Slack notifications

The Slack integration lets Oblique notify users about pending requests directly in Slack, and lets reviewers approve or close requests directly in Slack.

The Oblique Slack app supports sending request notifications in Slack in two ways:

• Direct messages (DMs). Request notifications are sent directly to individuals who are requestors or reviewers as direct messages, if they exist in the Slack workspace. Reviewers are notified when they need to approve a request, and requestors are notified when the status of their request changes.
• Channels. All request notifications are sent to one or more public or private Slack channels. The notification tags the requestor and the reviewers for the request, if they exist in the Slack workspace.

Changes to a request are automatically updated and threaded in Slack. When one reviewer approves or closes a request from Slack, all DMs and channel messages for that request update to reflect the new status. Updates on a given request are threaded under the original notification.

The Oblique Slack app can be configured to send DMs to users, send notifications to one or more Slack channels, or both. DMs are enabled by default.

Approving or rejecting requests within Slack notifications is disabled by default.

Note

The Oblique Slack app does not currently support making requests or commenting on requests via Slack.

Note

Notifications about a request approval do not currently include any approval comments.

When notifications are sent

Notifications are sent or updated for both the requestor and reviewers when one of the following happens:

• A request is assigned to a reviewer
• A request is approved
• A request is applied
• A request is closed

When a reviewer is removed from a request, that reviewer receives a final DM letting them know they’re no longer requested to review, and the action buttons on their original notification are removed. They won’t receive any further notifications about that request.

When multiple events affecting the same request happen simultaneously, such as when a request is created with reviewers already selected, or when a request is approved and applied, only a single notification is sent.

When a user performs an action that would send themselves a direct message, e.g., approve their own request, that notification will be skipped.

Install or uninstall the Slack app

You must install the Oblique Slack app to use Slack for notifications.

Slack integrationManage the Slack integration.

Manage Slack notifications

Enable or disable DMs for all users

When you add the Oblique Slack app to a workspace, all users will begin receiving DMs by default.

You can enable or disable DMs for all users from the Slack integration’s detail page:

1. Navigate to Settings.
2. In the Slack settings section, next to Direct messages, toggle Enabled or Disabled.

Users can also enable or disable whether they personally receive DMs.

User notification settingsLearn how users can modify their notification settings.

Enable or disable approvals from Slack

Approvals from Slack are disabled by default. When approvals from Slack are enabled, reviewers can approve or close requests directly in Slack. Slack-based approvals are subject to the same rules as approvals in Oblique.

Requests approved or closed in Slack are recorded in audit logs just like any other approval. The reviewer is listed as the author, and the Oblique Slack integration is listed as the client.

You must be an admin to change Slack settings.

You can enable or disable approvals from Slack from the Slack integration’s detail page:

1. Navigate to Settings.
2. In the Slack settings section, next to Approve from Slack, toggle Enabled or Disabled.

Change the Slack channels used by the Oblique app

The Oblique Slack app can be configured to send notifications to none, one, or several Slack channels. Both public and private channels are supported.

To change the channels used, from the Slack integration’s detail page:

1. Navigate to Settings.
2. In the Slack settings section, next to Channels, select the Slack channel or channels where notifications should be sent.
3. Optionally, test that the integration is working as expected and sending messages to the correct Slack workspace and channels. Select Send test notification to add the Oblique app to the channels and send a test notification.

Note

The Oblique Slack app can only be connected to one workspace. To change workspaces, delete the integration and add it again.

Caution

For Oblique to send messages to a private channel, the Oblique app must first be added to that channel by a member. The list of selectable private channels only includes channels that the Oblique app has access to. If you don’t see a private channel you expect, invite @Oblique to the channel in Slack and try again.