Slack offers powerful bot and automation features that significantly streamline workflows by reducing manual tasks, improving collaboration, and integrating with essential business tools. The platform’s Workflow Builder and custom bots enable teams to automate everything from routine notifications to complex approval processes, saving an average of 3.6 hours per week for desk workers ^[2]. These tools require no coding expertise, making automation accessible to non-technical users while supporting advanced integrations with over 70 apps, including Salesforce, Jira, and Google Sheets ^[1].

Key capabilities include real-time alerts for critical updates, AI-driven conversation summaries, and seamless CRM integrations that eliminate platform switching. Teams report 47% productivity increases when leveraging AI chatbots for tasks like onboarding and contract approvals ^[9]. Slack’s automation also addresses common workflow challenges—such as information silos and manual processes—by centralizing tools and providing visibility into task progress ^[7].

• Workflow Builder automates multi-step processes (e.g., incident triage, approvals) with conditional logic and pre-built templates ^[1][6]
• Custom bots reduce repetitive tasks by 97 minutes weekly, handling reminders, notifications, and CRM updates ^[5][9]
• Real-time integrations connect Slack to tools like Zendesk and PagerDuty for instant alerts and actionable shortcuts ^[3][8]
• AI chatbots summarize conversations, manage permissions, and provide analytics to optimize team communication ^[9][10]

Core Automation Features in Slack

Workflow Builder: No-Code Process Automation

Slack’s Workflow Builder is a visual tool that lets teams automate routine and complex tasks without writing code. Available in Pro, Business+, and Enterprise plans, it supports everything from simple notifications to multi-branched approval processes ^[1]. Users can start with pre-built templates (e.g., employee onboarding, incident reports) or design custom workflows from scratch in minutes ^[6]. The tool’s conditional branching allows for dynamic responses based on user inputs, such as routing support tickets to the right team or escalating urgent requests ^[1].

Key functionalities include:

• Multi-app integrations: Connects to 70+ tools like Salesforce, Jira, and Google Sheets to pull data directly into Slack channels ^[1]
• Custom forms: Collects structured information (e.g., expense reports, feedback) via in-channel prompts, reducing email clutter ^[6]
• Real-time incident management: Automates alerts for system outages or customer issues, triggering assigned responses (e.g., notifying engineers via PagerDuty) ^[3]
• Approvals and feedback loops: Streamlines processes like purchase requests or document reviews with automated reminders and status updates ^[2]

For example, a marketing team can use Workflow Builder to:

1. Automate campaign approvals by sending creative assets to stakeholders with a single click.
2. Route feedback to designers via a custom form, then notify the team once revisions are complete.
3. Post finalized assets to a shared channel with all relevant context (e.g., deadlines, target audience) ^[6].

The tool’s drag-and-drop interface ensures accessibility for non-technical users, while advanced users can incorporate API-based customizations for niche use cases ^[3]. Studies show teams using Workflow Builder save 3.6 hours weekly by eliminating manual coordination ^[2].

Custom Bots and AI Assistants

Slack bots—both built-in (Slackbot) and third-party—extend automation capabilities by handling repetitive tasks, providing real-time data, and integrating with external systems. Unlike static apps, bots actively participate in conversations, offering dynamic responses and triggering workflows based on keywords or commands ^[5]. For instance:

• AI chatbots like Quidget summarize lengthy threads, extract action items, and even draft responses, cutting meeting prep time by 40% ^[9].
• Sales bots (e.g., Troops, Revenue Grid) sync CRM data (e.g., Salesforce opportunities) to Slack, alerting teams to high-priority leads without leaving the platform ^[8].
• HR bots (e.g., Sapling, Leena AI) automate onboarding checklists, answer FAQs, and schedule training sessions, reducing administrative overhead by 97 minutes per week ^[9].

Critical advantages of Slack bots include:

• Reduced platform switching: Bots surface data from tools like Zendesk or Asana directly in Slack, keeping teams focused ^[3][5].
• Proactive alerts: Custom bots monitor systems (e.g., GitHub, Jira) and notify teams of critical updates (e.g., code deployments, ticket escalations) in real time ^[8].
• Task automation: Bots handle routine actions like scheduling meetings (via /slash commands), polling teams, or updating spreadsheets ^[10].
• Analytics and insights: Tools like Thena track bot performance, measuring response times and user engagement to refine workflows ^[5].

1. Troops: CRM automation for sales teams.
2. Zapier: Connects 3,000+ apps to Slack (e.g., auto-posting Trello updates).
3. Geekbot: Async standups and surveys.
4. Polly: In-channel polls and feedback collection.
5. Simple Poll: Quick decision-making via votes.
6. Donut: Virtual coffee chats for team bonding.
7. Guru: Knowledge management with AI-powered answers.
8. Mio: Cross-platform messaging (e.g., Slack ↔ Microsoft Teams).
9. Statsbot: Data analytics via natural language queries.
10. Thena: Customer support workflows with Slack-native ticketing.

1. Choose a tool (e.g., Botkit, Bolt for JavaScript/Python).
2. Configure triggers (e.g., keywords like “/approve”).
3. Test in a sandbox channel before rolling out ^[5].