While it is true, Slack has been ranked as one of the best instant messaging tools designed for teams or workgroups in order to simplify the work connections of a certain company. In this sense, through channels, users will be able to communicate with each other just as if they were in the office.
Through Slack, members have the possibility to work more effectively, because this tool helps them to connect all their utilities in a centralized way, as well as the information of the company. With that, enjoy a much safer environment at the business level. Valuing that, for greater advantage, it is highly configurable in order to adapt to the needs of each organization.
Thanks to this, people who use Slack can set up automatic responses quickly and easily, through Slackbot. Which is capable of providing completely personalized answers on its own, according to the settings of each account. To learn more about this function, what are its advantages, how can it be configured from scratch and what other alternatives are there, we invite you to read this post.
What are the benefits of using automated responses in Slack with the Slackbot?
In general terms, an automated or automated response is defined as a function that offers the possibility of generate personalized responses without the user being part of the process, at a given instant. Whereas, a bot consists of a computer program that has the ability to perform repetitive tasks on your own as if it were a human being. Thus, under these characteristics, the recognized Slack tool has been developed that it’s called “Slackbot”.
Which, basically, consists of a bot that achieves generate and / or send responses automatically and personalized within the messaging application. In this way, it is characterized by always being willing to help you both to instinctively add custom responses as well as for provide reminders based on personal tasks. Consequently, Slack’s Slackbot reveals optimal benefits in terms of productivity, efficiency and simplicity within a workspace.
Which is why, it is worth detailing which are the main advantages that this Slack functionality guarantees to users and here, we point out the most important of all:
- Allows you to answer frequently asked questions immediately: In a work group, it is essential that the members can receive the necessary help from their colleagues. Which shows their commitment and the value they have for the company. Therefore, the use of Slackbot reveals a great benefit for it, since it can automate frequently asked questions to give them answers quickly and thus improve communication with other participants.
- Helps optimize interaction between team members: It is also advantageous because it allows users to stay in contact skillfully to optimize their interaction in this medium. Thanks to this, the space will be much more friendly, efficient and productive.
- Decrease the probability of being wrong: Given that it corresponds to an automated process, the probability of making certain errors is drastically reduced. Well, in terms of communication and proactivity, helps users perform their work correctly, easily and efficiently in order to obtain better results.
- Implement constant presence: As the automation of responses allows immediate action in this instant messaging app, it is useful to maintain a constant presence in the workspace with the aim of show much more commitment.
Learn step by step how to set up automatic replies in Slack with the Slackbot from scratch
Fortunately, all members and guests in Slack, have the possibility of using Slackbot to enjoy the benefits guaranteed by automated responses on this platform. Taking into account that, both the free plans as well as the Standard, Plus and Enterprise Grid, have this functionality activated by default.
Now, regarding its operation, we limit that, each member of the work team can add a series of custom responses to use on a specific channel. So that, once the other participants use the words or phrases that you have chosen during their configuration, automatically, Slackbot will answer for you. Either, for example, to specify the objectives of a project, provide relevant data, help to remember the WiFi password of the office, etc.
So, having clarified all of the above, it is time to explain to you which are each and every one of the steps to follow in order to configure or adjust the automatic responses with the help of the Slackbot from scratch, correctly:
Via the web version or on a computer
If, for convenience, you choose manage your Slack channel using your computer through the web version of this platform, You have to do the following to be able to set the automatic responses you want in your account using Slackbot.
Let’s see below:
- Using your preferred web browser, search for the official website of Slack and log into your account with the corresponding credentials.
- Then at the top click on the name of your workspace and in the options that are displayed, proceed to select “Customize Slack”.
- After that, you can find multiple tabs and one of them is “Slackbot”, so you will have to press on it.
- Next, find and press the button that indicates “Add new answer”.
- Once this is done, the window of Add Slackbot responses and in it, you must configure the new response. By means of the box “When someone says”, sets the question that the bot has to answer automatically. With the box “Slackbot responds”, add the corresponding answer.
- Finally, just subtract click on the “Save” option.
From the mobile app
From the Slack mobile app, it is much more useful to use the Slackbot to add reminders. So, said bot is able to show them in the form of a notification with the text that you request and at the moment you ask it. Thanks to this, you will not miss something important and you will not have to use other third-party solutions to get reminders.
To do so, you simply have to log into your Slack account through its mobile app, to go to the Home tab and click on “Slackbot” directly from the Direct Messages section.
Next, taking into account that the system is flexible to admit common phrases, you can use the command “/ remember” or “/ remind” (in English) together with the reminder to be set in the following way:
- /remember to #general carry out the tasks set in the morning shift.
- /remember to @samuel send the photographs taken for the final project.
- /remember to @mario who has an appointment with me.
In addition to this, the platform also allows you to configure additional details for each reminder. The most important of all, refers to selecting when you want the reminder to be made via the drop-down list (in 20 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, tomorrow, next week, or repeating). Which is helpful for set recurring reminders in Slack.
Slackbot Alternative: How to Create a Bot for Your Workspace
As you will see, Slackbot is completely useful for improve your workspace within Slack and promote effectiveness in it. Therefore, alternatively, this instant messaging platform allows you to create a more custom bot with which you have the ability to execute code and automate tasks in an ingenious way.
Thus, basically, your impersonation bot will be able to post messages on a channel quickly, react to the activity of other members, monitor and help process workspace activity and even increase the interactivity of a channel’s messages with buttons. In such a way, you will achieve get more out of Slack in the business and collaborative environment.
In that sense, keep in mind that these bots will be able to do practically the same thing as any participant; reason for which, they have names, profile photos and are located in the directory. Apart from that, there is the possibility to send them direct messages, mention them as another member, invite them to public channels, etc. Valuing that, all this can be adjusted to the user’s requirements so that they perform only for what they are programmed.
Now, without further ado, here we explain step by step what you have to do from your Slack account to create an additional bot to the Slackbot, correctly:
- First of all, you should make sure have a Slack app to select it. If not, go to the Slack API and from there create a custom Slack app.
- Once you have chosen Slack App, you have to go to the tab “OAuth and permissions” in the left sidebar to click on it.
- Subsequently, at the bottom of Bot Token Scope, choose one or more areas.
- Followed by that, you have to click on the option “Add an OAuth scope”.
- Finally, proceed to click on the tab “Application dwelling” directly from the left sidebar and there, you will see the new bot user along with its configuration.