Using Slack for pull request notifications

Integrating Slack with GitHub can streamline your development workflow, especially when it comes to managing pull requests. Slack pull request notifications help keep your team updated on the status of code changes and ensure that your teams stay on track with timely feedback. In this guide, we will show you how to set up GitHub Slack notifications, integrate Slack pull requests, and utilize Graphite's Notifications for enhanced alert management.

Setting up GitHub Slack notifications

Step 1: Create a Slack app

1. Go to the Slack API page and click Create New App.
2. Select a workspace where you want to add the app.
3. Give your app a name and click Create App.

Step 2: Configure OAuth & permissions

1. In your app settings, go to OAuth & Permissions.
2. Under Scopes, add the following bot token scopes:
   • chat:write: Allows the app to send messages to channels.
   • channels:read: Allows the app to read channel information.
3. Click Install App to Workspace and authorize the permissions.

Step 3: Get the Slack Webhook URL

1. In your app settings, go to Incoming Webhooks.
2. Enable Activate Incoming Webhooks.
3. Click Add New Webhook to Workspace, choose a channel, and click Allow.
4. Copy the Webhook URL provided.

Step 4: Integrate GitHub with Slack

1. Go to your GitHub repository and click on Settings.
2. Select Webhooks from the sidebar, then click Add webhook.
3. Paste the Slack Webhook URL in the Payload URL field.
4. Set the Content type to application/json.
5. In the Which events would you like to trigger this webhook? section, select Let me select individual events and check Pull requests.
6. Click Add webhook.

Using Graphite's Notifications

To enhance your pull request management, you can also use Graphite's Notifications feature alongside your Slack integration. Graphite provides smarter alerts tailored to your team’s workflow and reduces noise to help you focus on critical changes.

Step 1: Set up Graphite notifications

1. Navigate to your Graphite dashboard and go to the Notifications section.
2. Configure the notification settings based on your preferences, such as filtering by repository or pull request status.

Step 2: Integrate with Slack

1. In Graphite, select the Slack integration option.
2. Paste the Slack Webhook URL you copied earlier.
3. Choose the events for which you want to receive notifications (e.g., pull request merges, approvals).

With this setup, you’ll receive notifications not just for GitHub events, but also for Graphite-specific updates related to pull requests. For instance, you could get notifications when a pull request reaches a certain number of reviews or when it's marked as ready for review.

Customizing notifications

Both GitHub and Graphite allow you to customize your notifications to suit your team's workflow. You can adjust settings based on:

• The type of events (e.g., created, updated, merged)
• The specific users or teams to notify
• Keywords or phrases to filter relevant notifications

Tips for effective notification management

• Limit noise: Configure notifications to avoid clutter. For example, only notify the channel on pull request merges instead of all updates.
• Use threads: When discussing a pull request in Slack, use threads to keep conversations organized.
• Encourage prompt feedback: Foster a culture of quick responses by setting expectations for review times.

Takeaways

Integrating Slack with GitHub for pull request notifications is a simple process that improves your team's communication and collaboration. Using GitHub Slack notifications alongside Graphite's Notifications helps keep everyone informed about code changes and review statuses. You can also set up pull request alerts in Slack or configure Graphite to send more specific notifications, which can contribute to a more accelerated workflow and quicker feedback. These integrations make managing pull requests easier to help your team maintain code quality and work better together.