diff --git a/packages/gateway/gateway/channels/slack_media.py b/packages/gateway/gateway/channels/slack_media.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ec0c90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gateway/gateway/channels/slack_media.py
@@ -0,0 +1,258 @@
+"""
+Slack file_share media extraction helpers.
+
+Handles Slack file_share events by:
+  1. Detecting file_share subtype in Slack events
+  2. Downloading files from Slack's private download URL using the bot token
+  3. Uploading files to MinIO with tenant-isolated keys
+  4. Building MediaAttachment objects with correct media_type, filename, mime_type
+
+Storage key format: {tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename}
+
+This module is intentionally import-side-effect free — no boto3 or httpx
+imports at the module level to keep import times fast. Both are imported
+inside the async function that requires them.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import logging
+
+from shared.models.message import MediaAttachment, MediaType
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# MIME type → MediaType mapping
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+_MIME_TO_MEDIA_TYPE: dict[str, MediaType] = {
+    # Images
+    "image/jpeg": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/jpg": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/png": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/gif": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/webp": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/bmp": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/tiff": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    "image/svg+xml": MediaType.IMAGE,
+    # Audio
+    "audio/mpeg": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    "audio/mp3": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    "audio/ogg": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    "audio/wav": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    "audio/webm": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    "audio/aac": MediaType.AUDIO,
+    # Video
+    "video/mp4": MediaType.VIDEO,
+    "video/webm": MediaType.VIDEO,
+    "video/ogg": MediaType.VIDEO,
+    "video/quicktime": MediaType.VIDEO,
+    "video/x-msvideo": MediaType.VIDEO,
+}
+
+
+def media_type_from_mime(mime_type: str) -> MediaType:
+    """
+    Map a MIME type string to a MediaType enum value.
+
+    Checks explicit MIME map first, then falls back to:
+      - image/* → IMAGE
+      - audio/* → AUDIO
+      - video/* → VIDEO
+      - everything else → DOCUMENT
+
+    Args:
+        mime_type: MIME type string (e.g. "image/png", "application/pdf").
+
+    Returns:
+        The appropriate MediaType enum value.
+    """
+    if not mime_type:
+        return MediaType.DOCUMENT
+
+    lower = mime_type.lower()
+
+    # Check exact match first
+    if lower in _MIME_TO_MEDIA_TYPE:
+        return _MIME_TO_MEDIA_TYPE[lower]
+
+    # Fall back to prefix match
+    if lower.startswith("image/"):
+        return MediaType.IMAGE
+    if lower.startswith("audio/"):
+        return MediaType.AUDIO
+    if lower.startswith("video/"):
+        return MediaType.VIDEO
+
+    # Default: treat as document
+    return MediaType.DOCUMENT
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Event detection
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def is_file_share_event(event: dict) -> bool:
+    """
+    Return True if the Slack event is a file_share subtype event.
+
+    Args:
+        event: Slack event dict.
+
+    Returns:
+        True if event["subtype"] == "file_share", else False.
+    """
+    return event.get("subtype") == "file_share"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Storage key builder
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def build_slack_storage_key(
+    tenant_id: str,
+    agent_id: str,
+    message_id: str,
+    filename: str,
+) -> str:
+    """
+    Build the MinIO storage key for a Slack file attachment.
+
+    Format: ``{tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename}``
+
+    This key ensures tenant-isolated, message-scoped storage. The agent_id
+    is included to allow per-agent media lifecycle management in the future.
+
+    Args:
+        tenant_id:  Konstruct tenant ID.
+        agent_id:   Agent ID that received the message.
+        message_id: Slack message timestamp (event ts) or generated UUID.
+        filename:   Original filename from Slack.
+
+    Returns:
+        MinIO object key string.
+    """
+    return f"{tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename}"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Attachment builder
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def build_attachment_from_slack_file(
+    file_info: dict,
+    storage_key: str,
+) -> MediaAttachment:
+    """
+    Build a MediaAttachment from Slack file metadata + storage key.
+
+    Args:
+        file_info:   Slack file metadata dict (from files.info or inline event).
+                     Expected keys: id, name, mimetype, size.
+        storage_key: MinIO storage key already written by download_and_store_slack_file.
+
+    Returns:
+        A populated MediaAttachment instance.
