How to Send AWS Chatbot Notifications Only to Slack Thread Without Posting in Channel?

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the tutorial, make sure you have the following:

• A functioning AWS chatbot set up with Amazon Lex or Amazon Polly
• A Slack workspace with a bot user created and configured
• aws-cli installed and configured on your machine

Step 1: Create a Slack App and Bot User

If you haven’t already, create a new Slack app and bot user:

1. Log in to your Slack workspace and navigate to the Slack API dashboard
2. Click “Create an App” and fill in the required information
3. Under “Bot Users,” click “Add a Bot User” and fill in the required information
4. Note down the Bot Token, as you’ll need it later

Step 2: Set up an AWS Lambda Function

Create a new AWS Lambda function to handle notifications:

1. Log in to your AWS account and navigate to the Lambda dashboard
2. Click “Create function” and choose “Author from scratch”
3. Select “Node.js” as the runtime and give your function a name
4. Paste the following code into the function code editor:

   
   exports.handler = async (event) => {
     const slackWebhookUrl = 'YOUR_SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL';
     const slackBotToken = 'YOUR_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN';
     const channelName = 'YOUR_SLACK_CHANNEL_NAME';
     const threadTs = 'YOUR_SLACK_THREAD_TS';
   
     const slackApi = require('@slack/client');
     const { WebClient } = slackApi;
   
     const web = new WebClient(slackBotToken);
   
     const notification = `New AWS chatbot notification: ${event.detail.message}`;
     const response = await web.chat.postMessage({
       channel: channelName,
       text: notification,
       thread_ts: threadTs,
     });
   
     console.log(`Notification sent to Slack thread: ${response.ts}`);
     return { statusCode: 200 };
   };
   

5. Replace the placeholders with your actual values:
• YOUR_SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL: Your Slack webhook URL (obtained during Slack app setup)
• YOUR_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN: Your Slack bot token (obtained during Slack app setup)
• YOUR_SLACK_CHANNEL_NAME: The name of your Slack channel
• YOUR_SLACK_THREAD_TS: The timestamp of the Slack thread you want to post to (obtained via Slack API)
6. Deploy the Lambda function

Step 3: Configure Amazon Lex or Amazon Polly

Configure your AWS chatbot to trigger the Lambda function:

1. Log in to your AWS account and navigate to the Amazon Lex dashboard (or Amazon Polly)
2. Select your bot and navigate to the “Fulfillment” section
3. Click “Add fulfillment” and select “AWS Lambda function” as the fulfillment type
4. Select the Lambda function you created in Step 2
5. Configure the fulfillment settings as needed

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Test your setup by triggering the AWS chatbot:

1. Interact with your AWS chatbot to trigger the notification
2. Verify that the notification is sent to the designated Slack thread without posting in the channel

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter issues, check the following:

• Verify that your Lambda function is correctly configured and deployed
• Check the Slack API logs for any errors or permissions issues
• Ensure that your AWS chatbot is correctly configured to trigger the Lambda function

Conclusion

By following these steps, you’ve successfully configured your AWS chatbot to send notifications only to a Slack thread without posting in the channel. This setup will help you keep your channel organized, reduce noise, and improve collaboration with your team.

Remember to adapt this tutorial to your specific use case and requirements. Happy building!

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Frequently Asked Question

Got stuck while sending AWS Chatbot notifications to Slack? Worry not! We’ve got you covered. Here are some FAQs to help you send those notifications directly to a Slack thread without posting in the channel.