Sign In Sign Up

Designing advanced Slack workflow for legal tasks

Lily
Lily Schurra • @lilyschurra
Lily
I'm curious how far I can stretch the limits of a Slack workflow. Here is my ideal state: Add an emoji reaction or respond with a slash command to a specific message (and limit the specific emoji or slash command capability to individual users on the Legal team only). I imagine that the slash command is probably the more effective idea, given that I don't want to have to limit its use to certain channels. The trigger does two things: 1 - It creates a new thread in Amp, asking Amp to review the message, analyze it for the specific ask, assign the task to an individual legal team member (based on pre-identified parameters), and then sends a new message to a legal-specific channel, which outlines the task, the task type, the assignee, the date and time that the request was received, and gives the legal team member the option to start working and then complete work (ideally through pressing a button each time). 2 - The creation of the new message in that legal-specific channel sends a line-item to a Google Sheet to track the specifics of that work - task name, task type, assignee, date and time request was received, date and time work started, and date and time work was completed. Is this feasible? If so, how?

This is an interesting question about creating a complex Slack workflow that integrates with Amp and Google Sheets. Let me break down what the user wants:

  1. A Slack trigger (emoji reaction or slash command, limited to Legal team members)
  2. The trigger creates a new Amp thread asking for message review and task assignment
  3. A message is sent to a legal channel with task details and interactive buttons
  4. Google Sheets tracking of the workflow

This is definitely feasible using Slack's workflow automation, but it's quite complex. I should provide a concise overview of how this could work, focusing on the key components and technologies needed.

The user wants to know if it's feasible and how to do it. I should be concise as per my instructions.

This is absolutely feasible using Slack's Workflow Builder, Slack APIs, and webhooks. Here's the architecture:

Core Components:

  1. Slack App with slash command permissions for Legal team members
  2. Webhook service (Node.js/Python) to orchestrate the flow
  3. Amp API integration to create threads programmatically
  4. Google Sheets API for tracking

Flow:

  • Slash command triggers webhook → webhook creates Amp thread via API → Amp analyzes message and returns assignment → webhook posts to legal channel with interactive buttons → button clicks update Google Sheets

Key Technologies:

  • Slack Bolt SDK for the app
  • Slack Block Kit for interactive messages
  • Amp's thread creation API (if available)
  • Google Sheets API v4
  • Cloud function (AWS Lambda/Vercel) for the webhook

The trickiest part is getting Amp's response back into Slack - you'd need either Amp's API or a polling mechanism to check thread status.

Would you like me to help you start building any specific component of this workflow?

Lily
Walk me through how long it will take to build this and what will be needed to make it work. Consider the fact that I am not a developer in your response. Default to the simplest way possible to make this happen.

The user is asking for a timeline and requirements for building this Slack workflow, and they explicitly mention they're not a developer. I need to give them the simplest approach possible while being realistic about what's needed.

Let me think about the simplest approach:

  1. They want to avoid complex custom development
  2. They need this to work with existing tools as much as possible
  3. They need realistic timelines
  4. They need to understand what skills/resources are required

The simplest approach would likely be:

  • Use Slack's built-in Workflow Builder for the basic flow
  • Use Zapier/Make.com for the integrations instead of custom code
  • Use Google Sheets as the database
  • Find a way to integrate with Amp (this might be the hardest part)

Let me structure this in terms of time, complexity, and what's needed.

Simplest Approach (No-Code/Low-Code):

Timeline: 2-4 weeks

What You Need:

  • Slack admin access to create apps
  • Zapier/Make.com subscription (~$20-50/month)
  • Google Workspace account
  • 1 developer for 1-2 days (for Amp integration only)

Build Steps:

  1. Week 1: Set up Slack slash command using Slack's Workflow Builder (you can do this yourself with tutorials)

  2. Week 2: Connect to Zapier to handle the automation:

    • Slash command → Create Google Sheet row
    • Send message to legal channel
    • Add interactive buttons

  3. Week 3-4: The tricky part - Amp integration. You'll need a developer to:

    • Create a simple webhook that receives Slack data
    • Sends it to Amp (may require Amp API access)
    • Returns results back to Slack

Biggest Challenge: Amp doesn't have a public API yet, so you'd need to either:

  • Ask Amp team for API access
  • Use browser automation (more complex)
  • Manual copy-paste as interim solution

Alternative: Start with everything except Amp integration, then manually create Amp threads until API becomes available.

Would you prefer to start with the manual version first?

Lily
What's an even simpler way to do this, without the need for a developer to support me outside of my own use of Amp?

The user wants to avoid needing any developer help outside of using Amp itself. So I need to think of the simplest possible solution that eliminates the need for any custom coding or API integration.

Let me think about what's possible with just existing tools:

  1. Slack Workflow Builder - can trigger on slash commands and send messages
  2. Google Sheets - can be updated via Zapier/Make
  3. Amp - they're already using it, but no API

The key insight is to remove the automated Amp integration entirely and make it a manual step, but still automate everything else.

Simple flow:

  1. Slash command triggers Slack workflow
  2. Workflow sends message to legal channel with all the details
  3. Workflow updates Google Sheet automatically
  4. Legal team member manually copies the message content to create Amp thread
  5. Buttons in Slack still work for status updates

This eliminates the need for any custom development while still providing most of the value.

