・
For those who frequently work with multiple clients, managing various communication tools for each company can make tasks more complicated. In my previous job as a web director, I used different tools for each client, such as email, Chatwork, Slack, Messenger, and Skype. Internally, we used Slack and Discord, and there were days when I felt like the whole day was spent just switching between chats.
Minor revision requests from clients might be sent quickly via chat, which made me anxious about missing them. Although it's complicated, due to clients' security concerns, it's difficult to standardize the tools based on our convenience. I thought it would be convenient if the request details were automatically transferred to a spreadsheet for each tool and client channel, reducing the chance of missing anything. I'm planning to start with Slack integration.
Google Apps Script (GAS) is a lightweight application development platform developed by Google, designed for Google's workspace platform. It is primarily a scripting language for automating Google services. Based on JavaScript, it is highly versatile and requires only Google Chrome as a development environment, making it one of the easier languages for programming beginners to start with. (Source: Wikipedia)
JavaScript is a language that adds dynamic elements to websites. In my previous job at a web production company, not everyone could write JS (short for JavaScript). While its versatility is undeniable, it requires foundational study to master.
Even if you want to automate tasks to improve efficiency, it can be challenging for those who don't usually deal with programming.
This article introduces how to integrate using the no-code tool "Yoom." No complicated settings or operations are required, making it easy for non-engineers to implement. You can start right away using the template below, so please give it a try!
[About Yoom]
Now, let's introduce how to add inquiries from Slack to Google Sheets.
It can be completed in the following 4 steps, so please give it a try.
Step 1: Connect Slack and Google Sheets with My Apps
Step 2: Set a trigger to activate when an inquiry comes to Slack
Step 3: Set up to extract data from the inquiry
Step 4: Set up to add to Google Sheets
Let's start by copying from the "Try it" section of the template below!
The template will be copied to My Project. The title will start with [Copy], but you can change it to any name later.
We will integrate Slack and Google Sheets with My App. Please log in to Yoom and integrate Slack and Google Sheets from My App.
First, start with setting up Slack, which is the trigger. Click the red frame on the template copied to My Projects!
Here, set the trigger time and channel ID. Choose a trigger time between 5 and 60 minutes.
The channel ID is the Slack channel ID. You can select it from the workspace linked with the app in advance.
Click the edit frame of the ID to display a list of channel candidates and select from there, or
right-click the Slack channel name → Copy → Copy Link → The alphanumeric characters at the end of the link are the ID.
Example: https://xxxxxxxx.slack.com/xxxx/channelID
Test it, and if successful, add the output.
Scroll through the Slack settings screen, and you'll find a block called Output. Click the edit frame to display a popup where you can select the information to extract. If the desired information does not appear in the popup, click "Add value to obtain" to display a string like below.
Each item has a plus button. You can add the item corresponding to the information you want to extract by pressing the button.
Once the addition is complete, press "Save" to proceed to the next step.
Next, select the flow "Extract Data from Text" below Slack. On the first page, you can select an action. Since it's set by default,
click "Next" for now.
The second page is where you set the details.
Enter the required fields marked in red. Here, "Target Text" and "Items to Extract" are required, so click inside the frame.
The corresponding items will appear in a dropdown.
Add items in the same way as the Slack settings earlier, then → "Test". If the test is successful, "Save".
Prepare the destination Google Sheets.
Prepare the destination spreadsheet to add to the spreadsheet. Just add the item names to be exported in the header.
Return to the Flowbot settings. Click the item with the Google Spreadsheet icon.
Set up the operation to transfer to Google Spreadsheet. The Google account linked in advance is displayed by default.
The execution action is set to "Add Record" by default in the template. Changing this according to the purpose seems to expand the scope of automation.
Scroll down to find the integration settings block with the spreadsheet.
Database Integration: Enter the spreadsheet ID.
Spreadsheet Tab Name: Enter the tab name at the bottom of the sheet.
Table Range: This time, I chose A:E. If you add more items, change the range settings accordingly.
Finally, try turning the trigger [ON].
When the Flowbot is activated, Slack comments were transferred to the spreadsheet.
