How to connect Demodesk with Slack for real time meeting notifications

If you’re tired of missing meetings or scrambling to keep your team in the loop, connecting Demodesk to Slack can help. This guide is for anyone who wants real-time meeting notifications in Slack—without the fluff, jargon, or headaches. Whether you run sales calls, client demos, or just want to cut down on calendar chaos, I’ll show you how to wire these tools together, what works (and what doesn’t), and how to keep things simple.

Why Connect Demodesk to Slack?

If you already use Demodesk for scheduling and running meetings, you know it’s solid for keeping things organized. But let’s be honest: email notifications get lost, and calendars aren’t exactly urgent. Slack, on the other hand, is where your team actually lives during the day. Pushing meeting alerts straight into a Slack channel means:

  • No more “wait, when’s that meeting?” confusion
  • Faster handoffs and prep (especially for sales and success teams)
  • Fewer excuses for missing a call
  • Less tab-switching between apps

But before you dive in, know this: The integration isn’t native. You’ll need to use Zapier or a similar automation tool. It’s not magic, but it’s straightforward if you follow the steps.

What You’ll Need

  • A Demodesk account (with admin access for best results)
  • A Slack workspace (and permission to add apps/integrations)
  • A Zapier account (free tier is usually enough for basic notifications)
  • 10-30 minutes, depending on how picky you want to get

Step 1: Decide What You Actually Want to Notify

Don’t just blast every meeting into a channel. Think about:

  • Who needs to know? Sales team? Customer success? Just you?
  • Which meetings matter? All meetings, or just ones with certain tags or hosts?
  • How noisy do you want this? Too many notifications = ignored notifications.

Pro tip: Start with the simplest version (e.g., “notify #sales when any new meeting is scheduled”). You can always get fancy later.

Step 2: Set Up Your Slack Notification Channel

Pick or create a Slack channel for your notifications. Private channels work, but you’ll have to invite the Zapier bot.

  • Go to Slack and create a channel like #demodesk-meetings or #sales-notifications.
  • Make sure whoever needs to see these notifications is in the channel.

Step 3: Connect Demodesk and Slack via Zapier

3.1. Sign into Zapier

  • Head to Zapier and log in.
  • If you’re new, the free plan should cover simple notifications.

3.2. Create a New Zap

A “Zap” is just an automation: “When X happens in Demodesk, do Y in Slack.”

Set Demodesk as the Trigger

  1. Search for Demodesk in the Zapier app list.
  2. If you don’t see it, you’ll need to use “Webhooks by Zapier” (covered below).
  3. Choose your trigger event.
  4. Usually “New Meeting” or “Meeting Scheduled.”
  5. Connect your Demodesk account.
  6. Zapier will prompt you for an API key or to authorize access.
  7. You might need to grab this from Demodesk’s settings under integrations or API.

Set Slack as the Action

  1. Search for Slack as the action app.
  2. Pick “Send Channel Message” (or “Send Direct Message” if you’re feeling fancy).
  3. Connect Slack to Zapier (authorize access if you haven’t already).
  4. Customize Your Message:
  5. Pull in data from Demodesk (date, title, attendee, link, etc.)

  6. Example message:

    :calendar: New Demodesk meeting scheduled! Title: {{meeting_title}} When: {{meeting_time}} Link: {{meeting_link}}

  7. Use Slack formatting for clarity.

  8. Set the channel (e.g., #demodesk-meetings).

Test Your Zap

  • Use Zapier’s test feature to make sure messages show up in Slack.
  • If the test fails, double-check permissions and API keys.

What If Demodesk Doesn’t Appear in Zapier?

Sometimes Demodesk won’t show up as a native Zapier app (especially if they’ve changed their integrations). In that case:

  • Use “Webhooks by Zapier” as your trigger.
  • In Demodesk, set up a webhook to fire on new meetings (usually in settings > integrations).
  • Point it to the Zapier webhook URL.
  • Then, continue the Zap as above with Slack as the action.

This is slightly more technical, but Demodesk support docs usually walk you through webhook setup.

Step 4: Fine-Tune (or Don’t)

Tweak Notifications

  • Add filters if you only want certain types of meetings (e.g., only notify if “host = Jane”).
  • Adjust the message to include what you actually care about—don’t just dump raw data.

Avoid Overkill

  • Don’t set up notifications for every tiny change or cancellation—people will start ignoring them.
  • If you absolutely need cancellations or updates, you can build separate Zaps, but keep an eye on noise.

Keep Permissions Tight

  • Only grant Zapier the minimum permissions needed for Slack.
  • Don’t post into public channels unless you’re sure everyone needs to see it.

Step 5: Monitor and Adjust

  • Use it for a week, then ask your team: “Is this helpful or just noise?”
  • Tweak the filters, message format, or channel based on feedback.
  • If something breaks, double-check your API connections—these expire sometimes.

What Works (and What Doesn’t)

What Works: - Slack notifications are almost instant once the Zap is live. - You can customize messages so people actually read them. - It works with any Slack plan and the free version of Zapier (for basic use).

What Doesn’t: - No built-in Demodesk-to-Slack integration—always a third-party in the middle. - Occasional lag if Zapier is having a slow day. - Free Zapier plans have limits (100 tasks/month)—if you have lots of meetings, you might hit this ceiling.

What to Ignore: - Overly complex workflows (“If meeting is with X company and after 3 PM, send a D.M. to Bob, otherwise...”). Keep it simple unless you love debugging automations. - Fancy Slack bots promising “AI-powered insights”—they’ll just clutter your channel.

Pro Tips

  • Add meeting links. Don’t make people hunt for the join button.
  • Include the meeting host. Helps with accountability.
  • Use emojis for quick scanning—just don’t overdo it.
  • Archive old channels if your team’s use case changes.

Keeping It Simple

Don’t fall into the trap of building a monster automation. Start with a basic notification, see if it saves you time, and tweak as needed. If you’re spending more time fiddling with integrations than actually running meetings, you’ve missed the point.

Real-time Slack notifications from Demodesk are about reducing friction, not adding another thing to babysit. Set it up, see if it helps, and don’t be afraid to turn it off if it’s just noise. Simple wins.