Send Slack Message on Alarm

Configure ThingsBoard to automatically send a Slack message when an alarm is created. This guide extends the Create and Clear Alarms recipe by using the Notification Center to deliver alarm-based Slack notifications.

Assume your refrigeration equipment has a temperature sensor that periodically publishes telemetry to ThingsBoard. The normal operating range is 2 °C – 5 °C. When a reading goes outside this range:

• An alarm is created by the alarm rules.
• A Slack message is sent to the responsible user.

Before proceeding:

• Complete the Create and Clear Alarms recipe — the alarm rules configured there are required for this guide.
• Configure Slack settings in ThingsBoard with a valid Bot User OAuth Token.

Review the following documentation for background:

• Notification Center — how recipients, templates, and rules work together.
• Alarm rules — how alarms are created and cleared.

The Notification Center delivers notifications to users. It consists of three components:

• Recipients — define who receives notifications.
• Templates — define the notification content and delivery method.
• Rules — define the conditions under which notifications are sent.

Create a recipient that targets a specific Slack user via direct message.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Recipients.
2. Click Add recipients (+) in the top-right corner.
3. Configure the recipient:
   • Name: Direct message to Slack
   • Type: Slack
   • Slack channel type: Direct message
   • Conversation: enter the target Slack user’s name
4. Click Add.

Create a template that defines the Slack message body using alarm variables.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Templates.
2. Click Add template (+) in the top-right corner.
3. Setup — configure the template:
   • Name: Alarm notification to Slack
   • Type: Alarm
   • Delivery methods: toggle Slack on
4. Click Next.
5. Compose — expand the Slack section and enter the message: A ${alarmType} has been detected on the ${alarmOriginatorName} device: ${details.data} °C.
6. Click Add.

Setup: name, Alarm type, and Slack delivery method selected. Compose: Slack message body with alarm template variables.

Template variables used:

• ${alarmType} — the alarm type name (e.g. High temperature).
• ${alarmOriginatorName} — the name of the device that triggered the alarm.
• ${details.data} — the reported telemetry value, populated by the alarm rule.

Create a rule that links the alarm trigger to the template and recipient.

1. Navigate to Notification Center ⇾ Rules.
2. Click Add rule (+) in the top-right corner.
3. Basic settings — configure the rule:
   • Rule name: New alarm to Slack
   • Trigger: Alarm
   • Template: Alarm notification to Slack
   • Escalation chain ⇾ First recipient: Direct message to Slack
4. Click Next.
5. Alarm trigger settings — configure the filter:
   • Alarm type list: Any type
   • Alarm severity list: Any severity
   • Notify on: Alarm created
6. Click Add.

Basic settings: rule name, trigger, template, and recipient configured. Alarm trigger settings: any alarm type and severity, notify on Alarm created.

Publish a temperature value that triggers the alarm (above 5 °C).
Use the Check Connectivity feature or the command below:

curl -v -X POST \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{"temperature": 25}' \
http://$THINGSBOARD_HOST_NAME/api/v1/$ACCESS_TOKEN/telemetry

A new alarm is created and the Slack message is sent to the configured recipient. The message body is populated from the template variables.

• Notification Center — full configuration reference for recipients, templates, and rules
• Slack settings — how to configure the Slack API token in ThingsBoard
• Create and Clear Alarms — alarm rules this recipe builds upon
• Alarm rules — full alarm rule configuration reference