Alert the on-call team when a support ticket arrives
Each new ticket posts to #support with its subject and priority, and @here fires only when the priority justifies interrupting a shift.
New submission on your "Contact support" form
Post a message to #support tagging @here with the issue summary and priority field
One-directional. A submission triggers the action — nothing is written back into your form.
A shared support inbox is only checked as often as someone remembers to check it. Sending each ticket into #support turns the queue into something the on-call person sees without doing anything, with the subject and priority in the first line so triage happens before the ticket is even opened.
Internal IT desks and small support rotas get the most out of this. The @here mention is the part worth thinking about: use it for the priorities that genuinely justify interrupting a shift, and let everything else sit quietly in the channel until someone picks it up.
Setting it up
- 1
Publish the support form with Priority as a fixed set of options rather than a free text box, so every message prints a word your rota already recognises.
- 2
In Zapier, point the New Submission trigger at that form and submit one realistic test ticket, so the sample carries a value in every field you plan to map.
- 3
Add Slack's Send Channel Message action and select #support. Invite the Zapier app to the channel first if it is private, or it will not show up in the list.
- 4
Lead the message with Ticket Subject, then Priority in brackets after it. That pair is what the on-call person reads before deciding whether to open anything.
- 5
Put Full Name, Department and Affected Device or System on the next line, so a responder knows who to find and where to look.
- 6
Map Issue Description into the body, and write <!here> at the top of the message text — that form notifies people currently online, while @channel would reach everyone in the workspace.
- 7
Add a Zapier filter before the Slack step if you only want the mention on high priorities, and run a second Zap without the mention for the rest of the queue.
- 8
Test with one ticket, confirm someone else in the channel actually saw the notification, then turn the Zap on.
What maps where
Using the IT Help Desk Ticket as the starting point. These are its real fields — swap in your own and the mapping works the same way.
| Form field | Slack |
|---|---|
| Ticket Subject | First line of the Slack message |
| Priority | First line, in brackets after the subject |
| Full Name | Second line, naming who reported it |
| Department | Second line, beside the reporter's name |
| Issue Description | Body of the message |
| Affected Device or System | Line under the description, for whoever responds |
Variations worth knowing
Split the work across two Zaps on the same form. One filters for high and critical and posts with the mention; the other takes everything below that and posts the same message silently, so the channel stays complete without crying wolf.
Swap Send Channel Message for Send Direct Message and point it at the person on the rota this week. It suits out-of-hours cover, though it is worth keeping the channel version running as well so the ticket stays visible to the rest of the team.
If something isn't arriving
Slack expects the raw <!here> form in a message sent through the API; typing the words alone rarely produces a notification. Put <!here> in the template, send a test ticket, and confirm with a colleague that the badge appeared for them.
The question is usually optional, or the sample in Zapier predates it being added. Make Priority required in the form, reload the sample in the trigger step so the option list comes through, then remap that line before switching the Zap back on.
Frequently asked questions
Can a reply in Slack update the ticket in the form?
No. The connection is one direction: the submission triggers the message, and nothing written in Slack goes back into formformform. Threads under the message hold your working notes, while the submission itself stays exactly as the reporter left it.
Should urgent tickets go to a separate channel?
Two channels usually beat one noisy one. Filter on Priority in Zapier so urgent tickets post where the rota actually watches, and let everything else land in a general queue people check between tasks rather than the moment it arrives.
Can I measure how long a ticket waited before someone picked it up?
Only roughly. The Slack timestamp shows when it arrived and the first reaction shows when it was taken, but there is no reporting engine behind that. Export your responses if you need real numbers to put in front of anyone.
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Build the form first
The automation needs somewhere to fire from. Publish a form, connect it once, and every submission from then on runs this flow.
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