from your DMs, which is ideal for quick tasks, personal workflows, or work you don't need to broadcast to a channel.

#### 1. Open a DM with the Paradime Bot

Find the **Paradime** app in your Slack sidebar and open its **Messages** tab. You can get there in two ways:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/paradime-docs/vrtvqFryCVgm3kAH/images/image-296.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vrtvqFryCVgm3kAH&q=85&s=d393c17803c816245cd25d32247532ac" alt="Opening a direct message with the Paradime app in Slack" width="2726" height="2018" data-path="images/image-296.png" />
</Frame>

**Option A - From the sidebar**

1. In the left sidebar, scroll to the **Apps** section
2. Click **Paradime** (use **Add apps** and search for it if it's not listed yet)
3. Select the **Messages** tab

**Option B - Search**

1. Press `Cmd/Ctrl + K` to open the Slack jump menu
2. Type **Paradime** and select the app
3. Select the **Messages** tab

***

#### 2. Select a Workspace (Optional)

If your Paradime account has multiple workspaces, DinoAI will ask which one to run against the first time you send a message. A workspace dropdown appears right in the DM. Pick the workspace you want the agent to operate on, and DinoAI will confirm before getting to work.

If your account has a single workspace, DinoAI selects it automatically and starts straight away.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/paradime-docs/vrtvqFryCVgm3kAH/images/image-297.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vrtvqFryCVgm3kAH&q=85&s=ea235dedb0dd75ece66521082a6bc1f3" alt="Selecting a workspace from the dropdown in a Paradime DM" width="1520" height="805" data-path="images/image-297.png" />
</Frame>

<Info>
  **This matters.** The workspace you select determines the environment DinoAI runs with, including the data warehouse connection, integrations, and configuration set up for that workspace.
</Info>

#### 3. Send Your First Message

Just type. Unlike channels, **you don't need to mention `@paradime` in a DM**. Every message you send in the conversation goes straight to the agent.

```
Hey Dino, are you there?
```

If everything is connected, DinoAI will respond and confirm it's ready to take on tasks.

#### 4. Give It a Task

Here are a few examples to get started:

```
Document all models in the marts folder that are missing descriptions.
```

```
Create a new model that joins orders and customers on customer_id.
```

```
Run a quick check on our staging models and flag anything that looks off.
```

DinoAI will pick up the task, work in the background, and reply in the DM when it's done.

<Warning>
  Switching workspaces mid-session is not supported. If you need to run a task under a different workspace, start a new session with a fresh message.
</Warning>

***

#### DMs vs Channels

Everything DinoAI can do in a channel, it can do in a DM. Cloning repositories, working across multiple repos, opening PRs, and querying your warehouse all work exactly the same. The differences are only about how you talk to it:

|                         | Channel                                  | Direct Message                         |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Starting a task**     | Mention `@paradime` in a message         | Just send a message, no mention needed |
| **Following up**        | Reply in the thread                      | Reply in the thread                    |
| **Visibility**          | Everyone in the channel sees the session | Only you see the conversation          |
| **Workspace selection** | Dropdown in the thread                   | Dropdown in the DM                     |

Use channels when you want the team to see and collaborate on what the agent is doing; use DMs for personal or exploratory work.

#### Related

* [Setup](/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/setup) — Configure the GitHub App and warehouse environment
* [Starting a Session](/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/starting-a-session) — Work with DinoAI in Slack channels
* [.dinorules](/products/dino-ai/dino-rules) — Set rules that guide how DinoAI works across all sessions
* [Tools and Features](/products/dino-ai/tools-and-features/index) — Explore tools accessible by the Slack Agent


## Related topics

- [Slack Agent](/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/index.md)
- [Version Control](/products/dino-ai/copilot/version-control.md)
- [Accelerating GitOps](/guides/paradime-101/getting-started-with-the-paradime-ide/dinoai-accelerating-your-analytics-engineering-workflow/accelerating-git-ops.md)
- [DinoAI: Accelerating Your Analytics Engineering Workflow](/guides/paradime-101/getting-started-with-the-paradime-ide/dinoai-accelerating-your-analytics-engineering-workflow/index.md)
- [Customize the DinoAI Slack agent](/changelog/2026-07-22/customize-slack-agent.md)