+    """
+    mime_type: str = file_info.get("mimetype", "") or ""
+    filename: str = file_info.get("name", "") or ""
+    size_bytes: int | None = file_info.get("size")
+
+    return MediaAttachment(
+        media_type=media_type_from_mime(mime_type),
+        storage_key=storage_key,
+        mime_type=mime_type or None,
+        filename=filename or None,
+        size_bytes=size_bytes,
+    )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Download + upload
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+async def download_and_store_slack_file(
+    tenant_id: str,
+    agent_id: str,
+    message_id: str,
+    file_info: dict,
+    bot_token: str,
+    expiry: int = 3600,
+) -> tuple[str, str]:
+    """
+    Download a Slack private file and store it in MinIO.
+
+    Slack files are only accessible with a valid bot token via
+    ``url_private_download``. This function:
+      1. Downloads the file using the bot token in the Authorization header
+      2. Uploads to MinIO with the key ``{tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename}``
+      3. Generates a presigned URL valid for ``expiry`` seconds
+
+    Args:
+        tenant_id:   Konstruct tenant ID.
+        agent_id:    Agent ID (for scoped storage key).
+        message_id:  Message ID (for scoped storage key).
+        file_info:   Slack file metadata dict. Must include:
+                       - ``name`` (filename)
+                       - ``mimetype`` (MIME type)
+                       - ``url_private_download`` (Slack private URL)
+        bot_token:   Slack bot token (xoxb-...) for Authorization header.
+        expiry:      Presigned URL expiry in seconds (default: 3600 = 1 hour).
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (storage_key, presigned_url).
+    """
+    import boto3  # type: ignore[import-untyped]
+    import httpx
+
+    from shared.config import settings
+
+    filename: str = file_info.get("name", "file") or "file"
+    mime_type: str = file_info.get("mimetype", "") or ""
+    download_url: str = file_info.get("url_private_download", "") or ""
+    storage_key = build_slack_storage_key(tenant_id, agent_id, message_id, filename)
+
+    # Download the file from Slack using the bot token
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=httpx.Timeout(60.0)) as client:
+        response = await client.get(
+            download_url,
+            headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {bot_token}"},
+        )
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        file_bytes = response.content
+
+    # Upload to MinIO
+    s3_client = boto3.client(
+        "s3",
+        endpoint_url=settings.minio_endpoint,
+        aws_access_key_id=settings.minio_access_key,
+        aws_secret_access_key=settings.minio_secret_key,
+        region_name="us-east-1",  # MinIO ignores region but boto3 requires it
+    )
+
+    s3_client.put_object(
+        Bucket=settings.minio_media_bucket,
+        Key=storage_key,
+        Body=file_bytes,
+        ContentType=mime_type or "application/octet-stream",
+    )
+
+    # Generate presigned URL
+    presigned_url: str = s3_client.generate_presigned_url(
+        "get_object",
+        Params={"Bucket": settings.minio_media_bucket, "Key": storage_key},
+        ExpiresIn=expiry,
+    )
+
+    logger.info(
+        "download_and_store_slack_file: stored tenant=%s key=%s",
+        tenant_id,
+        storage_key,
+    )
+    return storage_key, presigned_url
diff --git a/packages/gateway/pyproject.toml b/packages/gateway/pyproject.toml
index 641ca2c..b002c49 100644
--- a/packages/gateway/pyproject.toml
+++ b/packages/gateway/pyproject.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "python-telegram-bot>=21.0",
     "httpx>=0.28.0",
     "redis>=5.0.0",
+    "boto3>=1.35.0",
 ]
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
diff --git a/packages/orchestrator/orchestrator/tasks.py b/packages/orchestrator/orchestrator/tasks.py
index 7711e35..84a6529 100644
--- a/packages/orchestrator/orchestrator/tasks.py
+++ b/packages/orchestrator/orchestrator/tasks.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import json
 import logging
 import uuid
 
+from gateway.channels.whatsapp import send_whatsapp_message
 from orchestrator.main import app
 from shared.models.message import KonstructMessage
 
@@ -524,6 +525,68 @@ def _extract_tool_name_from_confirmation(confirmation_message: str) -> str:
     return "unknown_tool"
 
 
+async def _send_response(
+    channel: str,
+    text: str,
+    extras: dict,
+) -> None:
+    """
+    Channel-aware outbound routing — dispatch a response to the correct channel.
