If you want your team to actually act on account updates—without living in Salesforce—custom triggers in Troops are the way to go. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of missed updates, clunky workflows, or digging through Slack for important info.
I’ll walk you through setting up triggers step-by-step, what’s worth automating (and what isn’t), and how to avoid the headaches that show up when you go overboard.
Why bother with Troops triggers?
Let’s be real: Most teams set up a Salesforce-Slack integration, and then… nothing happens. Updates get lost. Nobody’s sure what’s important. Triggers in Troops change that—by letting you decide exactly what updates matter and how people see them.
You should use triggers if: - You want instant alerts about key account changes (ownership, deal stage, renewals, etc.) - You need to reduce “noise” in Slack (no more 100 random updates a day) - You want to keep reps focused on action, not admin
But be careful: Too many triggers = ignored alerts. That defeats the point.
Step 1: Map out what actually matters
Before you touch Troops, figure out which account updates are worth everyone’s attention. Skip this, and you’ll end up spamming Slack—or missing real problems.
Start by asking: - What account changes require action? (e.g., deal stage moves to “Closed Lost,” renewal date gets pushed) - Who needs to see these? (Sales, CS, execs, the whole team?) - How urgent are these updates? (Immediate alert? Daily digest?)
Pro tip: If you’re not sure, ask the team about the last time they missed something important. Build from there.
Step 2: Connect Troops to Salesforce and Slack
Assuming you’ve already got Troops, make sure it’s hooked up to Salesforce and the right Slack workspace.
- Admin access: You’ll need admin rights in both Salesforce and Slack.
- Integration: In Troops, go to the Integrations/settings area and connect both accounts. (If you hit permission errors, double-check that your Salesforce user has API access and your Slack user can add apps.)
- Test: Pull up a test account in Salesforce, make a small change, and make sure Troops can see it.
Gotchas: - If your Salesforce org is locked down tight, you might need IT to approve the integration. - Troops can only trigger off fields it’s allowed to see. If your custom field isn’t showing up, check permissions.
Step 3: Create your first custom trigger
Here’s where you set the rules: “When this happens in Salesforce, Troops posts that in Slack.”
- Go to Triggers: In Troops, find the “Triggers” or “Workflows” section.
- Start new trigger: Click “Create Trigger” or similar. (Names may change, but the idea is the same.)
- Choose the object: Pick “Account” (or whatever object you want—most folks start with Account or Opportunity).
- Set the condition: This is the “when.” For example, “When Account Stage changes to ‘Churn Risk’” or “Renewal Date is within 30 days.”
- Pick the fields: Decide which fields you want Troops to watch for changes.
- Define the alert:
- Message: Write the Slack message. Be clear—include a link to the record, key details, and what action (if any) is needed.
- Channel/Person: Choose where or to whom this goes (public channel, private group, direct message).
- Frequency: Decide if this should fire every time, just once per record, or on a schedule.
Example trigger: - When: Account renewal date is updated - Who: Account owner and #renewals channel - Message: “Heads up! Renewal date for [Account Name] is now [New Date]. Details: [Salesforce link]” - How often: Every time the date changes
Step 4: Test before you trust
Don’t skip testing. Trigger misfires are annoying at best, embarrassing at worst.
- Make a safe, real-world change in Salesforce and see if Troops fires off the alert as expected.
- Check message formatting. Did the Slack message include the fields you intended? Are the links working?
- If nothing happens, double-check:
- Field permissions (does Troops “see” the field?)
- Trigger logic (did you use “is changed to” or just “is”? Big difference)
- Slack channel permissions (is Troops invited?)
Pro tip: Set up a private Slack channel for testing. Only make your triggers public once you’re sure they work.
Step 5: Roll out—but don’t overwhelm
Once things work in testing, roll out to the real team. But go slow:
- Start with the most critical triggers only—one or two max.
- Ask for feedback: Are alerts useful? Too frequent? Too vague?
- Adjust message text or trigger conditions as needed. Sometimes what sounds helpful in theory is just noise in practice.
Things to watch out for: - Alert fatigue: If people start ignoring Troops alerts, you’ve got too many, or they’re too generic. - Over-specific triggers: If you try to get too fancy (dozens of conditions, nested logic), things break or become impossible to manage.
What works:
- Short, actionable messages (“Renewal due in 7 days—pinging owner” beats a wall of text)
- Direct mentions when someone needs to act (e.g., @john_doe)
- Channel selection: Only send to the people who care. Don’t blast #general with every update.
Step 6: Manage and evolve your triggers
Set it and forget it? Nope. Triggers need tuning as your business changes.
- Regular review: Every month or quarter, check which triggers are firing. Are they still needed? Are some being ignored?
- Consolidate: If you have five triggers that could be one, merge them.
- Retire old triggers: Don’t leave stale ones hanging around—delete or deactivate when they’re no longer useful.
- Document: Keep a simple list of what each trigger does, who owns it, and why it exists. Saves headaches when someone asks, “Why are we getting this alert?”
Honest take: The more people you involve, the messier this gets. Decide up front who “owns” your Troops triggers—otherwise, you’ll get finger-pointing when something goes wrong.
What to ignore
Not every update needs a trigger. Just because Troops can alert on something doesn’t mean it should.
Skip triggers for: - Low-impact field changes (e.g., minor address tweaks, contact info updates) - Auto-generated Salesforce changes (unless someone needs to act) - Vanity metrics (“Account viewed” isn’t actionable)
Remember: The goal is focus, not FOMO.
Advanced tips (if you really need them)
If you’ve nailed the basics and aren’t drowning in alerts, you can get clever:
- Scheduled digests: Instead of instant alerts, send a daily or weekly summary of key updates. Great for execs who don’t want Slack pings all day.
- Conditional logic: Use AND/OR logic for more complex scenarios (but don’t go wild unless you’re sure you need this).
- Token fields: Personalize messages with dynamic fields (e.g., “Hi @owner, your account [Account Name] just...”).
But again: Simple is best. If you’re spending hours tweaking triggers, you’re probably over-engineering it.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, tweak as you go
Custom triggers in Troops can keep your team sharp—if you focus on what matters and avoid “alert sprawl.” Start with the basics, test carefully, and don’t be afraid to turn things off if they’re not helping. Simpler is better. Iterate based on real feedback, and you’ll actually see results—without turning Slack into another noisy inbox.