Before
A user would typically open the spreadsheet, search through its rows for the requested key/value pair, and copy the relevant information into Slack. Incomplete requests would also require a manual clarification or follow-up.
How it works
- Receive and validate the Slack search command, checking that the request contains the required key/value information.
- Retrieve the configured spreadsheet values and identify rows matching the requested information.
- Return the matching rows in Slack, or notify the requester when required arguments are missing.
Workflow details
- Command intake: The workflow starts when a user submits the spreadsheet search command in Slack, using a key/value pair to define what information to find.
- Request validation: It checks whether the request is a valid sheet search and whether the required key/value arguments are present. Requests without the necessary arguments are routed to a Slack message explaining that information is missing.
- Spreadsheet retrieval: For valid requests, the workflow retrieves the available values from the configured Google Sheet so the requested information can be evaluated.
- Result delivery: The workflow returns the rows containing the requested key/value pair to the user through Slack, avoiding a separate manual spreadsheet lookup and response step.
What changed
Spreadsheet lookups and result delivery now begin from a single Slack command, with argument validation and missing-input handling performed automatically before the response is posted.
Work removed
Opening the spreadsheet, searching rows for the requested key/value pair, copying matching results, and manually posting the response in Slack.
Expected outcome
Each valid request removes at least the manual spreadsheet lookup and copy-and-paste response steps, while incomplete requests receive an immediate clarification message.