+
+    Checks ``channel`` and routes to:
+      - ``slack``: calls ``_update_slack_placeholder`` to replace the "Thinking..." message
+      - ``whatsapp``: calls ``send_whatsapp_message`` via Meta Cloud API
+      - other channels: logs a warning and returns (no-op for unsupported channels)
+
+    Args:
+        channel: Channel name from KonstructMessage.channel (e.g. "slack", "whatsapp").
+        text:    Response text to send.
+        extras:  Channel-specific metadata dict.
+                 For Slack: ``bot_token``, ``channel_id``, ``placeholder_ts``
+                 For WhatsApp: ``phone_number_id``, ``bot_token`` (access_token), ``wa_id``
+    """
+    if channel == "slack":
+        bot_token: str = extras.get("bot_token", "") or ""
+        channel_id: str = extras.get("channel_id", "") or ""
+        placeholder_ts: str = extras.get("placeholder_ts", "") or ""
+
+        if not channel_id or not placeholder_ts:
+            logger.warning(
+                "_send_response: Slack channel missing channel_id or placeholder_ts in extras"
+            )
+            return
+
+        await _update_slack_placeholder(
+            bot_token=bot_token,
+            channel_id=channel_id,
+            placeholder_ts=placeholder_ts,
+            text=text,
+        )
+
+    elif channel == "whatsapp":
+        phone_number_id: str = extras.get("phone_number_id", "") or ""
+        access_token: str = extras.get("bot_token", "") or ""
+        wa_id: str = extras.get("wa_id", "") or ""
+
+        if not phone_number_id or not wa_id:
+            logger.warning(
+                "_send_response: WhatsApp channel missing phone_number_id or wa_id in extras"
+            )
+            return
+
+        await send_whatsapp_message(
+            phone_number_id=phone_number_id,
+            access_token=access_token,
+            recipient_wa_id=wa_id,
+            text=text,
+        )
+
+    else:
+        logger.warning(
+            "_send_response: unsupported channel=%r — response not delivered", channel
+        )
+
+
 async def _update_slack_placeholder(
     bot_token: str,
     channel_id: str,
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f98f6f6..391cd3e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@ name = "konstruct"
 version = "0.1.0"
 description = "AI workforce platform — channel-native AI employees for Slack, Teams, and more"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"
-dependencies = []
+dependencies = [
+    "boto3>=1.42.74",
+]
 
 [tool.uv.workspace]
 members = [
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_slack_media.py b/tests/unit/test_slack_media.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5017e74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_slack_media.py
@@ -0,0 +1,428 @@
+"""
+Unit tests for Slack file_share media extraction and channel-aware outbound routing.
+
+Tests:
+- file_share event detection (file_share subtype identified)
+- MediaAttachment creation from Slack file metadata (correct media_type, filename, mime_type)
+- MinIO upload key format: {tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename}
+- Channel-aware outbound routing helper (Slack vs WhatsApp)
+- Mock httpx/boto3 calls to avoid real API hits
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from shared.models.message import MediaType
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Helpers to build Slack event payloads
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def make_file_share_event(
+    file_id: str = "F12345",
+    file_name: str = "screenshot.png",
+    mime_type: str = "image/png",
+    size: int = 4096,
+    workspace_id: str = "T-WORKSPACE-1",
+    channel: str = "C-CHANNEL-1",
+    user: str = "U-USER-1",
+    ts: str = "1711234567.000100",
+    thread_ts: str | None = None,
+) -> dict:
+    """Build a minimal Slack file_share event dict."""
+    event: dict = {
+        "type": "message",
+        "subtype": "file_share",
+        "channel": channel,
+        "channel_type": "channel",
+        "user": user,
+        "ts": ts,
+        "files": [
+            {
+                "id": file_id,
+                "name": file_name,
+                "mimetype": mime_type,
+                "size": size,
+                "url_private_download": f"https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T-xxx/{file_name}",
+            }
+        ],
+        "_workspace_id": workspace_id,
+        "_bot_user_id": "U-BOT-1",
+        "text": "",
+    }
+    if thread_ts:
+        event["thread_ts"] = thread_ts
+    return event
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: file_share detection
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestFileShareDetection:
+    """Tests that file_share subtypes are correctly identified."""
