Automate and customize Slack tasks

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Automate and customize Slack tasks

    This guide explains how ServiceNow customers can automate and customize Slack tasks to streamline incident management, approvals, and request assignments. Using predefined samples and default configurations as references, you can tailor Slack commands, message actions, approval messages, request assignments, and actionable messages to fit your organizational needs.

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    Automate Slack Commands

    • Configure Slack commands via the Slash Commands page in your custom Slack app.
    • Create or customize subflows in Workflow Studio (e.g., "Respond to Slack Command") to handle incidents or other tasks.
    • Set up inbound decisions in ServiceNow with conditions matching Slack commands (e.g., /now) and parameters to trigger these subflows.
    • Examples of customizable commands include:
      • /now create incident [description] > [urgency] > [impact] to create incidents with specific details.
      • /now list incidents to list active incidents assigned to the user.
      • /now help to display available commands.
      • /now note [note] to add notes to incidents.

    Automate Slack Message Actions

    • Create message shortcuts in Slack with a callback ID, such as postmessagenow.
    • In Workflow Studio, configure or duplicate the "Respond to Slack Message Action" subflow to process these shortcuts.
    • Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow to listen for the matching callback ID and invoke the subflow accordingly.

    Post Approval Messages

    • Duplicate and customize the "Respond to Slack Approval Action" subflow in Workflow Studio to post approval messages on Slack channels.
    • Configure outbound configurations with a unique Action ID (e.g., approvalrequest) to automate posting acknowledgment messages.
    • Set up inbound decisions matching this Action ID to trigger the approval subflow, which updates records and sends Slack acknowledgments.

    Assign Requests Based on Acknowledgment

    • Copy and customize the "On-Call Assign by Acknowledgement" subflow in Workflow Studio to automate request assignments.
    • Use outbound configurations with an Action ID such as oncallassignbyacknowledgement to post acknowledgment messages.
    • Configure inbound decisions to match this Action ID and trigger the corresponding subflow.

    Post Actionable Messages

    • Configure outbound configurations to post actionable messages with selected target tables, fields (e.g., shortdescription and priority), and buttons (e.g., Accept, Reject).
    • Assign a unique Action ID like oncallassignbyacknowledgement for automation purposes.
    • Create or customize the "Post Actionable Message" subflow in Workflow Studio, providing inputs such as the record sysid and message template.
    • Set inbound decisions to listen for the Action ID and invoke the subflow accordingly.

    Key Outcomes

    • Efficient incident creation and management directly from Slack commands.
    • Streamlined approval workflows with Slack notifications and acknowledgments.
    • Automated assignment of requests based on Slack interactions.
    • Enhanced collaboration by posting actionable messages with interactive buttons.
    • Flexibility to customize workflows and conditions to meet specific organizational requirements.

    Automate Slack tasks as per your requirement, using the sample these scenarios as a reference.

    You can use the default outbound configurations, inbound decisions, and subflows as reference to customize tasks as per your requirement.

    Automate Slack commands

    Perform these steps to automate events such as, create incident records, based on the Slack commands:
    1. Configure the Slack commands on the Slash Commands page of your custom application. For more information, see Configure Slack app.
    2. In Workflow Studio, create a subflow configure to create the incident records as per your requirement or create a copy of the default subflow, Respond to Slack Command, and configure it.
      Note:
      Create an action and use the payload in the subflow input as per your requirement.
    3. Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow instance.
      1. In the Condition, ensure that you specify the value of command as /now and specify the required parameters.
        Note:
        You can specify up to 2 parameters in your condition to trigger the required subflow.
        Slack command
      2. In Answer, select the subflow you had configured.
    When a Slack user enters the command, /now create incident <text>, the condition specified in inbound decision is met and the associated subflow is triggered. Similarly, you can customize subflows and inbound decisions to configure more Slack commands such as:
    • /now list incidents to list all active incidents assigned to the logged in user.
    • /now help to display all available commands and their describe usage.
    • /now note [note] to add notes to the required incident.
    • /now create incident [short description] > [optional: urgency] > [optional: impact] to create an incident with specified short description, urgency, and impact. For example, /now create incident Email is not working > 3 > 2.

    Automate message actions

    1. In your Slack custom application, create a shortcut that appears on messages and enter the value, post_message_now for Callback ID. For more information, see Configure Slack app.
    2. In Workflow Studio, create a subflow configure to create the incident records as per your requirement or create a copy of the default subflow, Respond to Slack Message Action, and configure it.
      Note:
      Create an action and use the payload in the subflow input as per your requirement.
    3. Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow instance.
      1. In the Condition, ensure that you specify the value of callback_id as post_message_now and specify the required parameters.
        Provide the required callback_id.
      2. In Answer, select the subflow you had configured.

    Post an approval message

    Perform these steps to automate posting an approval message on a Slack channel.
    1. In Workflow Studio, create a copy of the default subflow, Respond to Slack Approval Action, and configure it as per your requirement.
      Note:
      Create an action and use the payload in the subflow input as per your requirement.
    2. . Configure outbound configurations in ServiceNow instance
      1. Open the default outbound configuration, Approval Message.
      2. In Action ID , specify the unique identifier for automating the task of posting an acknowledgement message. For example, value of Action ID can be approval_request.
    3. Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow instance.
      1. In the Condition, ensure that you specify the value of Action ID as approval_request. You can specify other conditions as per your requirement.
        Provide value for Action ID.
      2. In Answer, select the subflow you had configured.

    When the Slack events match the relevant the action ID, the associated subflow, that is, the Respond to Slack Approval Action subflow is triggered. This subflow contains the logic to update the required record and send the relevant acknowledgement message on Slack channel.

    Assign request based on acknowledgement

    Perform these steps to automate assigning request:
    1. In Workflow Studio, create a copy of the default subflow, On-Call Assign by Acknowledgement, and configure it as per your requirement.
      Note:
      Create an action and use the payload in the subflow input as per your requirement.
    2. Configure outbound configurations in ServiceNow instance.
      1. Open the default outbound configuration, On Call: Assign by Acknowledgement.
      2. In Action ID , specify the unique identifier for automating the task of posting an acknowledgement message. For example, value of Action ID can be on_call_assign_by_acknowledgement.
    3. Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow instance.
      1. In the Condition, ensure that you specify the value of Action ID as on_call_assign_by_acknowledgement. You can specify other conditions as per your requirement.
      2. In Answer, select the subflow you had configured.

    Post an actionable message

    Perform these steps to automate posting an actionable message:
    1. Configure outbound configurations in ServiceNow instance.
      1. Open the default outbound configuration, On Call: Assign by Acknowledgement.
      2. Select Target Table and Fields as per your requirement. For example, short_description and priority from the Task [task] table.
      3. Select Buttons as per your requirement. For example, Accept and Reject.
      4. In Action ID , specify the unique identifier for automating the task of posting an acknowledgement message. For example, value of Action ID can be on_call_assign_by_acknowledgement.
    2. In Workflow Studio, create a copy of the default subflow, Post Actionable Message, and configure it as per your requirement.
      Note:
      Create an action and use the payload in the subflow input as per your requirement.
      1. In the Record Sys_ID input, provide the sys ID of the required record. For example, specify the sys ID of the task record.
      2. In the Template input, select template you had created in the outbound configurations.
    3. Configure inbound decisions in ServiceNow instance.
      1. In the Condition, ensure that you specify the value of Action ID as on_call_assign_by_acknowledgement. You can specify other conditions as per your requirement.
      2. In Answer, select the subflow you had configured.