Slack

Overview

Connect Slack to ChartCastr to automatically share charts, dashboards, and data visualizations with your team. Send to channels, private groups, or direct messages on a schedule or on-demand.

Features

Channel Integration: Post to any public or private channel
Rich Formatting: Use Slack’s Block Kit for beautiful messages
Threading: Keep conversations organized with threaded replies
Reactions: Enable quick feedback with emoji reactions
File Uploads: Attach high-resolution images and PDFs
Interactive Messages: Add buttons for actions and feedback

Setup Guide

Step 1: Install Slack App

Navigate to Destinations

Go to the Destinations page in your dashboard

Click Add Slack

Select “Connect Slack” to begin OAuth flow

Choose Workspace

Select your Slack workspace from the list

Authorize Access

Review and approve the requested permissions

Step 2: Select a Channel

After connecting, choose where to post:

Public Channels: Any channel you’re a member of
Private Channels: Invite the ChartCastr bot first
Direct Messages: Send to specific users
Group DMs: Share with multiple users at once

For private channels, use /invite @ChartCastr in the channel before configuring the destination.

Step 3: Configure Message Format

Customize how your charts appear in Slack:

Example Message Configuration

{
  "text": "📊 Daily Sales Report",
  "include_summary": true,
  "thread_replies": true,
  "mention_users": ["@sales-team"],
  "add_actions": true
}

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Always send a test message before scheduling:

Click “Send Test Message”
Check the message in your Slack channel
Verify image quality and formatting
Ensure all links work correctly

Permissions Required

ChartCastr requests the following Slack scopes:

Scope	Purpose
`chat:write`	Post messages to channels
`files:write`	Upload image files
`channels:read`	List available channels
`groups:read`	Access private channels
`users:read`	Mention users in messages
`chat:write.public`	Post to channels without joining

All permissions are read-only except for posting messages. ChartCastr cannot read your Slack messages.

Message Formatting

Basic Message

📊 **Weekly Sales Dashboard**

Here's your weekly sales summary for the team.

🔗 [View in Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...)

With AI Summary

When AI summaries are enabled:

📊 **Weekly Sales Dashboard**

📈 **Key Insights:**
- Sales increased 15% compared to last week
- Top performing region: West Coast (+23%)
- Product category "Software" shows strong growth trend

🔗 [View in Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...)

Interactive Message

Add action buttons:

{
  "type": "actions",
  "elements": [
    {
      "type": "button",
      "text": "View Full Report",
      "url": "https://..."
    },
    {
      "type": "button",
      "text": "Subscribe",
      "action": "subscribe"
    }
  ]
}

Advanced Features

Threading

Keep your channel organized by posting updates in threads:

Parent Post

First message creates a new thread with the chart image

Automatic Replies

Subsequent updates post as replies to the original thread

Broadcast Option

Choose whether thread replies appear in channel

Mentions

Notify specific users or groups:

@sales-team New weekly report is ready!
@channel Check out this month's performance 🎉

Use @channel and @here sparingly to avoid notification fatigue.

Conditional Delivery

Send only when specific conditions are met:

Alert Configuration

condition: "sales_change > 10%"
message: "🚨 Alert: Sales changed by {{sales_change}}%"
priority: high

Scheduled Delivery

Daily
Weekly
Monthly

schedule: "0 9 * * *"  # 9 AM every day
timezone: "America/New_York"
skip_weekends: true

schedule: "0 10 * * MON"  # 10 AM every Monday
timezone: "America/Los_Angeles"

schedule: "0 9 1 * *"  # 9 AM on the 1st of each month
timezone: "UTC"

Image Options

Optimize images for Slack:

Setting	Recommended	Notes
Format	PNG	Better quality than JPEG
Max Width	2000px	Slack’s display limit
Max Height	2000px	Prevents downscaling
Max File Size	8MB	Slack’s upload limit
DPI	144	Retina display quality

Slack automatically creates thumbnails. High-resolution images can be viewed at full size by clicking.

Rate Limits

Slack API has the following limits:

Tier	Rate Limit	Burst
Free Plan	1 per second	20
Paid Plan	50 per minute	100
Enterprise	100 per minute	200

Posting too frequently may trigger rate limits. ChartCastr automatically handles retries with exponential backoff.

