# App collaborators for shared app ownership

*Slack Developer Study Guide · Apps in the Slack Platform · Last updated October 21, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/slack-developer/apps-in-the-slack-platform/app-collaborators-for-shared-app-ownership*

When and how to give a Slack app more than one owner: what collaborator access covers (app settings, not code), how an owner recovers an app whose collaborators were all deactivated, the Slack CLI collaborator commands and shared apps.json, and rotating secrets after someone is removed.

- Certification: Salesforce Slack Developer
- Exam section: Apps in the Slack Platform
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/slack-developer

**Official exam objective:**

> Identify when to set up a team to collaborate on a Slack app.

## What the exam expects

- Identify when an app needs a team of collaborators: a business-critical app with a single installer, or several developers who must manage settings and deploy updates.
- Explain what collaborator access covers (the app's settings in Slack) and what it does not (source code, hosting platforms).
- Recover an internal app whose collaborators were all deactivated: an owner adds themselves as a collaborator, then reinstalls.
- Set up collaboration on a Slack CLI app with `slack collaborator add` and a committed `.slack/apps.json`, and rotate secrets and tokens after removing a collaborator.

Key terms: **app collaborator** (a member of your organization who can manage an app's settings); **internal app** (an app a member of your organization built for your own workspace or org); **`apps.json`** (the Slack CLI file that records deployed app details and is shared through version control); **`apps.dev.json`** (the per-developer local file that is never committed).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What collaborators manage | The app's settings and its Slack Marketplace listings | [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators) |
| Code access | Not included; grant it through the hosting platform | [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators) |
| All collaborators deactivated | Owners or members who manage apps add themselves, then reinstall | [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators) |
| Org-level path | Organization settings > Integrations > Installed apps > Add myself as a collaborator | [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators) |
| Business+ condition | Adding yourself requires an approved request to export data from all channels and conversations | [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators) |
| Marketplace apps | Must have a collaborator, in case the creator leaves | [Distributing your app in the Slack Marketplace](https://docs.slack.dev/slack-marketplace/distributing-your-app-in-the-slack-marketplace) |
| CLI add | `slack collaborator add [email or user_id]`; teammate must be in the same workspace | [Collaborating with teammates](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/deno-slack-sdk/guides/collaborating-with-teammates) |
| Permission type | `--permission-type` `owner` or `reader`, default `owner` | [slack collaborator add](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/slack-cli/reference/commands/slack_collaborator_add) |
| Version control | Commit `.slack/apps.json`; never commit `apps.dev.json` | [Collaborating with teammates](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/deno-slack-sdk/guides/collaborating-with-teammates) |
| After removal | Rotate secrets and tokens; the person may still hold OAuth or app-level tokens | [Collaborating with teammates](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/deno-slack-sdk/guides/collaborating-with-teammates) |

## Check yourself

- When should an Org Owner add themselves as a collaborator on an internal app?
- Why must `apps.json` be committed for a shared CLI app?
- Why rotate secrets after removing a collaborator?
- What does the default `--permission-type` of `slack collaborator add` grant?

## Sources

- [Add internal app collaborators](https://slack.com/help/articles/7887743766291-Add-internal-app-collaborators)
- [Collaborating with teammates](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/deno-slack-sdk/guides/collaborating-with-teammates)
- [slack collaborator](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/slack-cli/reference/commands/slack_collaborator)
- [slack collaborator add](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/slack-cli/reference/commands/slack_collaborator_add)
- [Distributing your app in the Slack Marketplace](https://docs.slack.dev/slack-marketplace/distributing-your-app-in-the-slack-marketplace)
- [Build a workflow: Create a workflow in Slack](https://slack.com/help/articles/17542172840595-Build-a-workflow--Create-a-workflow-in-Slack)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 5 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Slack Developer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams