Both Airtable and Slack are collaborative software programs designed to enhance productivity in team projects. As such, combining both tools for team management guarantees efficiency. This tutorial explains how to establish Airtable Slack Integration in great detail.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Slack
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Slack is a collaborative messaging application built specifically to promote real-time communication among members of a team. Just like other instant messaging apps, the software offers chat rooms, private chat, and direct messaging features to its users. Thanks to its high-performance API, Slack is compatible with many applications.
Today, many teams are gradually replacing emails with Slack messages. This is because Slack is a better alternative to bulk emails and SMS. A leader/ member of a team can simply post their message on Slack once, and all their team members will receive the message.
Some of the features of Slack are:
- Pinning Messages: Slack lets users pin important messages and reference links to their channels. This way, teams can easily access the information whenever they need it.
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- Advanced Search: Slack has a search bar that helps teams find their files easily. If you input a search term with a lot of search results, you can put quotes around the word to reveal an exact match.
- Reminder: You can use the remind command on the Slack app to notify you of an upcoming business event or meeting.
In addition, small and large businesses that use Slack enjoy the following benefits:
- Customization of Settings: Slack allows you to customize the app to your preferences.
- Task Management: The task management feature in Slack makes it possible for businesses to organize their workflow effectively.
- Easy Access to Files: Slack has a search bar on each page, and this enables users to access files and previous messages quickly. Once you input relevant terms, the app will produce a list of items related to the term.
- Free Plans: If you are a small business owner, you can use Slack’s free plan for as long as possible. The free plan allows teams to make video calls, secure messages, and integrate the software with other apps.
- Software Integration: Slack permits you to connect your account with other apps. The app works perfectly with major online software like Zoom, Asana, and Airtable.
Introduction to Airtable
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Airtable has an API that lets users connect their accounts on the website to about 250 applications. With Airtable integrations, users can transfer information and records between Airtable and other apps. Businesses also use task management apps like Zapier, Integromat, and Workato to connect Airtable with other software programs. Some of the applications you can connect to Airtable are Instagram, Dropbox, GitHub, Gmail, Google Drive, LinkedIn, and Slack.
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Understanding the Airtable Slack Integration Setup
When you link your Slack account to Airtable, your team members receive instant notifications on Slack every time someone updates the project’s base on Airtable. This keeps all participants in a team project aware of the progress so they know their next line of action. The steps you can follow are as follows:
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Airtable Slack Integration: Choosing an Airtable Base
Now that you understand why you should connect your Airtable software to your Slack application, you can proceed to how to set up the Airtable Slack integration.
Follow these steps to create and activate Airtable Slack Integration:
Step 1: Selecting the Airtable Base to Integrate with Slack
Log in to your Airtable account. Then, click on the menu bar and select ‘Integration’. Next, choose ‘Slack’ to go to the Slack Integration page on Airtable. Now, select the Airtable base you want to link with Slack, and click on ‘Add to Slack’.
Step 2: Linking Your Base to Slack
After you’ve added your Base to Slack, a dialog box will appear, asking you to enable your Airtable software to post to Slack. Enable your Airtable app to continue.
Your Slack app will open automatically. Pick the Slack channel where you want to receive Airtable notifications, and select the type of updates you want to see.
You can change an entry in your Airtable base to test the integration. If your Slack app notifies you immediately, your Airtable Slack integration is complete.
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Airtable Slack Integration: Activating New Slack Notification Rules
You can only link one base to your Slack account in your first Airtable Slack integration. However, as you take on new projects, you may want to connect more Airtable bases to your Slack. Adding new Airtable bases to Slack requires that you activate new slack notification rules.
The following guide will help you create new Slack notification rules:
Step 1: Adding the New Slack Notification Rule
Go to your Airtable workspace, and scroll to the new base you’d like to add to your Slack app. Then, click the arrow beside the base title to reveal a dropdown menu. Select ‘Slack Notifications’. The system will direct you to the Slack Notifications page.
On the Slack Notification page, click on the ‘Add a Slack Notification rule’ to create a new Slack notification rule.
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Step 2: Configuring Your New Slack Notification Rule
After activating the new notification rule, you will be taken to the notification configuration page. To configure your new Slack notification rule, all you have to do is choose the Slack channel where you want to receive notifications from the new Airtable base.
You can disable the configuration whenever you want to by visiting the Slack notification configuration page.
Airtable Slack Integration: Customizing Your Slack Message
Apart from connecting new Airtable bases to your Slack account, you can also customize the notifications you receive on Slack.
Follow our step-by-step guide to create custom Slack notifications:
Step 1: Choosing the Slack Message Option
Log on to your Airtable account, and select ‘Automations’ in your menu bar. Then, choose ‘start with an automation template’. Airtable will offer you a variety of automation templates. Click ‘Send a Slack message’ in the automation template list.
Step 2: Customizing Your Message
Type in the kind of message you want to receive in your Slack app when someone updates your Airtable base, and click ‘send’. Once the automation is complete, Airtable will send the customized notification to your Slack channel.
Conclusion
You have learned how to integrate Slack and Airtable. Why not link the tools now for enhanced productivity? Contact the Airtable support team if you need any assistance with Airtable Slack Integration.
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