How to Utilise Slack Workflow Builder

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How to Utilise Slack Workflow Builder – Guide

Automating routine work-related processes and tasks is a bonus to productivity – but preparing the technical tools to perform the automation was time-consuming before the advent of low-code/no-code tools. As more people move their main computer workspace from the desktop to a collaborative environment like Microsoft Teams or Slacks, the demand to trigger automated workflows based on a simple command or action has also changed.

Enter the Slack Workflow Builder, an in-depth Slack service that offers low-code/no-code options for teams to automate tasks and easily trigger them with an event or command. Earlier this year, during Slack Frontiers, the company shared some usage statistics for the Slack workflow builder: 175,000+ users created 515,000+ workflows that were launched over 25 million times.

One of Workflow Builder’s strengths is the growing collection of partner services to integrate with Slack workflows. On Slack Frontiers, the company announced a new partnership with Zapier for its Slack workflow builder service to automate activities like connecting to Office 365, Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Salesforce, Asana, Trello, Pipedrive and Airtable.

What is Slack Workflow Builder?

Using Slack Workflow Builder, you can create custom workflows to automate processes through Slack. Using the Workflow Builder, you can eliminate repetitive tasks and streamline your team’s work.

A workflow is a series of activities required to complete a task. For example, you can use Slack to gather team information after a meeting. Instead of asking for feedback manually, you can automate these tasks using the Workflow Builder.

Features from Slack Workflow Builder

Slack Workflow Builder comes with a variety of features to help you create custom automations that fit your business. Here are some of the best:

App Integrations: Slack lets you connect other external apps and services to your workflows, including Jira, Zapier, DataDog, Google Sheets, and more.

No-code functionality: Workflows are built from the ground up up without the need for complex codes. Each step is completed within the Workflow Builder on your desktop.

Webhook capabilities: Whether you want more complex workflows or want a workflow to be triggered from an external action, Slack lets you code using webhooks to make it happen.

Access and Permissions: Do you want to disable the Workflow Builder? Want to restrict who can edit workflows? You have full control of access and permission settings.

Custom workflows take just a few minutes to create and publish using the step-by-step tool.

How does Slack’s Workflow Builder work?

The Workflow Builder is very easy to use once you understand how it works. First, let’s dive into some key terms you’ll need to use to develop custom workflows in Slack:

Trigger: The trigger is the first action a Slack user will take to start the workflow. There are many triggers you can choose from within Slack. For example, you can start a new process by performing an action in the Shortcuts menu, using an emoji, or even when a new user is added to your Slack workspace.

Step: A step is an interaction a user takes in your workflow to move forward. There are endless possibilities here, from creating forms to submitting widgets.

Variable: A variable allows you to further customize your workflow.

Each workflow is created using the same basic steps:

Choose a trigger and name your workflow: You’ll need to name your workflow so it’s easy to find in Slack. Then choose your trigger.

Add Steps: You will continue to add the number of steps needed to complete the task.

Customize steps with buttons and variables: if you need to add information like the name of the user who started the workflow, you can customize the steps using buttons and variables.

Test and Publish: Finally, you will test your workflow within a test channel and publish it for your team to use.

Who can use Slack Workflow Builder?

Slack Workflow Builder is currently only available for paid plans, including Slack Pro, Business+ and Enterprise Plus. However, if you have Slack’s free plan, you can still take advantage of 10 app integrations like Google Calendar and Asana. This can provide some basic automation if you don’t have access to the Workflow Builder.

Examples of Slack Workflow Builder integrations

Not sure how Slack Workflow Builder would benefit your team? There are countless examples of workflows you can gather. We’ve selected some of the best examples on the web here, so you can get a good idea of ​​what the Workflow Builder can do.

Slack-only examples

Slack comes with a lot of built-in workflow functionality without the help of external resources. For example, you can create workflows to:

Gather feedback from the team: Want information about your latest project? Simply want to decide where your team should order lunch from? You can quickly gather team feedback by creating a workflow that starts with a simple emoji.

Approve trips: Tracking trips is tricky, especially during these times. For managers who already have enough, Slack lets you approve travel requests using a custom workflow with multiple variables.

Scheduling Messages: Scheduling Slack messages is a feature that lets you message Slack users later. The best part? Anyone can do this, even those using the free version of Slack.

Onboard new users: Getting new members into your Slack workspace just got easier with this workflow. After initial setup-up, a message containing whatever information you choose will be sent to users who join specific channels. For example, you can automatically send a quick “hello” message to new Slack users.

Examples of Slack app integrations

Slack also enables app integrations that can take your workflows to the next level. For example, using an external application, you can:

Send information to an existing Google Sheet: This workflow requires Google Sheets integration. After creating it, anyone can use the Shortcuts menu to start the workflow. After filling out a form, users can submit information to a Google Spreadsheet. This is useful for capturing shared data in Slack, saving potential leads, updating project statuses, and more.

Add a new task via Zapier: Do you use another project management tool outside of Slack? In that case, the Zapier integration can help you add new tasks to this Slack tool. For example, you can configure Zapier to add new tasks created in Slack to your Asana, Trello, or Todoist.

Do what you need to do with Automate.io: If you want to connect other apps to Slack and create your own workflows, you can do that by integrating Automate.io. For example, you can connect Slack to Jira, Zendesk, Smartsheet, Gmail, and many other tools.

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