Notify users upon approval of self-service actions

This guide shows how to build an automation in Port that sends Slack notifications to users when their self-service actions are approved or declined. This workflow ensures transparency and closes the feedback loop after a team member submits a request.

Use cases

• Automatically inform users when their actions are approved or rejected.
• Reduce manual follow-ups and delays by streamlining communication.

Prerequisites

• Complete the onboarding process.
• You have access to Slack developers page and have created a Slack webhook URL. Follow the steps in the Slack Incoming Webhooks Guide to create a webhook URL.

Set up action

In this guide, we will use the Service blueprint that is created by default during the onboarding process.

Here is an example action that locks service deployment environments — useful during maintenance or peak traffic periods. To introduce approvals, we will modify the action to require approval before execution.

This action can be reused from our Lock and Unlock Service guide.

Updated lock service action (Click to expand)

{
  "identifier": "lock_service",
  "title": "Lock Service",
  "icon": "Lock",
  "description": "Lock service in Port",
  "trigger": {
    "type": "self-service",
    "operation": "DAY-2",
    "userInputs": {
      "properties": {
        "reason": {
          "type": "string",
          "title": "Reason"
        },
        "environment": {
          "type": "string",
          "title": "Environment",
          "enum": [
            "Production",
            "Staging",
            "Development"
          ],
          "enumColors": {
            "Production": "green",
            "Staging": "orange",
            "Development": "blue"
          }
        }
      },
      "required": [],
      "order": [
        "reason"
      ]
    },
    "blueprintIdentifier": "service"
  },
  "invocationMethod": {
    "type": "UPSERT_ENTITY",
    "blueprintIdentifier": "service",
    "mapping": {
      "identifier": "{{ .entity.identifier }}",
      "title": "{{ .entity.title }}",
      "properties": {
        "{{ if .inputs.environment == 'Production' then 'locked_in_prod' else 'locked_in_test' end }}": true,
        "{{ if .inputs.environment == 'Production' then 'locked_reason_prod' else 'locked_reason_test' end }}": "{{ .inputs.reason }}",
        "trigger_type": "Locked",
        "triggered_environment": "{{ .inputs.environment }}"
      }
    }
  },
  "requiredApproval": true
}

Set up automation

Now let us create an automation that sends a Slack message when the status of the self-service action changes from WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL to either IN_PROGRESS (approved) or DECLINED (declined).

Follow the steps below to configure the automation:

1. Head to the automation page.

2. Click on the + Automation button.

3. Copy and paste the following JSON configuration into the editor:

   Self service approval notification automation (Click to expand)

   Configure your Slack environment

   Replace <SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL> with your actual Slack webhook URL.

   {
     "identifier": "approval_notification",
     "title": "Notify on Action Approval/Decline",
     "description": "Sends Slack notifications when a self-service action is approved or declined",
     "trigger": {
         "type": "automation",
         "event": {
         "type": "RUN_UPDATED",
         "actionIdentifier": "test_approval"
         },
         "condition": {
         "type": "JQ",
         "expressions": [
             ".diff.before.status == \"WAITING_FOR_APPROVAL\"",
             ".diff.after.status | IN(\"DECLINED\", \"IN_PROGRESS\")"
         ],
         "combinator": "and"
         }
     },
     "invocationMethod": {
         "type": "WEBHOOK",
         "url": "<SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL>",
         "agent": false,
         "synchronized": true,
         "method": "POST",
         "headers": {},
         "body": {
         "text": "{{ if .event.diff.after.status == \"DECLINED\" then \":x: *Your self-service request was declined.*\\n\\n*Action:* \" + .event.context.action.title + \"\\n*Status:* `\" + .event.diff.after.status + \"`\\n*Comment:* _\" + .event.diff.after.approval.description + \"_\\n\\n<https://app.getport.io/organization/run?runId=\" + .event.diff.after.id + \"|View in Port>\" else \":white_check_mark: *Your self-service request was approved!*\\n\\n*Action:* \" + .event.context.action.title + \"\\n*Status:* `\" + .event.diff.after.status + \"`\\n\\n<https://app.getport.io/organization/run?runId=\" + .event.diff.after.id + \"|View in Port>\" end }}"
         }
     },
     "publish": true
   }

4. Click Save.

When a user submits a self-service action and it is reviewed, the automation sends them a Slack message indicating whether it was approved or declined: