How to Deploy Your First Workflow in Slack

Automate repetitive tasks and work more efficiently in Slack. This guide walks you through building your first workflow from scratch using the Workflow Builder.

What is a Slack workflow?

A Slack workflow is an automated sequence of actions that runs when a specific trigger event happens. Instead of manually posting messages, adding people to channels, or sending reminders, you can set up a workflow to do it for you. Workflows live inside Slack and can connect with third-party services like Google Sheets, Zoom, and Jira.

Prerequisites

  • A Slack workspace on a paid plan
  • Permission to create workflows (default for all members)
  • Access to the Workflow Builder from the Tools or Automations tab

Step 1: Open the Workflow Builder

On desktop, click Tools in the sidebar. Under Workflows, click New in the top right corner, then select Create Workflow.

If you don't see the Tools tab, look for the Automations tab instead. You may need to click More to find it.

Step 2: Choose a trigger

The trigger is what starts your workflow. Click Choose an event and select one of these options:

From a link

Share a link in Slack. People click a Start Workflow button to run it. Note: links only work inside Slack, not from a browser.

From a webhook

Configure external events to trigger your workflow via a webhook URL.

Scheduled

Set a date, time, and cadence. The workflow runs automatically on schedule.

When a member joins a channel

Specify a channel. The workflow runs every time someone joins it.

When an emoji reaction is used

Pick an emoji and a channel. The workflow triggers when someone uses that reaction.

When a message is posted

The workflow starts when a message containing specific keywords is posted in a channel.

Step 3: Add steps

Steps are the actions your workflow performs. They run in the order you specify when someone starts the workflow.

Types of steps

Slack actions

Send a message, add someone to a channel, create a channel, or set a channel topic.

Connector steps

Perform actions in third-party services like Google Sheets (add a row), Zoom (create a meeting), or Jira (create a ticket).

Custom steps

Built by developers for your organization using Slack's APIs.

Using variables and buttons

Variables let your workflow use information from previous steps. For example, you can insert the person who started the workflow as a variable in a message. Click the insert variable icon in a step to select from available variables.

Buttons pause the workflow until someone clicks them. You can use buttons to show forms, request approvals, or let someone claim a task. You can also add branching to route users through different paths based on conditions.

Step 4: Configure permissions and publish

Before publishing, add a title, description, and icon by clicking the workflow icon in the top left corner of the Workflow Builder.

Add workflow managers

Managers can edit, unpublish, or delete the workflow. Click the three-dot icon in the top right, select Settings, then add people under Workflow Managers.

Set access permissions

By default, everyone in your workspace can find and use your workflow. To change this, go to Settings and adjust who can find, use, and copy the workflow. You can also include external organizations connected via Slack Connect.

Publish

Click Finish in the top right corner, review the details and permissions, then click Publish. If your workflow starts from a link, share the link in Slack so people can use it.

Real example: Build an onboarding workflow

Here's a practical example: create a workflow that runs every time someone joins your #new-hires channel.

  1. Trigger: When a member joins the #new-hires channel
  2. Step 1: Send a welcome message to the channel mentioning the new member
  3. Step 2: Add the new member to #engineering and #announcements
  4. Step 3: Send a direct message to the onboarding buddy with the new member's name
  5. Step 4: Create a Google Sheets row to track the onboarding

Once published, every new hire gets a smooth onboarding experience automatically.

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Next steps

Now that you've deployed your first workflow, try adding branching for conditional logic, connecting more third-party apps, or building custom steps with Slack's API.

Need a custom workflow or AI agent?

We build custom Slack workflows, AI agents, and automation for teams that want to move faster. Book a call and tell us what you need.