Workflows are small automations that belong to a channel. Each one is a when and a then: when something happens, post a message or create a task. You don't need to write any code, and they're available on every plan.
Where to find them
Owners and admins manage workflows from Apps and workflows in the admin menu.
The three triggers
- Someone joins the channel — for welcomes and onboarding.
- On a schedule — on the days of the week you pick, at a set time, in the time zone of the person who set it up.
- A message mentions certain words — for answering common questions or catching requests.
The two actions
- Post a message in the channel. You can include
{name}for the person who triggered it and{channel}for the channel's name. - Create a task on the channel's board.
Example 1: welcome new joiners
- Name: Welcome to #general.
- Channel:
#general. When: Someone joins the channel. - Then: Post a message — Welcome {name}! Start with the pinned messages in {channel}, and say hello.
Workflows don't fire for people added in bulk by a Slack import, so nobody gets welcomed two hundred times.
Example 2: a weekly checklist
- Channel:
#operations. When: On a schedule, Mondays at 09:00. - Then: Create a task — Weekly checks: backups, invoices, stock.
Each Monday the task appears on the board, ready to be assigned.
Example 3: answer a keyword
- Channel:
#help. When: A message mentions certain words — wifi password. - Then: Post a message pointing to where the details are kept.
Going further
For anything a workflow can't do, other tools can post into a channel with an incoming webhook, custom slash commands can call your own systems, and the REST API can read and post with a personal access token.