Ultra-Simple Approach (Zero Developer Needed):

Timeline: 1 week

What You Need:

  • Slack Workflow Builder (built into Slack)
  • Zapier free/basic plan
  • Google Sheets

The Flow:

  1. /legal-request slash command in any channel

  2. Slack Workflow Builder automatically:

    • Copies the message content
    • Posts to #legal-channel with task details
    • Adds buttons ("Start Work", "Complete")
    • Logs to Google Sheet

  3. Manual Amp step: Legal team member copies the message content and pastes into new Amp thread (30 seconds)

  4. Button clicks update Google Sheet status automatically

Setup Steps:

  1. Day 1-2: Create Slack Workflow Builder workflow (drag-and-drop, no coding)
  2. Day 3-4: Connect Zapier to update Google Sheets when buttons are clicked
  3. Day 5: Test and refine

Result: 90% automated, with just one quick manual step to create the Amp thread. Legal team gets full tracking, assignment, and status updates without any custom development.

This gives you immediate value while waiting for Amp to potentially add API access later.

Lily
Is there another way to do this, without developer support, with more manual effort? Like, it triggers a message in the legal channel, then the assignee picks the work up, notes when they start and when they complete work, and what type the work is, along with any other relevant detail (impact, positive feedback, etc.) and then that is automatically tracked in Google Sheets?

The user wants an even simpler version with more manual effort but no developer support. They want:

  1. Slash command triggers message in legal channel
  2. Legal team member manually picks up work
  3. They manually input details (start time, completion time, work type, impact, feedback)
  4. That gets automatically tracked in Google Sheets

This is much simpler - just a form-based workflow that feeds into Google Sheets.

Super Simple Manual Approach:

Timeline: 2-3 days

What You Need:

  • Slack Workflow Builder
  • Google Forms (free)
  • Google Sheets (free)

The Flow:

  1. /legal-request command posts message to #legal-channel with:

    • Original request details
    • Button: "I'll take this task"

  2. Legal team member clicks button, which opens a Google Form with fields:

    • Task type (dropdown)
    • Start time (auto-populated)
    • Assignee (auto-populated from Slack)
    • Impact level
    • Notes

  3. When they complete work, they fill out completion form:

    • End time
    • Outcome
    • Client feedback
    • Additional notes

  4. Google Forms automatically populate Google Sheets for tracking

Setup:

  • Day 1: Create Slack workflow with button that opens Google Form link
  • Day 2: Design Google Forms for task pickup and completion
  • Day 3: Test and refine

Result: Zero coding, full tracking, team can add rich details about each task. Takes 30 seconds per task to log details manually.

This gives you comprehensive data while being completely manageable for non-technical setup.

Lily
Can this approach be used with all three team members?

The user is asking if the manual approach I just described can be used with all three team members. I should clarify that yes, this approach scales easily to multiple team members since it's using standard tools like Slack, Google Forms, and Google Sheets which are designed to handle multiple users.

I should be concise and confirm this works for multiple people, maybe mention any considerations for multiple users.

Yes, absolutely. This approach works perfectly for all three legal team members.

Multi-User Benefits:

  • Slack workflow works for anyone with access to the slash command
  • Google Forms automatically capture who's filling them out (via Slack integration or email)
  • Google Sheets tracks all team members' tasks in one place
  • Each person can claim tasks independently via the button

Setup Considerations:

  • Limit slash command to your 3 legal team members only
  • Google Form can auto-populate assignee name from Slack user
  • Sheets will show all tasks across the team for full visibility
  • You can add filters/views in Sheets to see individual workloads

Team Dashboard Result: One Google Sheet showing all legal requests, who's working on what, completion times, and outcomes across all three team members.

The manual effort stays the same per person (30 seconds to log), but you get team-wide visibility and workload distribution.

Lily
What information do you need from me in order to start planning out this build?

The user wants to know what information I need to start planning the build of this legal workflow system. I need to think about what specific details would be required to create the Slack workflow, Google Forms, and tracking system.

Key information I'd need:

  1. Slack workspace details
  2. Team member information
  3. Task categorization details
  4. Tracking requirements
  5. Current process details
  6. Access/permissions information

I should be concise and ask for the essential details needed to create a concrete plan.

Essential Info Needed:

Team Setup:

  • Names/Slack usernames of the 3 legal team members
  • Slack workspace name
  • Name of the legal-specific channel (or should I suggest one?)

Task Categories:

  • What types of legal work do you handle? (contracts, compliance, employment, etc.)
  • How do you currently assign work? (expertise-based, rotating, volunteer basis?)

Tracking Requirements:

  • What specific data points matter most? (response time, complexity, client satisfaction?)
  • Do you need reporting by time period, task type, or team member?

Current Process:

  • How do legal requests come in now? (DMs, random channels, email?)
  • What's your current turnaround time expectations?

Access:

  • Do you have Slack admin permissions to create apps/workflows?
  • Do you use Google Workspace or personal Google accounts?

With these details, I can create the specific Slack workflow steps, design the Google Forms fields, and map out the tracking spreadsheet structure.

Lily
Team Setup: - Suggest a legal-specific channel. We already have #discuss-legal and #team-legal, and my preference is to make this one specific to task tracking or legal matter management. Task Categories: - We work on all types of legal work: customer contracts, privacy, marketing, product, employment, corporate, vendor contracts, etc. - We assign work by type, with each member being the default for certain types of work, but also by capacity. It's probably best for team members to pick things up and assign to themselves instead of a default. Tracking Requirements: - Matter type and response time matter most. Response time should be based on time to full completion. One complication is how to manage matters that open and reopen again, based on new issues (though it may be best to just track those as different matters and do a manual combination in the google sheet). Current process: - Requests come in through random channels primarily, as well as DMs

The user has provided good details. Let me plan this out:

Team Setup:

  • They need a new channel name for task tracking/legal matter management
  • They have #discuss-legal and #team-legal already

Task Categories:

  • All types: customer contracts, privacy, marketing, product, employment, corporate, vendor contracts,
Lily
I have the ability to create Slack workflows. I use a Google workspace account through my company.