+
+    def test_is_file_share_event_true(self):
+        """Event with subtype='file_share' returns True."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import is_file_share_event
+
+        event = make_file_share_event()
+        assert is_file_share_event(event) is True
+
+    def test_is_file_share_event_false_for_regular_message(self):
+        """Regular message event (no subtype) returns False."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import is_file_share_event
+
+        event = {"type": "message", "text": "Hello", "user": "U123"}
+        assert is_file_share_event(event) is False
+
+    def test_is_file_share_event_false_for_bot_message(self):
+        """Bot message subtype returns False."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import is_file_share_event
+
+        event = {"type": "message", "subtype": "bot_message", "text": "Bot says hi"}
+        assert is_file_share_event(event) is False
+
+    def test_is_file_share_event_false_for_empty_event(self):
+        """Empty event dict returns False."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import is_file_share_event
+
+        assert is_file_share_event({}) is False
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: MediaAttachment creation from Slack file metadata
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestMediaAttachmentFromSlackFile:
+    """Tests that Slack file metadata is correctly mapped to MediaAttachment."""
+
+    def test_image_file_produces_image_media_type(self):
+        """image/png MIME type maps to MediaType.IMAGE."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("image/png") == MediaType.IMAGE
+
+    def test_jpeg_file_produces_image_media_type(self):
+        """image/jpeg MIME type maps to MediaType.IMAGE."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("image/jpeg") == MediaType.IMAGE
+
+    def test_gif_file_produces_image_media_type(self):
+        """image/gif MIME type maps to MediaType.IMAGE."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("image/gif") == MediaType.IMAGE
+
+    def test_pdf_produces_document_media_type(self):
+        """application/pdf MIME type maps to MediaType.DOCUMENT."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("application/pdf") == MediaType.DOCUMENT
+
+    def test_docx_produces_document_media_type(self):
+        """application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument... maps to MediaType.DOCUMENT."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        result = media_type_from_mime(
+            "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document"
+        )
+        assert result == MediaType.DOCUMENT
+
+    def test_mp3_produces_audio_media_type(self):
+        """audio/mpeg MIME type maps to MediaType.AUDIO."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("audio/mpeg") == MediaType.AUDIO
+
+    def test_mp4_produces_video_media_type(self):
+        """video/mp4 MIME type maps to MediaType.VIDEO."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("video/mp4") == MediaType.VIDEO
+
+    def test_unknown_mime_defaults_to_document(self):
+        """Unknown MIME type falls back to MediaType.DOCUMENT."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import media_type_from_mime
+
+        assert media_type_from_mime("application/x-custom") == MediaType.DOCUMENT
+
+    def test_build_attachment_from_slack_file(self):
+        """MediaAttachment is correctly built from Slack file metadata."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import build_attachment_from_slack_file
+
+        file_info = {
+            "id": "F12345",
+            "name": "screenshot.png",
+            "mimetype": "image/png",
+            "size": 4096,
+            "url_private_download": "https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T-xxx/screenshot.png",
+        }
+        storage_key = "tenant-1/agent-1/msg-1/screenshot.png"
+
+        attachment = build_attachment_from_slack_file(file_info, storage_key)
+
+        assert attachment.media_type == MediaType.IMAGE
+        assert attachment.filename == "screenshot.png"
+        assert attachment.mime_type == "image/png"
+        assert attachment.size_bytes == 4096
+        assert attachment.storage_key == storage_key
+
+    def test_build_attachment_pdf(self):
+        """PDF file produces DOCUMENT media type attachment."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import build_attachment_from_slack_file
+
+        file_info = {
+            "id": "F99999",
+            "name": "report.pdf",
+            "mimetype": "application/pdf",
+            "size": 102400,
+            "url_private_download": "https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T-xxx/report.pdf",
+        }
+        storage_key = "tenant-2/agent-2/msg-2/report.pdf"
+
+        attachment = build_attachment_from_slack_file(file_info, storage_key)
+
+        assert attachment.media_type == MediaType.DOCUMENT
+        assert attachment.filename == "report.pdf"
+        assert attachment.mime_type == "application/pdf"
+        assert attachment.size_bytes == 102400
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: MinIO storage key format
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestMinIOStorageKey:
+    """Tests that MinIO storage keys follow the correct format."""
