How to Automate Slack Messages for Your Community

Keeping your community engaged in Slack takes time. Automating messages can help you streamline onboarding, announcements, and engagement prompts—without losing the personal touch. Here’s how to do it and which tools work best.

1. Slack Workflow Builder

Slack’s built-in Workflow Builder lets you automate messages inside your workspace without coding. It’s a great way to create custom workflows for onboarding new members, sending reminders, or posting recurring announcements.

• Website: Slack Workflow Automation
• Pros:
  • Easy to set up with a drag-and-drop interface
  • Supports sending personalized direct messages (DMs) from a user profile (not just a bot)
  • Fully integrated into Slack, so no third-party tool needed
• Cons:
  • Only available on paid Slack plans
  • Can’t trigger messages based on external data (like a CRM update or form submission)

2. Zapier

Zapier connects Slack with thousands of apps, allowing you to set up automations for sending messages when something happens in another tool (e.g., when someone fills out a form, joins an email list, or completes an onboarding step).

• Website: Zapier
• Pros:
  • Can send messages in channels or as DMs from your own profile
  • Works with thousands of other apps (Google Forms, Airtable, Typeform, etc.)
  • No coding required, but offers advanced customization
• Cons:
  • Free plan is limited in the number of automations (Zaps) you can run
  • Requires setup, which may feel complex if you’re not familiar with automation tools

3. GreetBot

GreetBot is designed for welcoming new members to your Slack workspace. Unlike Slack Workflows and Zapier, it’s focused solely on onboarding automation.

• Website: GreetBot
• Pros:
  • Simple to set up
  • Sends a sequence of welcome messages over time
  • Works even on free Slack plans
• Cons:
  • Messages are sent from the bot, not from a real user profile
  • Limited to onboarding messages—can’t automate other types of communication

4. Make

Make is another automation tool similar to Zapier, offering more flexibility for creating complex workflows between Slack and other apps.

• Website: Make
• Pros:
  • Advanced workflow builder with visual automation mapping
  • Works with a wide range of apps and data sources
  • Can send Slack messages in channels and as DMs
• Cons:
  • Requires some technical knowledge to use effective
  • Requires setup, which may feel complex if you’re not familiar with automation tools

5. Threadly

Threadly is built for sending bulk Slack messages while tracking engagement, making it a good option for high-volume announcements and reminders.

• Website: Threadly
• Pros:
  • Supports multi-channel message sending
  • Includes analytics to track engagement with messages
• Cons:
  • Might be overkill for simple automations
  • Paid tool, with pricing depending on usage

Which One Should You Use?

• If you just need to automate messages inside Slack, Slack Workflow Builder is your best bet (but only if you’re on a paid plan).
• If you want Slack messages triggered by external tools (like forms or CRMs), Zapier or Make offer more flexibility.
• For onboarding-focused automation, GreetBot is the easiest option.
• If you need bulk messaging and tracking, Threadly might be worth considering.

No matter which tool you choose, automating Slack messages can save you time while keeping your community engaged. The key is finding the balance between efficiency and maintaining a human touch in your communication.

Special thanks goes to our community member Nour Zaqout for her research and testing some of the platforms above!