Step by step guide to integrating Bonusly with Slack for real time employee rewards

If you're reading this, you probably want to make employee recognition a little less of a chore and a lot more visible. Maybe you're tired of clunky reward systems, or maybe your manager just asked you to “get Bonusly into Slack” and left it at that. Either way, you want to set up something that actually works—no fluff, no endless meetings, no “transformation roadmaps.” Just a straightforward, real-time way for people to say “nice job” without leaving Slack.

This guide is for admins, IT folks, or anyone who’s become the “tech person” by default. I’ll walk you through connecting Bonusly with Slack, step by step, so your team can start giving each other points, public shout-outs, and rewards right where work actually happens.

Let’s keep it practical—and honest about what’s worth your time.

Why bother integrating Bonusly with Slack?

Quick reality check: if your recognition program lives in a tool nobody checks, it’s dead on arrival. Slack is where your team already spends their day, so piping Bonusly into it means:

Recognition happens in real time, where people actually see it.
No extra logins or browser tabs.
More visibility equals more participation—if you set it up right.

But don’t expect magic. If your company culture is already allergic to praise, plugging in a new tool won’t fix that. What you can do is make it dead simple for people to give genuine kudos, and remove as many barriers as possible.

Step 1: Check your permissions (don’t skip this)

Before you dive in, make sure you have:

Bonusly admin rights. You need to be an admin in Bonusly to connect integrations.
Slack admin rights (or permission to add apps). Some Slack workspaces lock down app installs. If you don’t have this, talk to whoever runs your Slack.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure, try installing any free Slack app to test your permissions. It’s a lot faster than hunting through settings.

Step 2: Map out what you actually want to happen

Don’t just connect things for the sake of it. Think about:

Do you want all Bonusly recognition messages posted in a public Slack channel?
Should users be able to give Bonusly points from Slack, or just see notifications?
Do you need private notifications, or just public ones?

Write this down. Otherwise, you’ll get halfway through and realize you need to redo everything.

Step 3: Start the integration in Bonusly

Log in to your Bonusly admin account.
Click on your avatar (top right), then Integrations from the dropdown.
Find the Slack integration and click Connect.

You’ll be kicked over to Slack to authorize the connection. Make sure you’re logged into the right workspace—sounds obvious, but people mess this up all the time.

Step 4: Authorize Bonusly in Slack

Slack will show you a permissions screen, listing what Bonusly can do. It usually wants to:

Post messages as Bonusly
Access user info (to match Slack users with Bonusly users)
Access channels and conversations

Read this screen, seriously. If you’re not comfortable with what Bonusly can access, stop and talk to your Slack admin or IT. Don’t just click “Allow” because you’re in a hurry.

Once you’re good with the permissions, click Allow.

Step 5: Configure Bonusly’s Slack settings

Back in Bonusly, you’ll see some options. This is where you decide:

Which channel(s) get Bonusly notifications?
Most teams pick a public channel like #recognition or #kudos. You can create a new channel if you want to separate it from general chatter.
What gets posted?
You can usually choose to post all recognition, only certain types, or just your own. For most teams, “all public recognition” works best.
Can users give recognition from Slack?
If you enable this, folks can use slash commands (like /bonusly give) right inside Slack.

Set these up based on what you mapped out in Step 2. Don’t overthink it—start simple, you can always tweak later.

Step 6: Test with a small group

Before you roll it out to the whole company, do a dry run:

Give a test bonus in Bonusly. See if it shows up in the right Slack channel.
Try using the /bonusly command in Slack (if enabled). See if it works and links to the right user.
Check what happens if someone without a Bonusly account tries to use the integration—best to know now, not later.

Pro tip: Ask a couple of real users (not just admins) to try it. They’ll spot stuff you miss.

Step 7: Announce and educate (briefly)

Once it’s working, let your team know—but keep it to the point. Nobody wants a wall of text.

Post a message in the chosen Slack channel explaining:
What Bonusly is for (recognition, not just “gaming the system”)
How to give recognition in Slack (e.g., /bonusly give @username Great teamwork on the launch!)
Where to go for help
Link to a short tutorial or Bonusly’s help docs. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

What to ignore: Don’t waste time on a 30-minute training Zoom. Most people learn by doing.

Step 8: Monitor, tweak, and avoid common pitfalls

Once live, keep an eye on things:

Is the recognition happening in Slack, or is it crickets?
If nobody’s using it, check if people know how to use it. Sometimes just reminding folks it exists is enough.
Are people gaming the system?
If it turns into a points-for-points swap, gently remind people what “recognition” actually means.
Too much noise?
If the channel is blowing up, consider limiting notifications to just public bonuses, or using reactions instead of posts.
Wrong users getting mapped?
Sometimes Bonusly and Slack user emails don’t match. You may need to manually sync a few users.

What works (and what doesn’t)

What works: - Making recognition visible and instant—people actually see and react to it. - Letting people give kudos without switching tools. - Keeping Slack channels focused (don’t dump recognition into #general).

What doesn’t: - Assuming people will magically start recognizing each other just because the tool is there. - Overcomplicating the setup with a dozen channels and custom automations on day one. - Ignoring user feedback. If people hate the notifications, adjust them.

Troubleshooting: Quick fixes for common headaches

Recognition not showing up in Slack?
Double-check channel permissions and that Bonusly is invited to the channel (/invite @Bonusly in Slack).
Try disconnecting and reconnecting the integration from Bonusly.
Can’t use /bonusly commands?
Make sure the Slack app is installed for the whole workspace, not just for you.
Check that users’ email addresses match in both systems.
Duplicate users or wrong names?
Sync user data in Bonusly, or manually match accounts.

If you run into something weird, Bonusly’s support is actually pretty responsive—don’t bang your head against the wall for hours.

Keep it simple and keep iterating

Don’t fall for the idea that integrating Bonusly with Slack will instantly fix morale or culture. But if you make recognition easy, visible, and part of everyday work, it does start to stick.

Start with the basics, see what actually gets used, and tweak as you go. The simpler your setup, the less maintenance you’ll need—and the more likely people are to actually use it.

That’s as much as you really need to know. Now go connect those tools, and get back to work.