+
+    def test_storage_key_format(self):
+        """Storage key follows {tenant_id}/{agent_id}/{message_id}/{filename} format."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import build_slack_storage_key
+
+        key = build_slack_storage_key(
+            tenant_id="tenant-abc",
+            agent_id="agent-xyz",
+            message_id="msg-123",
+            filename="photo.jpg",
+        )
+
+        assert key == "tenant-abc/agent-xyz/msg-123/photo.jpg"
+
+    def test_storage_key_with_all_parts(self):
+        """Storage key includes all four parts."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import build_slack_storage_key
+
+        key = build_slack_storage_key(
+            tenant_id="t1",
+            agent_id="a1",
+            message_id="m1",
+            filename="document.pdf",
+        )
+
+        parts = key.split("/")
+        assert len(parts) == 4
+        assert parts[0] == "t1"
+        assert parts[1] == "a1"
+        assert parts[2] == "m1"
+        assert parts[3] == "document.pdf"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: Download and upload to MinIO (mocked)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestSlackFileDownloadAndUpload:
+    """Tests for Slack file download and MinIO upload flow."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_download_and_store_slack_file_calls_minio(self):
+        """download_and_store_slack_file downloads from Slack and uploads to MinIO."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import download_and_store_slack_file
+
+        file_info = {
+            "id": "F12345",
+            "name": "image.png",
+            "mimetype": "image/png",
+            "size": 2048,
+            "url_private_download": "https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T-xxx/image.png",
+        }
+
+        mock_response = MagicMock()
+        mock_response.content = b"fake-image-bytes"
+        mock_response.raise_for_status = MagicMock()
+
+        mock_s3 = MagicMock()
+        mock_s3.put_object = MagicMock()
+        mock_s3.generate_presigned_url = MagicMock(
+            return_value="http://minio:9000/konstruct-media/tenant-1/agent-1/msg-1/image.png?X-Amz-Signature=abc"
+        )
+
+        with patch("boto3.client") as mock_boto3_client:
+            mock_boto3_client.return_value = mock_s3
+            with patch("httpx.AsyncClient") as mock_httpx:
+                mock_client = AsyncMock()
+                mock_client.__aenter__ = AsyncMock(return_value=mock_client)
+                mock_client.__aexit__ = AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+                mock_client.get = AsyncMock(return_value=mock_response)
+                mock_httpx.return_value = mock_client
+
+                storage_key, presigned_url = await download_and_store_slack_file(
+                    tenant_id="tenant-1",
+                    agent_id="agent-1",
+                    message_id="msg-1",
+                    file_info=file_info,
+                    bot_token="xoxb-test-token",
+                )
+
+        assert storage_key == "tenant-1/agent-1/msg-1/image.png"
+        assert "minio:9000" in presigned_url
+        mock_s3.put_object.assert_called_once()
+        mock_s3.generate_presigned_url.assert_called_once()
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_download_uses_bot_token_for_authorization(self):
+        """Download request includes Slack bot token in Authorization header."""
+        from gateway.channels.slack_media import download_and_store_slack_file
+
+        file_info = {
+            "id": "F99999",
+            "name": "doc.pdf",
+            "mimetype": "application/pdf",
+            "size": 5000,
+            "url_private_download": "https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T-xxx/doc.pdf",
+        }
+
+        mock_response = MagicMock()
+        mock_response.content = b"pdf-content"
+        mock_response.raise_for_status = MagicMock()
+
+        captured_headers: list[dict] = []
+
+        async def fake_get(url: str, **kwargs: object) -> MagicMock:
+            captured_headers.append(dict(kwargs.get("headers", {})))
+            return mock_response
+
+        mock_s3 = MagicMock()
+        mock_s3.put_object = MagicMock()
+        mock_s3.generate_presigned_url = MagicMock(
+            return_value="http://minio:9000/key?sig=xyz"
+        )
+
+        with patch("boto3.client") as mock_boto3_client:
+            mock_boto3_client.return_value = mock_s3
+            with patch("httpx.AsyncClient") as mock_httpx:
+                mock_client = AsyncMock()
+                mock_client.__aenter__ = AsyncMock(return_value=mock_client)
+                mock_client.__aexit__ = AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+                mock_client.get = AsyncMock(side_effect=fake_get)
+                mock_httpx.return_value = mock_client
+
+                await download_and_store_slack_file(
+                    tenant_id="tenant-1",
+                    agent_id="agent-1",
+                    message_id="msg-1",
+                    file_info=file_info,
+                    bot_token="xoxb-my-bot-token",
+                )
+
+        # At least one request should include the Authorization header
+        auth_headers = [h.get("Authorization", "") for h in captured_headers]
+        assert any("xoxb-my-bot-token" in h for h in auth_headers), (
+            f"Expected bot token in headers, got: {auth_headers}"
+        )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests: Channel-aware outbound routing helper
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestChannelAwareOutbound:
+    """Tests for the send_response helper that routes to Slack or WhatsApp."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_slack_channel_calls_chat_update(self):
+        """Slack channel routes to _update_slack_placeholder."""
