Tag Archives: Slack

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How to Build a Screen Flow to Complete Virtual Standup on Slack

The other day I wondered whether I could use screen flow in Slack functionality to record virtual standup updates.

Many of us are organizing our agile development work using our Salesforce Orgs.

I built a demo to do just that.

Demo Idea

The idea is to send a Salesforce screen flow to all relevant users every day at the same time. Upon launch, the screen flow will ask the user a few simple questions and record the update for the day in a custom object record called standup. Then when a standup record is created, another flow picks up the process and sends that update to a dedicated standup channel in Slack. You can see a roll of updates for the standup records in that channel.

Here is how it is done:

  1. Prepare your Org for the Slack connection. Give the necessary approval both on the Salesforce side and Slack side. Create your custom object(s).
Standup Custom Object Record
  • Build a screen flow in Salesforce and mark it under advanced settings available for Slack. This will create a custom Slack action for the screen flow.
Salesforce Screen Flow
  • Create a schedule-triggered flow to run every day at the same time and call the custom Slack action.
Schedule-Triggered Flow Calling the Custom Slack Action
The Notification the Slack User Receives Every Day
Screen Flow Displayed in Slack
  • Build a record-triggered flow to trigger on create and post the update to the dedicated Slack channel.

See my additional screenshots below.

Additional Screenshots

Create Records Element for the Standup Custom Record
Slack Message Action Posting the Standup to the Dedicated Slack Channel
Custom Slack Action Calling the Screen Flow

This post was originally made to LinkedIn on June 28th, 2023.

Read the previous post: One Big Record-Triggered Flow or Multiple?

Read the popular post: Slack and Flows – Salesforce Flow Tips Newsletter

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Newsletter

Post to Slack from Flow in 6 Easy Steps

Hello folks,

This is an exciting week for all of us. The Release Readiness live webinars are here.

I was reading the Release Notes for Summer 22 this past weekend and I was wondering whether I can use the brand new Slack invocable actions in my Salesforce flows already. Salesforce announced the new actions are in beta, and they will be released sometime in June. It turns out I can already use them. I don’t even need a Preview Org or Summer 22 Sandbox for it. The steps required took some time to discover, but the whole thing is fairly simple to set up.

I am posting a step-by-step guide here so that you can dive directly into it. Try it now without wasting any time. Here are the 6 steps you need to take to post to Slack from Flow:

1. Go to “Setup” and “Enable Slack for Salesforce”. Review and agree to the Pilot terms if you want to proceed.

2. Create and assign a permission set to the user who will post on Slack and use the integration. The permission set will have “Connect Salesforce with Slack” system permission activated.

3. Now go over to your Slack Workspace. You can use a free Workspace, but if you have used all your permitted 10 App limit, you will need to remove an App. On the upper left side click on “More”, then “Apps”. On the screen you see in the middle, click on “App Directory”. Find “Sales Cloud for Slack”.

4. Go to the App page. Click on “Add to Slack”. This will take you to a web page that is super confusing. Find “Add Sales Cloud For Slack App”. Click on the link. Give the necessary permissions. (Update: I received feedback that the Sales Cloud Slack app did not work for some folks. If this is your experience try one of the other apps on the same page. I tested the Salesforce Digital HQ app as well, and this app worked for me.)

5. Now go to any public channel on Slack. Click/tap on the channel header where you see the title. Scroll all the way down and get the channel ID as seen below.

6. Go to Salesforce and build a simple Autolaunched Flow with one single element. You will need to add the invocable action “Send Slack Message (Beta)”. Configure it as seen below. Include the Slack Channel ID. Run it. Voila!

Next week, I will continue my preview with the new screen flow functionality.

Enjoy.

P.S. Originally published on 05/24/2022.

Read the previous issue of the newsletter here.

Subscribe to the weekly educational Salesforce Flow Tips newsletter here.

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May/June 2022 Content Announcement

Hello folks,

I dedicate this newsletter issue to the announcements for new content coming from me next month (May & June):

  • On 5/31/2022, I will broadcast a live session with my fellow content creator Melody Lwo, a.k.a. Flowsome, on YouTube and LinkedIn. The session has been posted, here on my Salesforce Break YouTube channel and on my LinkedIn profile.
  • I will answer flow questions during our monthly Flow Office hours session with Terry Miller on 6/10/2022. Register for the Flow Office Hours Here.
  • I am the leader of a brand new Trailblazer User Group for Architects. I will host Antoine Cabot, Senior Director of Product Management in Salesforce, on 6/15/2022. Antoine is leading the Orchestrator and Flow for Slack initiative. Register for the Architect session here.
  • I will present in Atlanta at Southeast Dreamin’ a session titled “Flow Trigger Explorer and Orchestrator”. You can find the Dreamin’ session details here and register for the event.

Now let’s get back to reading the Release Notes. Summer 22 will be in all of our Orgs soon.

Enjoy.

P.S. Originally published on 05/17/2022.

Read the previous issue of the newsletter here.

Read the next issue of the newsletter here

Subscribe to the weekly educational Salesforce Flow Tips newsletter here.

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Slack and Flows

Hello folks,

How is Slack related to Salesforce Flows?

I got certified as a Slack administrator this past week. So I must think Slack is essential for a low-code builder to learn if I did it, right?

Let me explain.

Flow helps us communicate with the user via screen flows. For example, I can display a message on the screen and initiate a custom notification, a chatter post, or an email. I can also collect input from the user via screen flows. Field updates, approvals, rejection of process steps are all possible.

When I was at Dreamforce in 2021, I saw many demos that included Salesforce user interactions on Slack. Unfortunately, most of this functionality is still not generally available.

We currently have a Slack AppExchange package that supports sharing records on Slack and a list-view of relevant Slack posts inside Salesforce. In addition, there is an Unofficial SF package that comes with several actions to support Slack posts from Salesforce Flows.

I have good news, though; Salesforce said during the last release webinars that approval processes would support Slack. And I am hoping that we will receive more functionality related to Salesforce-Slack integration with the next release.

I am preparing myself for a future where I can use Salesforce flows and Slack together when I interact with users.

Less and less daily communication flows through emails and chatter nowadays. Therefore it might make sense to learn how to use Slack effectively in any case.

Let me share with you a couple of things I learned in preparing for the administrator exam:

  • Use threads.
  • Ask yourself whether a specific content needs to be private; if not use public channels and tag the relevant people. Public post is knowledge, and it is searchable.
  • Don’t use @channel or @here excessively.
  • For private stuff that is not temporary, create a private channel.
  • For private stuff that is temporary, create a group chat or use DM.
  • It is super easy to schedule your post; use it when you come up with a genius idea at night.
  • Use huddles and screen share when needed. Super useful.
  • Explore async; record a voice or video clip with screen sharing and send it to one or multiple people.
  • Be aware of guest or external users and channels shared with guest or external users. Share only what needs to be shared.
  • User groups are a thing, and they are useful. For example, you can create a flow user group and tag this when needed.

I shared this list on LinkedIn at this link. Many folks have added comments to this list since then. Please check them. A good idea that one of my followers shared there is the following: Remember Slack channels support posting via email; you can direct emails from Salesforce to Slack. This can be a handy hack.

Enjoy.

P.S. Originally published on 03/20/2022.

Read the previous issue of the newsletter here.

Read the next issue of the newsletter here.

Subscribe to the weekly educational Salesforce Flow Tips newsletter here.

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