If you’re tired of missing out on what people are saying about your brand—or just sick of checking Brandwatch obsessively—this guide’s for you. We’ll walk through how to connect Brandwatch with Slack, so you can get instant notifications right where your team’s already paying attention. No more bouncing between tools or letting something slip through the cracks.
This isn’t a magic bullet; it’s a practical setup that’ll save you time if you do it right. I’ll show you what actually works, what to skip, and how to keep things from turning into notification overload.
Why connect Brandwatch to Slack?
Let’s keep it real: nobody wants another browser tab or email notification. Slack is where most teams chat, share, and get stuff done. If Brandwatch spots a spike in mentions or a crisis brewing, you want that ping in Slack—not buried in a dashboard you barely check.
Reasons to connect:
- Real-time alerts. Don’t wait hours (or days) to spot something big.
- Faster response. Jump on issues or opportunities before they go viral.
- Team visibility. Everyone sees the same info, instantly.
- Less tool-switching. Keep your workflow tight.
But be warned: if you set up every possible alert, you’ll drown in noise. This integration’s only as good as the filters and channels you set up. More on that later.
What you’ll need
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A Brandwatch account with admin or manager-level permissions.
- A Slack workspace where you’re either an admin or have permission to add apps.
- A browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge—doesn’t matter) and 15-30 minutes.
- Some idea of what you actually want to be notified about. (Seriously, don’t skip this.)
If you’re missing admin access in either tool, you’ll need to chase that down before you can connect things.
Step 1: Decide what you actually want Slack to notify you about
Before you touch any settings, stop and think: what’s important enough to interrupt your team?
Ask yourself:
- Do I want pings for every mention, or only high-priority stuff?
- Should alerts go to a private team, or a public channel?
- Are there specific keywords, authors, or sentiment triggers that really matter?
Pro tip: If you set up notifications for every Brandwatch mention, your Slack will turn into a firehose. Start small—maybe one channel for urgent stuff, and expand later.
Step 2: Set up a Slack channel for Brandwatch alerts
You could dump alerts into a general channel, but that gets messy fast. Instead, create a dedicated channel like #brandwatch-alerts or #social-listening.
How:
- In Slack, hit the "+" next to "Channels" and choose “Create a channel.”
- Name it something obvious—so people know what it’s for.
- Decide if it should be public or private. (Private’s usually best for sensitive stuff.)
- Add the teammates who actually need to see these alerts.
Don’t overthink it. You can always change the channel setup later.
Step 3: Connect Brandwatch to Slack
Now for the actual integration. Brandwatch has a built-in Slack connection, but it lives under different menus depending on your account type and plan. Here’s the most common route:
- Log in to Brandwatch.
- Go to the “Notifications” or “Integrations” area. (Usually under the main menu or settings. Some older accounts call this “Alerts.”)
- Find the Slack integration. Click “Connect” or “Add to Slack.”
- A Slack authorization window will pop up. Pick your workspace and channel.
- Authorize the connection. (You might need to log in as a Slack admin if you aren’t already.)
- Brandwatch will ask what permissions you’re granting. Read them—don’t just blindly click “Allow.” If it wants access to all channels, think twice.
- Once connected, you’ll see Slack as an option for notifications.
If you don’t see Slack as an option, your Brandwatch plan may not support integrations, or your admin has disabled them. Time to nudge your account manager or IT.
Step 4: Configure your Brandwatch alerts
Here’s where the wheels can come off if you’re not careful. Brandwatch lets you set up all kinds of alerts—by keyword, sentiment, volume spike, or custom rules.
To set up a new alert:
- In Brandwatch, go to the “Notifications” or “Alerts” area.
- Click “Create Alert” (or similar).
- Choose what triggers the alert—a specific keyword, a sudden jump in mentions, negative sentiment, etc.
- Under “Delivery” or “Send to,” choose the Slack channel you set up earlier.
- Tweak the alert frequency. Instant is good for crises, but for most stuff, a daily or hourly summary is enough.
- Give the alert a clear name—something like “Product X Negative Mentions” or “Brand Spike Alert.”
- Save.
Repeat for other alerts as needed, but don’t set up a dozen at once. You’ll just annoy everyone.
Step 5: Test your setup
Before you trust this system, make sure it actually works.
- Trigger an alert manually (e.g., mention your brand on Twitter or use a test keyword).
- Check if the notification lands in the right Slack channel.
- Make sure the message is clear—Brandwatch’s default notifications can be cryptic.
- Get feedback from your team. If it’s confusing, fix it now.
If nothing shows up, double-check:
- Permissions in both Brandwatch and Slack.
- The right channel was selected.
- The alert criteria are actually being met.
Step 6: Train your team on what to do next
Getting alerts is only half the battle. If nobody knows what to do when something pops up, you’re just adding noise.
- Set some basic rules: Who responds? Who escalates? What counts as urgent?
- Pin a short guide to the channel. (“If you see a negative spike, tag @comms-lead.”)
- Remind folks it’s OK to mute the channel if they’re not on the response team.
This part’s easy to skip, but it’s what makes the whole thing useful instead of just distracting.
What works (and what to ignore)
What works:
- Targeted alerts. The more specific, the better.
- Dedicated channels. Keeps things tidy.
- Scheduled summaries. Daily or weekly digests can be better than instant pings for most teams.
What doesn’t:
- All mentions, all the time. You’ll tune out fast.
- Email + Slack + in-app notifications. Pick one or two, max.
- Ignoring permissions. If you don’t have admin rights, you’ll hit a wall.
Ignore the hype: This integration won’t turn you into a social media superhero. It’s just a way to keep your team in the loop, faster.
Troubleshooting common problems
- Notifications aren’t coming through: Double-check permissions in both tools. Sometimes, Slack needs to be reauthorized.
- Too much noise: Dial back the alerts. Focus on what’s actually urgent.
- Alerts are too vague: Edit your alert templates in Brandwatch, or add context in Slack with pinned messages.
- Integration not available: Some Brandwatch plans lock integrations behind higher tiers. If you’re stuck, talk to your account manager—but don’t let them upsell you if you don’t need “enterprise-level” stuff.
Keep it simple and tweak as you go
Don’t try to perfect this on day one. Start with one or two key alerts, make sure they’re actually useful, and adjust as your team’s needs change. The goal isn’t to find out everything—just what matters, when it matters.
Remember: Slack is for action, not just information. If your alerts aren’t helping the team do better work (or move faster), cut them back. Keep it simple, stay focused, and don’t be afraid to iterate.