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Build Slack bots to automate your work and enhance your team's productivity with Salesforce-powered Slack in a faster, better organized, and more secure way

Key Features

  • Get to grips with setting up and creating Slack bots for your organization
  • Integrate Slack with tools such as nTask and Tettra to manage all your applications in one place
  • Understand when to buy and when to build bots

Book Description

Slack is an online communication tool that allows workplace teams to collaborate efficiently, effectively, and securely. It's the leading channel-based messaging platform used by millions to align their teams, unify their systems, and drive their businesses forward. As a developer, you can use Slack to create tools such as bots that handle and maintain routine and time-consuming tasks. If you're looking to set up a Slack workplace or build a Slack bot or app, this is the book for you.

In this book, you'll explore scenarios that show you how to set up a Slack workplace, build a Slack bot, or integrate your favorite tools. You'll also learn how Slack can help you create a more collaborative, efficient, and coordinated work environment from any location. As you advance through the chapters, you'll find out how to manage your tasks and boost your business productivity by automating the trivial tasks. You'll also cover more advanced features such as using a Slack bot to complete tasks, including automating message responses and accessing personal reminders.

By the end of this Slack book, you'll have learned how to use Slack effectively to communicate with your team and build bots and have gained a solid understanding of how the platform can help you to progress in your industry.

What you will learn

  • Understand how to set up a Slack workspace
  • Migrate existing workspaces to your organization
  • Explore expert tips and techniques for using Slack effectively
  • Improve collaboration within your team by integrating multiple apps with Slack
  • Find the right bots and apps to use for your workspace
  • Discover how to build your own Slack bot
  • Explore the right channels on Slack to improve your presence in professional communities
  • Find the best solutions for automating your work directly through Slack

Who this book is for

Supercharge your Slack Productivity is for professionals in organizations, businesses, or communities who are already using Slack or looking to use it for improving communication. With this book, you'll understand how Slack can make your work life simpler by automating routine tasks and managing all the tools you need in one place for working with or managing remote teams efficiently.

Downloading the example code for this book You can download the example code files for all Packt books you have purchased from your account at http://www.PacktPub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.PacktPub.com/support and register to have the files e-mailed directly to you.

