IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,537,788
Granted Patent B2
US 12,537,788 · App. 18/194,552 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Integrating a communication platform into a third-party platform

Inventors: Farzad Khosrowshahi (Weehawken, NJ); Steven Walling (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Salesforce, Inc.
H04L51/42G06F3/0481G06F3/04845G06F2203/04803
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,537,788
App. No.
18/194,552
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Integration of a group-based communication platform into a third-party application is described. In an example, an affordance associated with the group-based communication platform can be presented via a user interface of the third-party application. Based at least in part on detecting an input associated with the affordance, at least the message can be retrieved from the group-based communication platform. The message can be presented via the user interface of the third-party application, wherein one or more messages associated with the group-based communication platform, including the message, are presented via the user interface of the third-party application.

Claims (42)

1 . A method comprising:

detecting, by one or more servers of a group-based communication platform, selection of a selectable control of a first user interface of a first application of a third-party platform, wherein the first user interface is presented on a display of a user computing device, wherein the first user interface depicts an object, and wherein the selectable control is associated with the group-based communication platform;

responsive to detecting the selection of the selectable control, determining, by the one or more servers, a user associated with the selection; and

responsive to detecting the selection of the selectable control and determining the user, causing presentation, by the one or more servers via a second application associated with the group-based communication platform and on the display of the user computing device, of a second user interface, wherein the second user interface comprises:

a first section depicting the object; and

a second section depicting one or more messages associated with a communication channel or a direct message of the group-based communication platform.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first section comprises a first iframe and the second section comprises a second iframe, wherein the first iframe is configured to retrieve and render first data from the third-party platform, and the second iframe is configured to retrieve and render second data from the group-based communication platform.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the object is at least one of hosted, stored, managed, or owned by the third-party platform.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises at least one of a text document, an image, or a video.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user interface comprises a resizing mechanism, wherein the selection comprises a first user input, and the method further comprising:

receiving a second user input associated with the resizing mechanism, wherein the second user input causes resizing of the at least one of the first section or the second section within the second user interface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection comprises a first user input, and the method further comprising:

receiving a second user input to the second user interface, wherein the second user input causes an application associated with the third-party platform to modify the object.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more messages are associated with the communication channel of the group-based communication platform, and the second section is associated with the communication channel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more messages are associated with the direct message of the group-based communication platform, and the second section is associated with the direct message.

9 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting selection of a selectable control of a first user interface of a first application of a third-party platform, wherein the first user interface is presented on a display of a user computing device, wherein the first user interface depicts an object, and wherein the selectable control is associated with a group-based communication platform;

responsive to detecting the selection of the selectable control, determining a user associated with the selection; and

responsive to detecting the selection of the selectable control and determining the user, causing presentation via a second application associated with the group-based communication platform and on the display of the user computing device, of a second user interface, wherein the second user interface comprises:

a first section depicting the object; and

a second section depicting one or more messages associated with a communication channel or a direct message of the group-based communication platform.

10 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the first section comprises a first iframe and the second section comprises a second iframe, wherein the first iframe is configured to retrieve and render first data from the third-party platform, and the second iframe is configured to retrieve and render second data from the group-based communication platform.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the object is at least one of hosted, stored, managed, or owned by the third-party platform.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the object comprises at least one of a text document, an image, or a video.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the second user interface comprises a resizing mechanism, wherein the selection comprises a first user input, and the operations further comprising:

receiving a second user input associated with the resizing mechanism, wherein the second user input causes resizing of the at least one of the first section or the second section within the second user interface.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the selection comprises a first user input, and the operations further comprising:

receiving a second user input to the second user interface, wherein the second user input causes the first application to modify the object.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the one or more messages are associated with the communication channel of the group- based communication platform, and the second section is associated with the communication channel.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 9 , wherein the one or more messages are associated with the direct message of the group-based communication platform, and the second section is associated with the direct message.

17 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting selection of a selectable control of a first user interface of a first application of a third-party platform, wherein the first user interface is presented on a display of a user computing device, wherein the first user interface depicts an object, and wherein the selectable control is associated with a group-based communication platform;

responsive to detecting the selection, determining a user associated with the selection; and

responsive to detecting the selection and determining the user, causing presentation via a second application associated with the group-based communication platform and on the display of the user computing device, of a second user interface, wherein the second user interface comprises:

a first section depicting the object; and

a second section depicting one or more messages associated with a communication channel or a direct message of the group-based communication platform.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first section comprises a first iframe and the second section comprises a second iframe, wherein the first iframe is configured to retrieve and render first data from the third-party platform, and the second iframe is configured to retrieve and render second data from the group-based communication platform.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the selection comprises a first user input, and the operations further comprising:

receiving a second user input to the second user interface, wherein the second user input causes the first application to modify the object.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more messages are associated with the communication channel of the group-based communication platform, and the second section is associated with the communication channel.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 4, 2026
From: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
To: SALESFORCE, INC.
Reel/Frame 076118/0548 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 19, 2025
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SALESFORCE.COM, INC.
Reel/Frame 073281/0309 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 19, 2025
From: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 073281/0280 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2025
From: KHOSROWSHAHI, FARZAD; WALLING, STEVEN
To: SLACK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 070398/0013 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17239308 · Apr 23, 2021
Continuation 17111408 · Dec 3, 2020
Related Publication 20230254274A1 · Aug 10, 2023
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