Slack is more than a notification destination - it's an interface for getting work done. Slash commands, interactive buttons, and modals turn Slack from passive updates into active control. When you can trigger maintenance tasks, check status, and approve changes from Slack, the distance between awareness and action shrinks to zero.
Why Interactive Slack Commands
Commands make maintenance accessible.
Immediate Action
Do things right now:
/maintenance update-deps staging
No context switching to other tools.
Team Visibility
Everyone sees what's happening:
Commands and responses appear in channels where the team can see them.
Natural Interface
Work where you already are:
Developers spend all day in Slack. Meet them there.
Mobile Access
Manage from anywhere:
Slack mobile means maintenance access from anywhere.
Slash Commands
Status Commands
Check current state:
/devonair status
- Shows overall code health
- Lists pending maintenance tasks
- Reports recent activity
/devonair status frontend
- Shows health for specific component
Analysis Commands
Trigger analysis:
/devonair analyze main
- Analyzes main branch
- Reports findings to channel
/devonair analyze pr/123
- Analyzes specific PR
Maintenance Commands
Execute maintenance:
/devonair update-deps
- Creates PR with dependency updates
/devonair fix-lint
- Creates PR with lint fixes
Report Commands
Generate reports:
/devonair report weekly
- Generates weekly maintenance summary
/devonair report security
- Generates security status report
Interactive Buttons
Action Buttons
Take action from notifications:
When a maintenance issue is detected:
[Fix Now] [Create Issue] [Dismiss] [View Details]
Click to act without typing commands.
Approval Buttons
Approve changes:
When auto-maintenance creates a PR:
[Approve & Merge] [Review First] [Reject]
Priority Buttons
Set priority:
When triaging issues:
[Critical] [High] [Medium] [Low]
Assignment Buttons
Assign work:
When issue needs owner:
[Assign to Me] [Assign to Team] [Auto-Assign]
Modal Dialogs
Configuration Modals
Complex settings:
/devonair configure
Opens modal with:
- Repository selection
- Notification preferences
- Schedule settings
Filter Modals
Refine queries:
/devonair find issues
Opens modal with:
- Type filter
- Priority filter
- Date range
- Assignee filter
Confirmation Modals
Verify dangerous actions:
For significant changes:
Are you sure you want to apply this fix?
Repository: my-app
Change: Update 47 files
[Confirm] [Cancel]
Command Categories
Information Commands
Get information:
/devonair help
- Shows available commands
/devonair version
- Shows current version
/devonair docs
- Links to documentation
Query Commands
Find things:
/devonair issues critical
- Lists critical issues
/devonair prs awaiting-review
- Lists PRs needing review
/devonair debt frontend
- Shows tech debt in frontend
Action Commands
Do things:
/devonair run analysis
- Triggers full analysis
/devonair create issue "Title here"
- Creates new issue
/devonair assign issue/123 @username
- Assigns issue
Configuration Commands
Configure settings:
/devonair notify on critical
- Enables critical notifications
/devonair schedule daily 9am
- Schedules daily report
/devonair ignore file/path
- Excludes path from analysis
Response Patterns
Immediate Feedback
Acknowledge commands:
User: /devonair analyze main
Bot: 🔍 Starting analysis of main branch...
Bot: ✅ Analysis complete. Found 3 issues:
- 1 critical
- 2 warnings
[View Details] [Create Issues]
Progress Updates
Show progress for long operations:
Bot: 🔄 Updating dependencies...
Bot: 📦 Checking 150 packages
Bot: 🔧 Found 12 updates available
Bot: ✅ Created PR #234 with updates
[View PR] [Auto-Merge]
Error Handling
Handle failures gracefully:
User: /devonair analyze invalid-branch
Bot: ❌ Branch 'invalid-branch' not found.
Available branches: main, develop, feature/xyz
Help Context
Provide relevant help:
User: /devonair
Bot: 👋 Hi! I can help with code maintenance.
Try these commands:
• /devonair status - Check code health
• /devonair analyze - Run analysis
• /devonair help - All commands
Interactive Workflows
Multi-Step Flows
Guide through processes:
User: /devonair create issue
Bot: Let's create an issue:
[Bug] [Feature] [Task] [Question]
User: [Bug]
Bot: Describe the bug:
[Opens text input]
User: "Login page crashes on mobile"
Bot: Set priority:
[Critical] [High] [Medium] [Low]
User: [High]
Bot: ✅ Created issue #456: Login page crashes on mobile
[View Issue] [Assign to Me]
Approval Flows
Get approvals:
Bot: 🔐 Security update ready for react-dom
Current: 18.2.0 → New: 18.2.1
Fixes: CVE-2024-1234 (High severity)
[Approve Update] [View Details] [Decline]
User: [Approve Update]
Bot: ✅ Updated react-dom to 18.2.1
PR #567 created and auto-merged
Channel Configuration
Channel Types
Different channels for different purposes:
#maintenance-alerts
- Critical issues only
- Requires immediate response
#dev-updates
- Daily summaries
- New PRs and issues
- Non-urgent updates
#security
- Security-related issues
- Vulnerability alerts
Channel Permissions
Control who can do what:
/devonair configure channel
Allow commands in this channel: Yes
Allow maintenance execution: Admins only
Allow status queries: Everyone
User Preferences
Personal Settings
Let users customize:
/devonair preferences
DM me for:
- [ ] My PRs reviewed
- [x] Issues assigned to me
- [ ] Daily summary
- [x] Critical alerts
Quiet Hours
Respect focus time:
/devonair quiet 9am-12pm
- No notifications during morning focus time
Team Commands
Team Status
Team-wide views:
/devonair team status
Shows:
- Open issues by team member
- PRs awaiting review
- Maintenance backlog
Team Reports
Team metrics:
/devonair team report
Shows:
- Issues closed this week
- Average resolution time
- Top contributors
Keyboard Shortcuts
Quick Actions
For power users:
Ctrl+Shift+D - Open Devonair quick menu
Keyboard access without typing commands.
Error Recovery
Failed Actions
Handle failures:
Bot: ❌ Failed to create PR
Error: Branch is out of date
[Try Again] [Sync Branch] [Help]
Retry Logic
Enable retries:
Bot: ⚠️ Operation timed out
[Retry] [Cancel] [Report Issue]
Getting Started
Enable slash commands:
@devonair enable Slack slash commands
Configure permissions:
@devonair configure channel permissions for #engineering
Set up notifications:
@devonair enable interactive notifications
Test it out:
/devonair status
Interactive Slack commands put maintenance at your fingertips. When checking status, triggering updates, and approving changes happen in the same place you communicate with your team, maintenance becomes natural and fast.
FAQ
Can anyone run any command?
Configure permissions per command. Status queries might be open to all, while execution commands might require admin role.
What if someone triggers something accidentally?
Destructive commands require confirmation. Sensitive operations need explicit approval. Everything is logged for audit.
How do I add custom commands for my team?
Custom commands can be configured for specific workflows. Define the command, parameters, and actions for your use cases.
Do commands work in DMs?
Commands work in DMs with the bot. This is useful for personal queries and private operations.