How to connect Chatfuel with Slack for real time sales notifications

So you want your sales team (or just yourself—no shame) to get a Slack ping every time someone buys through your chatbot. You’re using Chatfuel, and you want it to talk to Slack, instantly. Good news: it isn’t rocket science, but the official docs don’t always spell it out for real-world use. Here’s what actually works, what doesn’t, and how to skip the fluff.

Who’s this for? If you run a small business, manage a support team, or just want to keep tabs on sales without refreshing dashboards, this is for you. No code needed, but some patience helps.

The Basics: How Does Chatfuel Talk to Slack?

Here’s the deal: Chatfuel doesn’t have a built-in Slack integration. But, Chatfuel can send data out using webhooks. Slack, on the other hand, lets you post messages using “Incoming Webhooks.” So, your job is to make Chatfuel fire off a webhook whenever a sale happens, and have that info appear in a Slack channel.

You’ll need: - A Chatfuel account with a bot set up and working. - A Slack workspace where you can install apps. - A little time to test and tweak.

If you want to get fancy (custom formatting, filtering, etc.), you might use something like Zapier or Make.com as a middleman. But to keep things clean, let’s do the direct route first.

Step 1: Set Up an Incoming Webhook in Slack

Slack’s incoming webhooks are a simple way to post messages into a Slack channel from outside sources.

Here’s how: 1. Go to Slack’s App Directory
Visit https://api.slack.com/apps and click “Create New App.”

  1. Name Your App
    Give it a name you’ll recognize, like “Sales Alerts.”

  2. Pick a Workspace
    Choose the Slack workspace you want notifications to appear in.

  3. Add Incoming Webhooks
    Under “Add features and functionality,” choose “Incoming Webhooks.”

  4. Activate Incoming Webhooks
    Flip the switch to turn them on.

  5. Create a Webhook
    Scroll down, click “Add New Webhook to Workspace.”
    Pick the channel where you want sales notifications to appear. (You can always change this later.)

  6. Copy Your Webhook URL
    Slack will give you a long URL. Copy it somewhere safe—you’ll paste it into Chatfuel soon.

Pro Tip:
Create a dedicated channel for sales alerts (like #sales-notifications) so you’re not spamming your main chat.

Step 2: Prepare Your Sales Notification in Chatfuel

Now, you need Chatfuel to send out the right info whenever a sale happens.

Here’s how: 1. Open Your Chatfuel Bot
Log in and go to the bot that handles sales.

  1. Find the Sales Event
    This could be a block triggered after purchase, payment processed, or whatever counts as a “sale” in your flow.

  2. Add an ‘Action’
    In the block where the sale is confirmed, add a new “Action.”
    Choose “Send a JSON request” (sometimes called “JSON API” or “webhook” in Chatfuel).

  3. Paste Your Slack Webhook URL
    In the “URL” field, paste the Slack webhook you copied earlier.

  4. Craft the Payload
    You need to send a properly formatted JSON payload so Slack knows what to display.

Here’s a basic example:

json { "text": "🎉 New sale! {first_name} just bought {product_name} for ${amount}." }

  • Replace {first_name}, {product_name}, and {amount} with the actual Chatfuel variables you use.

  • You can add more details if you want, but keep it readable.

  • Test It
    Save, then run a test sale. If it works, you’ll see a message pop up in your Slack channel.

Heads Up:
- If you see nothing in Slack, double-check your webhook URL. - If your message looks like raw JSON or is missing details, fix your variables or formatting.

Step 3: Polish Your Slack Notification

The basics will work, but let’s be honest—plain text isn’t always enough. Slack supports simple formatting and even attachments, but you don’t need to overdo it.

A few tweaks:

  • Add Emojis: They help messages stand out.
    Example: "text": ":moneybag: New sale from {first_name}!"

  • Include Key Details: Order ID, product name, and customer email are usually enough.

  • Limit Noise: Don’t send every tiny event (like “user clicked button”). Only real sales.

  • Example with More Details:

json { "text": "🛒 New Sale! \nBuyer: {first_name} {last_name}\nProduct: {product_name}\nAmount: ${amount}\nOrder ID: {order_id}" }

  • Formatting:
    Use \n for line breaks. Asterisks * around words make them bold in Slack.

What not to do:
- Don’t dump entire receipts or raw JSON—nobody will read them. - Don’t spam your team with test sales forever. Use a test channel, then switch to the real one.

Step 4 (Optional): Use an Automation Tool for More Control

If you want more flexibility—like filtering certain sales, adding delays, or combining with other tools—use Zapier or Make.com (formerly Integromat).

How it works: - Chatfuel sends a webhook to Zapier/Make. - The automation tool parses it, adds logic (like “only send if amount > $100”), then posts to Slack.

Why bother? - If you want to notify different channels for different products. - If you want to log sales in Google Sheets and send a Slack alert. - If you need to avoid spamming Slack with test or low-value sales.

But:
- More moving parts mean more things can break. - You’ll hit limits on free plans pretty quickly if you have any real volume.

If you don’t need this now, skip it.

Step 5: Troubleshooting & Real-World Gotchas

Let’s be real: things break. Here’s what actually trips people up:

  • Webhook URL is wrong or expired:
    Slack doesn’t warn you. Double-check the URL.

  • Variables not populating:
    If your Slack message says {first_name} instead of the customer’s name, the variable isn’t set right in Chatfuel.

  • No messages appearing:
    Make sure your Chatfuel block is actually being triggered after a sale. Test your flow from start to finish.

  • Too much noise:
    You’ll quickly get tired of spammy alerts. Filter out low-value events, or batch notifications if you’re big enough.

  • Security:
    Don’t share your Slack webhook URL publicly. Anyone can post messages to your channel if they have it.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

What works well: - Direct Chatfuel-to-Slack webhooks for simple, instant sales alerts. - Using variables to personalize alerts. - Keeping notifications simple—just enough info to act, not overwhelm.

What doesn’t: - Overcomplicating with fancy formatting or attachments—Slack’s not your CRM. - Relying on this for critical compliance or audit trails. This is an alert, not a record.

What to ignore: - Unofficial plugins or sketchy third-party “integrators.” If it’s not from Slack, Chatfuel, or a well-known automation tool, skip it.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go

You don’t need a dev team or a pile of APIs to get real-time sales alerts into Slack. Start simple: set up the webhook, send a test sale, and see what info actually helps your team. If it’s too noisy or too sparse, tweak your message. If you outgrow the basics, add automation tools one step at a time. Don’t chase perfection—just get the alerts working and improve from there.