+        from orchestrator.tasks import _send_response
+
+        with patch("orchestrator.tasks._update_slack_placeholder") as mock_update:
+            mock_update.return_value = None
+            await _send_response(
+                channel="slack",
+                text="Hello from agent",
+                extras={
+                    "bot_token": "xoxb-test",
+                    "channel_id": "C-123",
+                    "placeholder_ts": "1711234567.000001",
+                },
+            )
+            mock_update.assert_called_once_with(
+                bot_token="xoxb-test",
+                channel_id="C-123",
+                placeholder_ts="1711234567.000001",
+                text="Hello from agent",
+            )
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_whatsapp_channel_calls_send_whatsapp_message(self):
+        """WhatsApp channel routes to send_whatsapp_message."""
+        from orchestrator.tasks import _send_response
+
+        with patch("orchestrator.tasks.send_whatsapp_message") as mock_wa:
+            mock_wa.return_value = None
+            await _send_response(
+                channel="whatsapp",
+                text="Reply via WhatsApp",
+                extras={
+                    "phone_number_id": "12345678901",
+                    "bot_token": "EAAx...",
+                    "wa_id": "5511987654321",
+                },
+            )
+            mock_wa.assert_called_once_with(
+                phone_number_id="12345678901",
+                access_token="EAAx...",
+                recipient_wa_id="5511987654321",
+                text="Reply via WhatsApp",
+            )
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_unknown_channel_logs_warning_no_exception(self):
+        """Unknown channel type logs a warning but does not raise."""
+        from orchestrator.tasks import _send_response
+
+        # Should not raise, just log and return
+        await _send_response(
+            channel="mattermost",
+            text="Reply via Mattermost",
+            extras={},
+        )
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_slack_channel_missing_extras_does_not_raise(self):
+        """Slack routing with empty extras logs warning but does not crash."""
+        from orchestrator.tasks import _send_response
+
+        # Should fall back gracefully when extras are missing
+        await _send_response(
+            channel="slack",
+            text="Hello",
+            extras={},
+        )
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_whatsapp_channel_missing_extras_does_not_raise(self):
+        """WhatsApp routing with empty extras logs warning but does not crash."""
+        from orchestrator.tasks import _send_response
+
+        # Should fall back gracefully when wa_id is missing
+        await _send_response(
+            channel="whatsapp",
+            text="Hello",
+            extras={},
+        )
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index c0b9a6e..b7e0a7c 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -305,6 +305,33 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/cb/87/8bab77b323f16d67be364031220069f79159117dd5e43eeb4be2fef1ac9b/billiard-4.2.4-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:525b42bdec68d2b983347ac312f892db930858495db601b5836ac24e6477cde5", size = 87070, upload-time = "2025-11-30T13:28:47.016Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "boto3"
+version = "1.42.74"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "botocore" },
+    { name = "jmespath" },
+    { name = "s3transfer" },
+]
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/ad/16/a264b4da2af99f4a12609b93fea941cce5ec41da14b33ed3fef77a910f0c/boto3-1.42.74-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:4bf89c044d618fe4435af854ab820f09dd43569c0df15d7beb0398f50b9aa970", size = 140557, upload-time = "2026-03-23T19:34:07.084Z" },
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "botocore"
+version = "1.42.74"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "jmespath" },
+    { name = "python-dateutil" },
