Posting a Message to Slack

Slack is a business-oriented chatting tool that is developed and managed by Slack Technologies, Inc. With Slack, in addition to being able to use different channels depending on topics, teams, etc. you can link it with various applications and create bots using APIs.

Questetra provides built-in automated processes that work with Slack APIs. In this article, we will introduce [Slack: Post Message (Block Kit supported)], an automated step in Questetra BPM Suite that automatically posts messages to Slack channels.

For more information on Slack, please visit Slack’s official page.

Automatic Steps in Questetra

Slack: Post Message (Block Kit supported)

This is an auto-step that posts messages to a Slack channel from Questetra, including the ability to specify a JSON object called a Block Kit, which is used to build a UI by combining blocks.

Uses of this auto-step include, for example:

• Notifying in Slack when a process is terminated
• Notifying you in Slack when an error occurs
• Automatically report matters in Slack that should be reported to someone other than the person in charge

If the Slack channel or the post text does not change each time, such as when a process ends or when an error occurs, register it as a fixed value in the auto-step settings.

If the content of the submission changes from process to process, specify a reference to a string-type data item and enter the content of the post in the data item in the input task.

Setting up Questetra and Slack Integration

I will explain how to set up integration between Questetra and Slack.

Open the properties screen after placing the above auto-step in the edit screen of Questetra’s app modeler. Click [Set up Setting] underneath the item [C1-a: Authorization Setting (Bot registered by Questetra)] to open the setting screen [HTTP Authorization Setting Slack: Post Chat].

Your user name will be displayed in the [Settings associated with the users] field.

Click [Get Token] in the added setting to move to the Slack authentication screen. First, specify the workspace you are going to link. (If you’re already signed in to Slack with your browser, this screen will be skipped.)

Sign in. (Skip if you are already signed in.)

When you allow the connection, the setup will be complete. Incidentally, this procedure will also install the Questetra BPM Suite app registered in Slack in your workspace.

You now have a token for OAuth2 authentication with Slack. (“○ (Access Token)” is displayed above the [Get Token] button.)

Invite the Bot to a Channel

From these auto-steps, posting/uploading to a Slack channel is done as a Bot. A bot must have been invited to access the channel, like other members in the channel.

To invite the questetra_bot to a channel, post /invite @questetra_bot on the channel you want to invite and the bot will be invited. If you want to remove a bot from a channel for some reason, you can remove it with a post /remove @questetra_bot.

Incidentally, although the Questetra BPM Suite app must be installed in your Slack workspace to invite a bot, the installation is done automatically when setting the integration between Questetra and Slack.

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Example App

This app is only for checking the operation of the [Slack: Send Message (Block Kit supported)] step. When actually using this app, please incorporate it into other apps according to your needs.

Data Item settings

The Data Items settings are as follows.

Data Item Name	Type	Field Name	Required	[Set Post] Step	Description
Title	–		–	Editable	The title of the Process
Message	String-type (multiple lines)	q_Message	✓	Editable	The main message to be posted

Slack: Post Message (Block Kit supported) settings

The settings for the [Post to Slack] step are as follows.

Item Name	Required	Description
C1-a: Authorization Setting (Bot registered by Questetra)	✓	Specify the HTTP authentication setting name used to connect to Slack. Specify the [Settings associated with user: your user name] for which you obtained a token in [Slack and Questetra integration settings.
C1-b: Authorization Setting (Bot registered by you)	–	Not used in this case.
C2: Channel ID (name is also available)	–	Enter the name of the channel you want to post to. The presence or absence of # does not matter.
C3: Thread ID	–	Not used in this case.
C4: Reply will be broadcast to the whole channel	–	Not used in this case.
C5: Message (Block Kit)	–	Not used in this case.
C6: Message (Markdown)	✓	Set the text to be posted. Select “Message” from [Insert reference…] to specify #{#q_Message}.

In [C6: Message (Markdown)], EL expressions can be written to insert data item values, system variables, etc. Slack also supports some aspects of Markdown notation, such as bold text and strikethrough.

Slack API Document

Operation Check

After clicking [Release] on the app, run it. (or debug run).
In the [Set Post] process, enter the following in the “Message” field. The example text below is decorated in bold by Markdown. The “*” must be alphanumeric and must be preceded and followed by a space.

This is a *Test* post.

After completing the task, log in to Slack to review the post.