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Slack Integration

Slack notifications route through reformer-platform/services/slack-notifier.js. We use incoming webhooks to fan out messages to dedicated channels for Close CRM, testing, deployments, and general operations.

Environment Variables​

Set these in Render/GitHub secrets (already present in production):

SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=...
SLACK_WEBHOOK_CLOSE=...
SLACK_WEBHOOK_TESTING=...
SLACK_WEBHOOK_RENDER=...
RAGS_SLACK_CHANNEL=#rags
  • SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL — default/general channel.
  • SLACK_WEBHOOK_CLOSE — Close CRM notifications.
  • SLACK_WEBHOOK_TESTING — QA/test results.
  • SLACK_WEBHOOK_RENDER — Render deployment alerts.
  • RAGS_SLACK_CHANNEL — Optional override that forces /rags results into a single channel even if command is invoked elsewhere (defaults to #rags).

If a dedicated webhook is missing, the notifier logs a warning and skips sending, so make sure all four values exist.

RAGS Slash Command​

The /rags command allows your team to analyze websites directly from Slack.

Setup​

  1. Slack App Configuration:

    • Go to https://api.slack.com/apps
    • Select your app (or create new one)
    • Go to "Slash Commands"
    • Create command:
      • Command: /rags
      • Request URL: https://reformer-platform.onrender.com/api/slack/rags
      • Short Description: Analyze a website's growth potential
      • Usage Hint: https://example.com [traffic: 5000]

  2. Install App to Workspace:

    • Go to "Install App" in your Slack app settings
    • Click "Install to Workspace"
    • Approve required permissions

Usage​

Important: Use the /rags command in the #rags channel to keep all analysis results organized in one place.

Basic usage:

/rags https://example.com

With traffic estimate:

/rags https://example.com traffic: 5000

How it works:

  1. User types /rags <url> in the #rags channel
  2. Slack sends request to our API
  3. API immediately responds with "Starting analysis..."
  4. Analysis runs in background (30-60 seconds)
  5. Results are posted to the #rags channel when complete

Results include:

  • Growth Quotient (0-100)
  • Score Breakdown: Performance, SEO, AEO, GEO
  • Revenue Opportunity: Monthly/annual loss estimates
  • Re-platforming Analysis: Growth potential, ROI, payback period
  • Top Opportunities: Top 3 recommendations

Example Output​

📈 RAGS Analysis Complete: https://example.com

📊 Growth Quotient: 38/100
Performance: 100/100 | SEO: 24/100 | AEO: 5/100 | GEO: 11/100

💰 Revenue Opportunity
Monthly Loss: $3,607 | Annual Loss: $43,284

🚀 Re-platforming Opportunity
Growth Potential: 100% improvement
ROI (12 months): 1.3x
Payback Period: 0.9 months

🎯 Top Opportunities
1. Add structured data
2. Improve SEO meta tags
3. Optimize for AI search engines

Usage​

slackNotifier.sendToChannel(channel, message) picks the correct webhook based on channel:

await slackNotifier.notifyGeneral({
  text: 'New client onboarded!',
  blocks: [...]
});

Common helpers​

  • notifyClose(message) — for Hunter/Close CRM enrichment updates.
  • notifyTesting(message) — for automated test results.
  • notifyRender(message) — for deployments.
  • notifyGeneral(message) — catch-all announcements.

Messages use Slack Block Kit; see notifyEnrichmentSuccess for structure examples (buttons, fields, etc.).

Monitoring & Failures​

If a response is non-200, the notifier logs Slack notification ... failed. Ensure webhooks remain valid and not disabled by Slack. Rotate or regenerate via Slack app management if needed.

Channel Controls & Duplicate Guard​

  • /rags requests always post results into the RAGS_SLACK_CHANNEL (or #rags) even if someone triggers the command elsewhere, so stakeholder history stays centralized.
  • Duplicate suppression ensures only one result message posts per analysis run, fixing the previous double-post bug when Slack retried slash command requests.

Roadmap​

  • Add rate limiting and batching to reduce noise.
  • Centralize message templates so orchestrator integrations (ClickUp, Dropbox, etc.) can call Slack notifier with consistent styling.
  • Add support for new channels (e.g., SLACK_WEBHOOK_INCIDENTS).***