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Slack integration shortcoming

Topic Labels: Automations Integrations
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JimmyD
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

It would be incredibly useful if the Slack integration could send a message to a person pulled from a field in a table.

As it stands, when using the Slack integration in an automation you have to choose (hardcode) the person(s) or channel(s) you want to send the message to.

Use case: I have a table that syncs issues from a ticketing system. Each record has an "assignee" field. When a new record enters a view I want a Slack message sent to the person in the assignee field.

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ScottWorld
18 - Pluto
18 - Pluto

You can dynamically send a message to a person in Slack, as long as you keep track of the person's Slack ID in Airtable. (It might also work with their Slack email address as well.)

But I don't think that you can use Airtable's User field for this. (You might be able to use the User field, but I'm not sure.) You would most likely need to create a new table in Airtable where you keep track of each person's name and Slack ID and Slack email address.

Then, in your "main table" in Airtable, you would create a linked record field that links to that new table of people that you just created.

Choose the person from the linked record field, and create a lookup field that brings in their Slack ID from the people table. You can also create another lookup field that brings in their Slack email address from the people table.

Then, in your automation, you can refer to that Slack ID field, which will be different for each person.

Here's the key step, though: Be sure to click on the little tiny "gear icon" all the way to the right of the "Channel/User" field in your automation to be able to dynamically insert the Slack ID (or possibly the Slack email address, if that works).

That gear icon is what enables you to insert dynamic values.

Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld

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2 Replies 2
ScottWorld
18 - Pluto
18 - Pluto

You can dynamically send a message to a person in Slack, as long as you keep track of the person's Slack ID in Airtable. (It might also work with their Slack email address as well.)

But I don't think that you can use Airtable's User field for this. (You might be able to use the User field, but I'm not sure.) You would most likely need to create a new table in Airtable where you keep track of each person's name and Slack ID and Slack email address.

Then, in your "main table" in Airtable, you would create a linked record field that links to that new table of people that you just created.

Choose the person from the linked record field, and create a lookup field that brings in their Slack ID from the people table. You can also create another lookup field that brings in their Slack email address from the people table.

Then, in your automation, you can refer to that Slack ID field, which will be different for each person.

Here's the key step, though: Be sure to click on the little tiny "gear icon" all the way to the right of the "Channel/User" field in your automation to be able to dynamically insert the Slack ID (or possibly the Slack email address, if that works).

That gear icon is what enables you to insert dynamic values.

Hope this helps! If you’d like to hire the best Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld

Crazy, I have played around with the gear wheel that lets you change to "dynamic" but I guess I didn't look close enough. Correct... I already have a mapping table for Slack IDs, then I have a lookup on my other table to pull in the Slack ID. So yup, I can choose that field from the "dynamic" dropdown. Thanks!