Table of Contents

  1. Supercharge Your Slack Productivity
  2. Contributors
  3. About the author
  4. About the reviewer
  5. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
    3. To get the most out of this book
    4. Conventions used
    5. Get in touch
    6. Reviews
  6. Section 1: Slack Overview
  7. Chapter 1: Getting Started with Slack
    1. What is Slack?
    2. Why communication spells success
    3. The digital communication tool you need
    4. Understanding the platform
    5. The founding story
    6. The anatomy of a Slack workspace
    7. Workspaces
    8. Channels
    9. Topics and descriptions
    10. Direct messages
    11. Calls
    12. Threads
    13. Reactions
    14. Mentions
    15. Notifications
    16. Search
    17. Apps
    18. File sharing
    19. Main menu
    20. Sidebar
    21. Statuses
    22. Slack versus other tools
    23. Slack versus email
    24. Perfect examples of when to use Slack
    25. Perfect examples of when to use email
    26. The pros and cons of utilizing Slack
    27. The pros of Slack
    28. The cons of Slack
    29. Slack versus Microsoft Teams
    30. Summary
  8. Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Slack Workspace
    1. What is a workspace?
    2. Slack's many features for collaboration
    3. A Slack workspace as a digital office
    4. Workspaces and Slack plans
    5. Downloading Slack applications
    6. Different options for use
    7. Downloading your application choice
    8. Logging in to Slack
    9. Signing in with your email account
    10. Signing in with Google
    11. Signing in with multiple workspaces
    12. Setting up your profile
    13. What is a workspace primary owner?
    14. Creating a Slack workspace
    15. Creating your profile
    16. Growing your workspace
    17. Inviting and tracking team members
    18. Team member notifications
    19. Joining a Slack workspace as a new member or guest
    20. Understanding roles and permissions
    21. Owner
    22. Admin
    23. Members
    24. Multi-channel and single-channel guests
    25. Migrating existing workspaces to your organization
    26. Slack for remote teams
    27. Summary
  9. Chapter 3: Slack Features, Tips, and Tricks
    1. A simple versus powerful Slack application
    2. The importance of intentional communication
    3. Paid versus free Slack features
    4. The free option
    5. The paid options
    6. Effective communication in Slack
    7. Stylistic choices for adding urgency or excitement
    8. Listicles for any occasion
    9. The power of @
    10. Sharing your screen through Slack
    11. Using reactions for polls
    12. Referencing a past Slack message
    13. Types of channels
    14. Public versus private Slack channels
    15. External Slack channels
    16. Joining Slack channels
    17. Slack channel prioritization
    18. Slack features that increase productivity
    19. File features
    20. Message features
    21. Search features
    22. Channel features
    23. Personal Slack features
    24. Learning how to maintain a published Slack app
    25. Muting notifications
    26. Cleaning up Slack channels
    27. Using reminders
    28. Admin and account maintenance
    29. Most useful Slack shortcuts and customization
    30. Customizing your workspace
    31. Notification tricks
    32. Default Do Not Disturb hours
    33. Keyword notifications
    34. Summary
  10. Chapter 4: Onboarding Your Team to Slack
    1. Setting up 2FA
    2. How 2FA works
    3. Signing up with an authentication app
    4. Signing up with an SMS message
    5. Slack etiquette and team knowledge
    6. Minimal messages are key
    7. Utilizing the proper channel
    8. Threads, threads, threads
    9. Direct messaging for individual conversations
    10. Keeping conversations brief and succinct
    11. An emoji is worth 1,000 words
    12. Respecting the Do Not Disturb sign
    13. Customizing Slack to suit your team
    14. Aesthetic
    15. Creating your own emojis
    16. Functionality
    17. Departmentalizing Slack
    18. Organizing channels
    19. Improving company culture with Slack
    20. Why Slack is an optimal cultural tool
    21. Setting the tone
    22. Hosting a Slack meeting
    23. Storage on Slack
    24. Slack Stats and Analytics
    25. Analytics dashboard
    26. Summary
  11. Chapter 5: Using Slack Externally with Live Chats, Guests, and Partners
    1. Inviting guests to your workspace
    2. Multi-channel guests versus single-channel guests
    3. Slack Connect
    4. Sharing a channel with external organizations
    5. Integrating workflows with shared channels
    6. Working with outside partners and freelancers
    7. Single-member teams
    8. Sharing Slack etiquette and the team knowledge base
    9. Setting rules and expectations
    10. Why not email?
    11. Slack communication with clients and customers
    12. Tips for how to manage your clients in Slack
    13. Interactive live Q&A in Slack
    14. Prep an Ask me Anything session
    15. Video conferencing
    16. Utilizing Slack for support teams
    17. File sharing
    18. Summary
  12. Section 2: How to Use Third-Party Applications and Bots
  13. Chapter 6: Your Workspace Slackbot
    1. What’s Slackbot?
    2. Getting the most out of Slackbot
    3. How to get the most out of Slackbot
    4. Responding to mentions
    5. Setting personalized reminders and tasks
    6. Adding automatic responses
    7. Bringing Slackbot to your threads
    8. Building FAQs with Slackbot
    9. Utilizing Slackbot for your clients
    10. Customizing your Slackbot responses
    11. Workspace language
    12. Creating fun interactions
    13. Summary
  14. Chapter 7: Integrating Your Favorite Tools
    1. What is the Slack App Directory?
    2. Getting apps into your Slack workspace
    3. The Slack app approval process
    4. Using apps in Slack
    5. Using Slack apps to improve your work culture and onboarding process
    6. Simple Poll
    7. Donut
    8. Giphy
    9. Zoom
    10. Troops
    11. The most common Slack apps and integrations
    12. Google Drive
    13. Dropbox
    14. Outlook Calendar
    15. GitHub
    16. Twitter
    17. Summary
  15. Chapter 8: Automate Your Workflow with Zapier
    1. What is Zapier?
    2. Zapier's communication tools
    3. Choosing the right plan
    4. How to integrate Slack and Zapier
    5. Connecting Zapier with Slack
    6. Utilizing Zapier's tools in Slack
    7. Triggers
    8. Actions
    9. Automating your workflows with Zapier
    10. Zaps
    11. How to create a Zap
    12. Using Zapier for teams
    13. Popular Zaps
    14. Exploring Push by Zapier
    15. Setting up Push by Zapier
    16. Zapier based on your business
    17. Project management
    18. Customer support
    19. Social media
    20. E-commerce
    21. Summary
  16. Chapter 9: Slack API, Webhooks, Block Kit, and Sandboxes
    1. What is a Slack API?
    2. Types of APIs
    3. The RTM API
    4. What is the Webhook API?
    5. Setting up and creating incoming Webhooks
    6. Sending messages using Webhooks
    7. Interacting with your Webhooks
    8. How to use Block Kit
    9. Building blocks
    10. Block elements
    11. Button elements
    12. Checkbox groups
    13. Date picker elements
    14. Image element
    15. Time pickers
    16. Types of blocks
    17. Configuring a Slack API sandbox
    18. Enter sandbox
    19. Setting up your sandbox
    20. Installing Simple IdP
    21. Summary
  17. Section 3: How to Build Your Own Bots
  18. Chapter 10: Building Your Own Bot
    1. Slackbot versus regular bots
    2. Creating a bot user
    3. Building your bot user
    4. Setting up Events API access
    5. Bringing the bot to your workspace
    6. Creating an app
    7. Building and hosting your bot
    8. Setting up bot tokens
    9. Finding the right scope(s)
    10. Authorizing OAuth permissions
    11. Putting your bot into action
    12. Scheduled messages
    13. Slash commands
    14. Using existing frameworks
    15. Block Kit
    16. The Bolt framework
    17. Testing and pushing your bot live
    18. Testing
    19. Updating
    20. Summary
  19. Chapter 11: Buying, Building, and Outsourcing Your Bot
    1. Benefits of building your own Slack bot
    2. Using external and paid frameworks
    3. Botkit
    4. Microsoft Bot Framework
    5. Amazon Lex
    6. Benefits of buying your own Slack bot
    7. Brilliant bots for your workspace
    8. Understanding the cost and time to outsource a bot
    9. Finding freelancers
    10. Using Upwork to hire Slack professionals
    11. Cost for hiring a Slack professional
    12. Summary
  20. Chapter 12: Distributing Your App in the Slack App Directory
    1. Preparing your Slack app for submission
    2. Apps unsuitable for the App Directory
    3. App submission checklist
    4. Submitting your Slack app for review
    5. Maintaining, updating, or discontinuing your published app
    6. Expectations for your published app
    7. Updating your published app
    8. Removing or discontinuing your app from the directory
    9. Summary
    10. Why subscribe?
  21. Other Books You May Enjoy
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