Use Cases

Daily Standup Reports

Configuration

name: "Daily Standup Metrics"
source: google-sheets-kpis
destination: slack-team-standup
schedule: "0 9 * * MON-FRI"
format: "compact"
thread: true

Real-time Alerts

Configuration

name: "High-Priority Sales Alert"
source: bigquery-sales-monitor
destination: slack-sales-urgent
trigger: "value > threshold"
priority: "immediate"
mention: "@sales-leadership"

Weekly Executive Summary

Configuration

name: "Executive Dashboard"
source: looker-exec-dashboard
destination: slack-leadership
schedule: "0 10 * * MON"
format: "detailed"
ai_summary: true
pdf_attachment: true

Troubleshooting

Bot Not in Channel

Issue: “ChartCastr cannot post to this channel”Solutions:

Invite the bot: /invite @ChartCastr
For private channels, make sure you’re an admin
Check workspace settings allow app integrations

Message Not Formatting

Issue: Markdown or formatting not displaying correctlySolutions:

Slack uses Block Kit, not standard markdown
Check message preview in ChartCastr dashboard
Verify Slack app is up to date
Review Block Kit syntax in Slack docs

Images Not Uploading

Issue: Chart appears as a link instead of imageSolutions:

Check file size is under 8MB
Verify files:write permission is granted
Ensure image format is supported (PNG, JPEG, GIF)
Try re-authenticating the Slack connection

Rate Limit Errors

Issue: “rate_limited” error in logsSolutions:

Reduce posting frequency
Combine multiple charts into one message
Upgrade to Slack paid plan for higher limits
Contact support if limits seem incorrect

Authentication Expired

Issue: “token_expired” or “invalid_auth” errorSolutions:

Go to Destinations and reconnect Slack
Check if app was removed from workspace
Verify workspace admin hasn’t revoked access
Re-authorize with the same workspace

Best Practices

Use Threads: Keep channels clean by posting updates in threads
Optimize Images: Compress images without losing quality
Add Context: Include brief summaries with each chart
Limit Mentions: Use @channel sparingly
Test Thoroughly: Always test before scheduling
Monitor Delivery: Check logs for failed posts
Set Expectations: Let your team know what to expect and when
Use Reactions: Enable reactions for quick feedback

Security

ChartCastr takes security seriously:

OAuth 2.0: Secure authentication with token refresh
Encrypted: All data in transit is encrypted
Scoped Access: Minimal permissions requested
Audit Logs: Track all Slack activity
Revocable: Disconnect anytime from Slack or ChartCastr

To revoke access:

Go to Slack workspace settings
Navigate to Apps → ChartCastr
Click “Remove App” or manage permissions

Next Steps

Connect Google Sheets

Set up your chart source

Enable AI Summaries

Add intelligent insights to messages

Schedule Reports

Automate your chart delivery

View Logs

Monitor delivery status

Getting Started

Admin

Sources

Destinations

Overview

Features

Setup Guide

Step 1: Install Slack App

Step 2: Select a Channel

Step 3: Configure Message Format

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Permissions Required

Message Formatting

Basic Message

With AI Summary

Interactive Message

Advanced Features

Threading

Mentions

Conditional Delivery

Scheduled Delivery

Image Options

Rate Limits

Use Cases

Daily Standup Reports

Real-time Alerts

Weekly Executive Summary

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Security

Next Steps

Connect Google Sheets

Enable AI Summaries

Schedule Reports

View Logs

Getting Started

Admin

Sources

Destinations

​Overview

​Features

​Setup Guide

​Step 1: Install Slack App

​Step 2: Select a Channel

​Step 3: Configure Message Format

​Step 4: Test Your Setup

​Permissions Required

​Message Formatting

​Basic Message

​With AI Summary

​Interactive Message

​Advanced Features

​Threading

​Mentions

​Conditional Delivery

​Scheduled Delivery

​Image Options

​Rate Limits

​Use Cases

​Daily Standup Reports

​Real-time Alerts

​Weekly Executive Summary

​Troubleshooting

​Best Practices

​Security

​Next Steps

Connect Google Sheets

Enable AI Summaries

Schedule Reports

View Logs

Overview

Features

Setup Guide

Step 1: Install Slack App

Step 2: Select a Channel

Step 3: Configure Message Format

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Permissions Required

Message Formatting

Basic Message

With AI Summary

Interactive Message

Advanced Features

Threading

Mentions

Conditional Delivery

Scheduled Delivery

Image Options

Rate Limits

Use Cases

Daily Standup Reports

Real-time Alerts

Weekly Executive Summary

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Security

Next Steps