By applying this, you can separate sheets for each client or project and manage revision requests and quotation requests.
When managing a website, small tasks such as requests to replace banners sporadically occur.
It might be convenient to have a form where clients and operators can simply fill in and submit banner materials and update schedules to complete the request. Additionally, notifying and sharing this on Slack could make it easier for the team to manage.
This time, let's create from this template.
Copy it, drop it into your workspace, and start editing. Notifications to email are unnecessary, so delete the flow by clicking the 「...」 at the top right.
First, set the trigger. This time, we will use Yoom's form.
Proceed with the connection using the pre-inserted text and output content as they are. Personally, I think it's better to first handle the connection settings between each API for flow bots with few flows, and then adjust the output content. So, the form content progresses smoothly.
Next, notifications to Slack. Complete by entering the already linked Slack account information and the ID of the channel to output, just like the method introduced earlier!
Finally, the spreadsheet settings. This time, let's try using a template created with Yoom.
Return to the Yoom flow bot editing screen and proceed with the spreadsheet integration settings. Similarly, complete by entering the necessary items for integration, such as the spreadsheet ID and sheet name!
Once the flow bot settings and the initial trigger are set to [ON], activate!
Fill in the necessary items in the form and submit! It might be hard to convey since it's not a video, but when each flow is running, a circle spins in the top right of the flow.
If an error occurs, it will be displayed in red with a "buzz" sound. I cheer in front of the monitor saying "Go for it!" to make sure it goes smoothly.
This time it went well, and we succeeded in notifying Slack and transcribing to the spreadsheet!
Yoom is packed with features and innovations to not only automate but also facilitate smooth business operations.
With Yoom, it is possible to notify via email or chat whenever transcription is complete.
It seems convenient for times when you want to confirm that transcription is complete and make a phone call. Additionally, by connecting further app operations, it is possible to notify any chat service you usually use, and you can flexibly customize settings such as mentions and additional information.
Yoom has a feature called the database function, which allows you to manage data in a table format like Excel.
By using this, it is possible to stock information not only in spreadsheets but also on Yoom.
It is convenient as it also serves as a backup when used together.
For more about the database function, click here
Besides what was introduced today, Yoom has many examples of automation using spreadsheets and Slack, so let's introduce a few.
Templates are available for all, so you can start utilizing them immediately.
It is possible to automatically notify Slack of information within a spreadsheet or automatically transcribe content posted on Slack to a spreadsheet.
Notify Slack of Received Emails
Automatically notify Slack of the contents of received emails. Automatic notification of email body and attachments is possible.
Register content posted on Slack to various services
Automatically register content posted on Slack to various services such as Airtable, Notion, and Asana. Not only message content but also file registration is possible.
Send Emails from Spreadsheet Data
Automatically send emails based on the data in the spreadsheet.
Link information registered in the spreadsheet to various databases
Automatically link information registered in the spreadsheet to various databases such as Airtable and Notion.
By integrating Slack with Google Sheets, information posted on Slack can be automatically recorded in a spreadsheet.
For example, when a client requests modifications or team task instructions are posted on Slack, adding them to a spreadsheet allows the responsible person to easily review them later, ensuring that all necessary information is managed without omissions. This eliminates the need to backtrack through each chat or message, improving operational efficiency and saving time.
When tasks and requests sent to Slack are saved in Google Sheets, the risk of the responsible person overlooking messages is reduced.
Additionally, by listing tasks on Google Sheets, the overall progress can be seen at a glance, making it easier for all team members to understand the progress. This not only prevents omissions in operations but also facilitates smooth information sharing with other members.
Since Google Sheets allows script integration, further automation can be achieved by leveraging the integration with Slack.
For instance, you can set up automatic reminder notifications on Slack based on the contents of Google Sheets or automatically send periodic reports from Google Sheets to Slack, enabling flexible management. Daily and monthly tasks and report creation that were previously done manually can also be automated, reducing the burden on the responsible person and achieving a more efficient workflow.
Automation of operations has become possible without acquiring complex programming knowledge.
Why not start by creating a flow to consolidate small, often cumbersome requests?
.avif)
.avif)
.png)
