diff --git a/backend/danswer/bots/slack/handlers/handle_message.py b/backend/danswer/bots/slack/handlers/handle_message.py
index 8f8d5561a34..9a89b2425d3 100644
--- a/backend/danswer/bots/slack/handlers/handle_message.py
+++ b/backend/danswer/bots/slack/handlers/handle_message.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def _get_answer(question: QuestionRequest) -> QAResponse:
             QuestionRequest(
                 query=msg,
                 collection=DOCUMENT_INDEX_NAME,
-                use_keyword=None,
+                use_keyword=False,  # always use semantic search when handling slack messages
                 filters=None,
                 offset=None,
             )
diff --git a/web/src/app/page.tsx b/web/src/app/page.tsx
index 5c16b5f65b5..86d25254915 100644
--- a/web/src/app/page.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/page.tsx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export default async function Home() {
     storedSearchType !== undefined &&
     SearchType.hasOwnProperty(storedSearchType)
       ? (storedSearchType as SearchType)
-      : SearchType.AUTOMATIC; // default to automatic
+      : SearchType.SEMANTIC; // default to semantic
 
   return (
     <>
diff --git a/web/src/components/search/SearchTypeSelector.tsx b/web/src/components/search/SearchTypeSelector.tsx
index cae254f2eb1..3d3141485b6 100644
--- a/web/src/components/search/SearchTypeSelector.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/search/SearchTypeSelector.tsx
@@ -17,19 +17,6 @@ export const SearchTypeSelector: React.FC<Props> = ({
       <div
         className={
           defaultStyle +
-          (selectedSearchType === SearchType.AUTOMATIC
-            ? "bg-blue-500"
-            : "bg-gray-800 hover:bg-gray-600")
-        }
-        onClick={() => setSelectedSearchType(SearchType.AUTOMATIC)}
-      >
-        Auto
-      </div>
-
-      <div
-        className={
-          defaultStyle +
-          "ml-2 " +
           (selectedSearchType === SearchType.SEMANTIC
             ? "bg-blue-500"
             : "bg-gray-800 hover:bg-gray-600")