# Slack Message

<!-- meta: type=slack-message; location=Messaging › Social; category=Step (action); platforms=Joomla and WordPress (where applicable) -->

## Overview

Slack Message is a **Step (action)** in **Messaging › Social**. Posts a message to Slack (mrkdwn, not HTML).

When the flow reaches this step, JOrchestrator executes **Slack Message** against your linked site or an external integration, using the field values you set on **General** and **Design**. Downstream steps can read the output payload fields defined for this node.

## Why use this node

Slack Message is a **action step** in the **Messaging › Social** group. Action steps run in the middle or end of a flow. They perform work on your CMS, call external services, or transform data for the next step.

Typical reasons teams add **Slack Message** to a flow:

- Automate "Slack Message" as part of a larger Joomla or WordPress workflow
- Replace manual social work with a repeatable, logged flow step
- Chain with triggers, logic, and messaging nodes on the same canvas

## Example workflows

Common patterns on the canvas:

1. **Trigger or Webhook** → upstream steps → **Slack Message** → **Send Email** or CMS update
2. **Scheduled trigger** → **Slack Message** → **Debug** (while testing) → production action

## How to set it up

Bot token and default channel from Node Configuration → Slack. Optional image via public https URL or data:image/base64 from upstream.

## Good to know

Invite the bot to the channel before posting to private channels.

## Properties panel

The designer shows these tabs for this node:

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Info** | Plain-language description and output payload fields for downstream steps |
| **General** | Canvas label and read-only node ID |
| **AI** | Optional assistant to help draft settings from plain language |
| **Design** | Node-specific configuration fields |

### System (automatic — not edited by the user)

These fields are managed by the designer or runtime — you do not type into them directly:

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `_nodeId` | Node ID | `node-id` | No | — | — |
| `_payloadFields` | Available Fields | `payload-panel` | No | — | — |

### User-configured — General tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `label` | Label | `text` | No | — | Node label |

### User-configured — Design tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `channel` | Channel (optional) | `payload-text` | No | — | #general or C0123456789 — uses Joomla Node Configuration → Slack default if empty |
| `text` | Message | `textarea` | **Yes** | — | Slack mrkdwn (*bold*, _italic_, <url\|label>) — not HTML |
| `useMrkdwn` | Format as mrkdwn | `select` (`true` \| `false`; default: `true`) | No | — | When enabled, Message uses Slack mrkdwn. Disable for plain text only. |
| `imageUrl` | Image (optional) | `textarea` | No | — | https://… or data:image/png;base64,… or {{node.field}} Public https URL (Block Kit), or inline data:image/*;base64,… / raw base64 (uploaded via Slack files API). Max ~10 MB. |
| `imageAlt` | Image alt text (optional) | `payload-text` | No | — | Short description for accessibility |
| `threadTs` | Thread TS (optional) | `payload-text` | No | — | Reply in thread (parent message timestamp) |

### CMS site configuration (not on this node's properties panel)

Credentials, API keys, mailers, SMTP, and integration defaults are configured in the CMS plugin under **Node Configuration**, not per step on this node. Link the flow to a domain before testing CMS-backed fields.

## Output payload fields

After this step runs, later nodes can reference these fields using placeholders such as
`{{slack_message.success}}`.

| Field key | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| `success` | boolean | Whether the operation completed successfully. |
| `channel` | string | Slack channel ID or name. |
| `ts` | string | Slack message timestamp identifier. |
| `fileId` | string | Slack uploaded file ID. |
| `imageDelivery` | string | How the image was delivered in Slack. |
| `usedBlocks` | boolean | Whether Block Kit blocks were used. |
| `imageUrl` | string | Image URL used in the Slack message. |
| `message` | string | Human-readable status, error, or result summary. |

## Validation rules

- **Message** (`text`) must be filled before the flow can be saved.

## Related nodes

Other steps in the same area of the palette:

- **Discord Message** (`discord-message`) — Messaging › Social
- **WhatsApp Business** (`whatsapp-business-message`) — Messaging › Social