Slack templates: Track and manage feedback

Note: Templates are being rolled out gradually. We appreciate your patience as we make them available to all customers on our paid subscriptions.

A common challenge when collecting feedback from a bigger group of stakeholders is receiving submissions in a variety of formats and forums. To centralise this process in Slack, use our Feedback intake and triage template – just fill in a few details during setup, and you’ll be on your way!

Tip: Find a template that’s right for you, whatever you need to do. From Slack on desktop, click on   More in your sidebar and select   Templates to browse available templates.

The feedback intake and triage template includes:

•   Feedback instructions canvas to share submission guidelines
•   Feedback tracker list to organise and prioritise submissions
•   Feedback form workflow to collect standardised submissions
•   Status notification workflow that posts automatically when list items are added or updated

Create your feedback channel

When you’re working in Slack, the best place to collect and manage feedback submissions is in a channel. Our Feedback intake and triage template has everything that you’ll need to streamline this process.

Create the channel

1. From your desktop, click on the   plus button in the sidebar.
2. Select Channel, then choose Feedback intake and triage from the list of templates. Click on a tab in the template preview to see the canvas, list or workflows.
3. When you’re ready to start set-up, click on Next, then click on Use template.
4. Fill in a name for your channel following the #feedback- channel prefix. 
5. Choose a channel type (public or private), then click Create.
6. You can invite people to the channel straight away, but we recommend waiting to add others until you’ve customised your template.
   

Edit the template

Once your template is ready, you can view and make changes to the canvas, list and workflows.

Feedback instructions

Feedback tracker

Workflows

1. Click   Feedback instructions in the channel header to open the canvas.
2. An introductory paragraph, section names and instructions for submitting feedback via the workflow have been filled in for you. Review the content and make any updates that you’d like. If you have additional resources to share, add them to the Other resources section.
3. By default, anyone in the channel will be able to edit the canvas. To restrict editing permissions, follow these steps.

💡Visit Use a canvas in Slack for detailed instructions on working with canvases. 

As people share feedback using the workflow, the tracker will be automatically populated with their submissions.

1. Click on   Task tracker in the channel header to open the list. You’ll see three placeholder tasks, which you can edit or delete.
2. To edit a task, click into the Task field and add new text. Then, update the Description field. To delete a task, hover over the task and click on   Open. Click on the   three dots icon, then select Delete item.
3. To add a new task, click on Add item. By default, all members of the channel will be able to update, add and remove items from the list. To restrict editing permissions, follow these steps.

💡 Take a look at Use lists in Slack for a step-by-step guide to working with lists. 

Workflows in Slack automate processes by carrying out a pre-configured series of steps. While the two workflows included in this template don’t require additional configuration, you can edit them if you like. For example, you might need to update the Feedback form workflow to collect information for new fields that you added to the list, or modify the Item status notification workflow to include more information in the messages that it sends to your channel.

1. Open the   Workflows tab in the channel header.
2. Click on the   three dots icon next to the workflow that you’d like to customise further, then select Edit workflow.
3. Click on the   pencil icon next to a step to make changes.
4. Click on Save, then click on Publish changes.

Remove the featured workflow

In this template, the Feedback form workflow is featured in the channel. When a workflow is featured, the message field is replaced by a button to start the workflow. Anyone in the channel can use the workflow, or click on   Send a message to send a regular message. If you don’t want to feature this workflow, follow the steps below:

1. Click the   three dots icon next to the workflow, then select Remove from featured.
2. Click on Remove from featured.

💡Read What is a Slack workflow? for an overview. 

Add teammates

Once you’ve finished editing your template, it’s time to add people to the channel.

1. Click on the cluster of profile pictures in the top right.
2. Click on  Add people.
3. Search for people or user groups, then click on Add.

Get to work

👏 Ta-da! You’re set up to track and manage feedback in Slack. Anyone in your new channel can access the feedback submission workflow from the message field, and you and others helping triage feedback submissions can work directly from the list.