Nudge Pull Request Reviewers (Port Workflows)

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Prerequisite: Install Port MCP

In the following guide, we are going to create a Port workflow that sends a Slack message to nudge PR reviewers with a kind reminder.

Common use cases

• Faster merges: Remind reviewers of open PRs to reduce delays.
• Better code: Encourage timely reviews for quicker feedback.
• Smoother workflow: Prevent bottlenecks that hinder development progress.

Prerequisites

1. Install GitHub Ocean.

2. Set up a Slack app:

   • Go to your Slack apps page.
   • Create a new app or use an existing one.
   • Add the chat:write Bot Token Scope under OAuth & Permissions.
   • Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token (xoxb-...).
   • Invite the bot to the target Slack channel.

Add the Slack bot token secret

1. Go to Port's Settings page.
2. Navigate to Credentials and click + Secret.
3. Add a secret named SLACK_BOT_TOKEN with the Bot User OAuth Token you copied above.

Build the workflow

The workflow has three nodes:

1. Trigger - a self-service trigger that lets users select a pull request entity. When launched from the entity bolt menu, Port pre-fills the selected PR automatically.
2. Fetch PR - calls Port's catalog API to retrieve the PR entity's properties (title, link, reviewers).
3. Send Slack notification - posts a reminder message to your Slack channel using the fetched PR data.

To create the workflow:

1. Go to the workflows page in Port.
2. Click + Workflow.
3. Fill out the Create new workflow form, then click Confirm.
4. Click the {...} button to open the JSON editor and paste the workflow JSON below:

Nudge PR reviewers workflow JSON (click to expand)

{
  "identifier": "nudge_pr_reviewers",
  "title": "Nudge PR Reviewers",
  "icon": "Slack",
  "description": "Remind PR reviewers about pending pull request reviews",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "identifier": "trigger",
      "title": "Nudge PR Reviewers",
      "config": {
        "type": "SELF_SERVE_TRIGGER",
        "userInputs": {
          "properties": {
            "pullRequest": {
              "title": "Pull Request",
              "description": "Select the pull request to nudge reviewers for",
              "type": "string",
              "format": "entity",
              "blueprint": "githubPullRequest"
            }
          },
          "required": ["pullRequest"]
        },
        "contexts": [
          {
            "on": "ENTITY",
            "userInput": "pullRequest"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "identifier": "fetch_pr",
      "title": "Fetch Pull Request",
      "config": {
        "type": "WEBHOOK",
        "url": "https://api.port.io/v1/blueprints/githubPullRequest/entities/{{ .outputs.trigger.pullRequest }}",
        "method": "GET",
        "synchronized": true
      },
      "variables": {
        "entity": "{{ .result.response.data.entity }}"
      }
    },
    {
      "identifier": "send_slack_notification",
      "title": "Send Slack Notification",
      "config": {
        "type": "WEBHOOK",
        "url": "https://slack.com/api/chat.postMessage",
        "method": "POST",
        "synchronized": true,
        "headers": {
          "Content-Type": "application/json; charset=utf-8",
          "Authorization": "Bearer {{ .secrets.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}"
        },
        "body": {
          "channel": "YOUR_SLACK_CHANNEL",
          "text": "\n*Reminder: Pending Pull Request Review*\nThis PR needs your attention!\n\n*PR:* <{{ .outputs.fetch_pr.entity.properties.link }}|{{ .outputs.fetch_pr.entity.title }}>\n*Reviewers:* {{ .outputs.fetch_pr.entity.properties.reviewers }}\nReview PR: {{ .outputs.fetch_pr.entity.properties.link }}"
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": [
    {
      "sourceIdentifier": "trigger",
      "targetIdentifier": "fetch_pr"
    },
    {
      "sourceIdentifier": "fetch_pr",
      "targetIdentifier": "send_slack_notification"
    }
  ]
}

5. Click Apply changes.

Configure the workflow

In the send_slack_notification node, replace YOUR_SLACK_CHANNEL with the channel ID or name where you want to send the reminder (e.g. #pr-reviews).

Let's test it!

You can trigger the workflow in two ways:

• From the Self-service page: Go to the Self-service page, find Nudge PR Reviewers, click it, and select a pull request from the dropdown.
• From an entity: In the githubPullRequest catalog page, click the bolt (⚡) menu on any PR row and select Nudge PR Reviewers -- the PR is pre-filled automatically.

After execution, the assigned reviewers receive a Slack message similar to:

*Reminder: Pending Pull Request Review*
This PR needs your attention!

*PR:* <link to PR>
*Reviewers:* reviewer1, reviewer2
Review PR: https://github.com/...

Done! You can now send a reminder to PR reviewers using Port Workflows.