Nobody likes flying blind on customer feedback—especially when it’s buried in some tool you check once a week. This guide is for anyone who wants to get instant, actionable feedback alerts from AskNicely straight into Slack, without jumping through unnecessary hoops or falling into common traps. Whether you’re in customer support, product, or just want to keep your team in the loop without adding more noise, you’ll find the honest, step-by-step setup right here.
Why Connect AskNicely to Slack? (And When Not To)
Before you dive in, let’s get one thing straight: piping feedback into Slack can be a game-changer—or a total mess. The good:
- Faster response times: Your team sees feedback as it lands, so issues don’t fester.
- Better visibility: No more “Oh, I didn’t see that NPS drop from last week.”
- Team engagement: Wins (and problems) are shared in the open.
But it’s not all sunshine:
- Alert fatigue is real: Too many alerts, and everyone tunes out.
- Slack isn’t a database: Don’t expect to do deep analysis here.
- Privacy matters: Sensitive feedback probably shouldn’t go to a public channel.
If your team already ignores most Slack messages, or you’re only looking for “nice job!” comments, maybe skip the integration. Otherwise, let’s get this set up right.
Step 1: Prep Work—What You’ll Need
Don’t waste time if you’re missing a key piece. Here’s what you need before even opening up settings:
- AskNicely Admin access: Regular users can’t set up integrations.
- Slack Admin access (or approval): You’ll need to add an app to your Slack workspace. If you’re not an admin, loop them in now.
- A Slack channel ready for feedback: Decide if alerts should go to #customer-feedback, a private team channel, or somewhere else. Pick something people actually read.
- (Optional) A test Slack workspace: If you want to experiment before going live.
Pro tip: Don’t dump feedback into your main team channel—it’ll get lost among the memes and meeting reminders.
Step 2: Connecting AskNicely to Slack
Here’s where things actually start happening. AskNicely has a built-in Slack integration, but the UX isn’t always crystal clear. Follow these steps:
- Log into AskNicely.
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Make sure you’re using an account with admin permissions.
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Go to Integrations.
- Usually, you’ll find this in the main menu or settings, under “Integrations.”
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If you can’t find it, use the search bar or check their help docs (navigation sometimes changes).
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Find the Slack Integration.
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Look for “Slack” in the list—sometimes it’s in a marketplace-style list, other times it’s just a button.
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Click “Connect to Slack.”
- This will pop open a Slack authorization window.
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You may need to log into Slack and pick your workspace.
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Choose the Channel for Alerts.
- Slack will ask which channel to post to. Be careful here: if you pick a public channel, everyone will see the alerts.
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If you want to send to a private channel, you might need to invite the AskNicely bot first by typing
/invite @AskNicelyin that channel. -
Authorize the Integration.
- Review the permissions. (Yes, it looks like a lot. No, you can’t easily reduce it.)
- Click “Allow.”
Heads-up: If you get an error about permissions, it’s probably because your Slack admin has locked down who can add apps. You’ll need them to approve it.
Step 3: Set Up What Gets Sent (And What Doesn’t)
You don’t want every single survey response pinging your team at all hours. Here’s how to dial in what shows up in Slack:
- Go back to AskNicely’s Slack integration settings.
- Configure triggers or filters:
- Many setups let you pick which survey types, ratings (like only Detractors or Promoters), or tags trigger an alert.
- Common filters:
- Only send negative feedback (Detractors).
- Only share comments, not scores.
- Exclude test responses.
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If you can’t filter much in the built-in integration, see “Advanced: Use Zapier or Webhooks” below.
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Set notification frequency:
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Some integrations let you batch alerts (e.g., digest every morning) instead of real-time. Honestly, most teams benefit from batching unless you’re in crisis mode.
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Save your settings.
- Double check which channel it’s posting to and what the messages look like.
Pro tip: Start with fewer alerts. You can always open the floodgates later, but you can’t un-clutter a noisy channel.
Step 4: Test the Integration (Don’t Skip This)
Nothing’s worse than thinking everything’s set, only to find your feedback is going to the wrong place—or nowhere at all.
- Send a test survey response in AskNicely, or use the integration’s “Send test notification” button if available.
- Check Slack: Did the message show up in the right channel? Does it look readable, or is it a wall of text?
- Ask your team: Are the alerts showing up for everyone, or just you? (Some permissions can hide bot messages.)
If something’s off, go back to the integration settings and check your filters, channel, and permissions. Don’t be afraid to disconnect and reconnect if all else fails—sometimes that’s the fix.
Step 5: Share the “What, Why, and How” With Your Team
There’s no point in piping feedback into Slack if nobody knows what to do with it.
- Announce the new alerts: Post a quick message in the channel explaining:
- What these alerts are
- Why they’re showing up
- How to respond (even if it’s just “react with an emoji if you saw this”)
- Set expectations: Are people expected to reply? Who follows up with negative feedback? Spell it out.
- Ask for feedback: After a week or two, check in—are the alerts helpful, or just noise?
Pro tip: Pin a short message in the channel with instructions or a link to your feedback process.
Advanced: More Control With Zapier or Webhooks
If the built-in integration doesn’t let you filter or format alerts the way you want, you’ve got two main options:
Option 1: Zapier
- Connect AskNicely to Slack via Zapier.
- Set up a Zap: AskNicely trigger (“New Survey Response” or similar) → Slack action (“Send Channel Message”).
- Add filters: Only send alerts based on score, survey type, or even keywords.
- Customize the message: Add context, links, or formatting. You’re not stuck with the default text.
Downside: Zapier is another moving part (and another bill), but it’s easy to set up.
Option 2: Webhooks
- If you’re technical: AskNicely can send webhooks when feedback comes in. You can write a little script (or use a service like Make.com) to send exactly what you want to Slack.
- Total control: But you’ll need someone who can code, and it’s overkill for most teams.
When to bother? Only if you’ve got a legit need (compliance, custom workflows, or you want to post to multiple channels based on different rules). Otherwise, keep it simple.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works:
- Real-time alerts for negative feedback or NPS drops—problems don’t get buried.
- Sharing positive feedback to keep morale up (just don’t overdo it).
- Pinning feedback process steps or escalation paths in the channel.
What doesn’t:
- Dumping all feedback into Slack. You’ll get ignored.
- Relying on Slack as your only record—use AskNicely for the big picture.
- Ignoring team feedback about alert fatigue.
Ignore:
- Fancy integrations that promise AI “sentiment analysis” in Slack. Most are half-baked.
- Integrations that require huge admin permissions unless you actually need them.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
You set this up to help your team, not to drown in notifications. Start with a basic channel, just the most important alerts, and tweak as you go. If something’s not working, change it or turn it off—nobody will thank you for a noisy Slack channel. The best feedback loops are the ones your team actually uses, so keep it practical and don’t overthink the tech.