+    { name = "urllib3" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/9d/c7/cab8a14f0b69944bd0dd1fd58559163455b347eeda00bf836e93ce2684e4/botocore-1.42.74.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:9cf5cdffc6c90ed87b0fe184676806182588be0d0df9b363e9fe3e2923ac8e80", size = 15014379, upload-time = "2026-03-23T19:33:57.692Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/d3/65/75852e04de5423c9b0c5b88241d0bdea33e6c6f454c88b71377d230216f2/botocore-1.42.74-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:3a76a8af08b5de82e51a0ae132394e226e15dbf21c8146ac3f7c1f881517a7a7", size = 14688218, upload-time = "2026-03-23T19:33:52.677Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "celery"
 version = "5.6.2"
@@ -1153,6 +1180,15 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/67/8a/a342b2f0251f3dac4ca17618265d93bf244a2a4d089126e81e4c1056ac50/jiter-0.13.0-graalpy312-graalpy250_312_native-manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl", hash = "sha256:7bb00b6d26db67a05fe3e12c76edc75f32077fb51deed13822dc648fa373bc19", size = 343768, upload-time = "2026-02-02T12:37:55.055Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "jmespath"
+version = "1.1.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/d3/59/322338183ecda247fb5d1763a6cbe46eff7222eaeebafd9fa65d4bf5cb11/jmespath-1.1.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:472c87d80f36026ae83c6ddd0f1d05d4e510134ed462851fd5f754c8c3cbb88d", size = 27377, upload-time = "2026-01-22T16:35:26.279Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/14/2f/967ba146e6d58cf6a652da73885f52fc68001525b4197effc174321d70b4/jmespath-1.1.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a5663118de4908c91729bea0acadca56526eb2698e83de10cd116ae0f4e97c64", size = 20419, upload-time = "2026-01-22T16:35:24.919Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "joblib"
 version = "1.5.3"
@@ -1213,6 +1249,9 @@ redis = [
 name = "konstruct"
 version = "0.1.0"
 source = { virtual = "." }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "boto3" },
+]
 
 [package.dev-dependencies]
 dev = [
@@ -1226,6 +1265,7 @@ dev = [
 ]
 
 [package.metadata]
+requires-dist = [{ name = "boto3", specifier = ">=1.42.74" }]
 
 [package.metadata.requires-dev]
 dev = [
@@ -1243,6 +1283,7 @@ name = "konstruct-gateway"
 version = "0.1.0"
 source = { editable = "packages/gateway" }
 dependencies = [
+    { name = "boto3" },
     { name = "fastapi", extra = ["standard"] },
     { name = "httpx" },
     { name = "konstruct-orchestrator" },
@@ -1255,6 +1296,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [package.metadata]
 requires-dist = [
+    { name = "boto3", specifier = ">=1.35.0" },
     { name = "fastapi", extras = ["standard"], specifier = ">=0.115.0" },
     { name = "httpx", specifier = ">=0.28.0" },
     { name = "konstruct-orchestrator", editable = "packages/orchestrator" },
@@ -1292,6 +1334,7 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "celery", extra = ["redis"] },
     { name = "fastapi", extra = ["standard"] },
     { name = "httpx" },
+    { name = "jsonschema" },
     { name = "konstruct-shared" },
     { name = "sentence-transformers" },
 ]
@@ -1301,6 +1344,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "celery", extras = ["redis"], specifier = ">=5.4.0" },
     { name = "fastapi", extras = ["standard"], specifier = ">=0.115.0" },
     { name = "httpx", specifier = ">=0.28.0" },
+    { name = "jsonschema", specifier = ">=4.26.0" },
     { name = "konstruct-shared", editable = "packages/shared" },
     { name = "sentence-transformers", specifier = ">=3.0.0" },
 ]
@@ -2660,6 +2704,18 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/8f/e8/726643a3ea68c727da31570bde48c7a10f1aa60eddd628d94078fec586ff/ruff-0.15.7-py3-none-win_arm64.whl", hash = "sha256:18e8d73f1c3fdf27931497972250340f92e8c861722161a9caeb89a58ead6ed2", size = 11023304, upload-time = "2026-03-19T16:26:51.669Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "s3transfer"
+version = "0.16.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "botocore" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/05/04/74127fc843314818edfa81b5540e26dd537353b123a4edc563109d8f17dd/s3transfer-0.16.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:8e990f13268025792229cd52fa10cb7163744bf56e719e0b9cb925ab79abf920", size = 153827, upload-time = "2025-12-01T02:30:59.114Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/fc/51/727abb13f44c1fcf6d145979e1535a35794db0f6e450a0cb46aa24732fe2/s3transfer-0.16.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:18e25d66fed509e3868dc1572b3f427ff947dd2c56f844a5bf09481ad3f3b2fe", size = 86830, upload-time = "2025-12-01T02:30:57.729Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "safetensors"
 version = "0.7.0"