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15 min read

Project management with Coda and Slack

Streamline your workflow and collaborate like a pro with these amazing tools.

Requesting a status update...again.

 If you manage projects or work on a product team, you’ve probably sent (or received) countless messages requesting status updates. An out-of-sync team is frustrating to every member, but few feel the pain like the PMs.

Enter Coda (and Slack).

 This guide is your (not-so) secret weapon to making project management a breeze. It’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up an automated project status reminder system using Coda and Slack. Instead of manually sending out hundreds of “please update your project status” reminder messages, you can have Coda do it for you. The best part? It all happens right from the doc where you’re tracking the project. You’ll learn how to conquer mundane tasks, collaborate like a pro without pressing a button, and ensure that your communication and tracking processes are never out-of-date. Whether you're a seasoned project manager or just starting out, this guide will provide you with the knowledge and tools to streamline your project management workflow.

What's in here:

What you'll get
  • How to integrate Coda and Slack for maximum productivity.
  • Stay on top of tasks and deadlines with ease.
  • Communicate and coordinate with your team in real-time.
buttons
What you'll use
  • Tables
  • Formulas
  • Automations
  • Slack Pack
  • Project management templates
You'll have the power to automate repetitive tasks, centralize project information, and communicate with your team in real-time. Say goodbye to scattered spreadsheets, endless email threads, and missed deadlines. Let's dive in and start maximizing your project management potential with Coda and Slack!

Project tracking in Coda.

 To set up this automation, you’ll need a few things:
  • A table with projects
  • A column to track status updates
  • The Slack Pack
  • A button column to send a notification to a specific person (or channel)
  • An automation to press that but at regular intervals for updates
If you have a project tracking doc you are working from, feel free to build this in there. If not, type “/Launch checklist” in a blank doc. Tip: If you like living on the edge, you can use “/Launch checklist with AI”.

1. Customize your table.

 If you’re using the template above, you’ll need to customize the data to your team. Scroll down to the table, then do the following:
  • Change the pre-populated people in the Owners column to yourself (for testing purposes, always Slack yourself first!).
  • Change the dates in the Due date column to be within two weeks of today.
  • Add a Select list column and title it Status.
  • Add a status for each task.
Tip: Coda has a preset for Status columns under select list if you want to use that.

2. Install the Slack Pack in your Coda doc.

 Before you can send out Slack reminders to yourself and your team, you have to install the Slack Pack. If you’ve used packs before, it’s pretty straightforward. If you’re unsure, you can take a deeper dive in our Slack help center article here.
  • Click Insert in the upper right of Coda, then choose Packs.
  • Type "Slack" in the search bar.
  • Choose Slack and click Add to doc.
  • In the window that pops up, select a Slack account to connect the doc to and the permission for the account.

3. Send it!

Add your button.

  • Add a button column to your table.
  • Click on the On Click dropdown.
  • Then Select Packs, Slack, Send message.

Customize the button settings.

 In the button column options...
  • Scroll to the Content text field and press “=”.
  • Add the following formula:
  • Scroll to the Channel Or Email text field and press “=”.
  • Add the following formula:
That’s it! Press one of your buttons to see if it works. Good thing you set yourself as the owner...you did set yourself as the owner, right?

Safeguard your button.

 Before we move on to the automation, let’s set some conditions for when you want the button NOT to be pressed. We’ll do this in the Disable If text field of the Advanced (look at us getting all advanced!) section of the Column options menu. First, you don’t need Tasks marked as Done to be updated. So...
  • Click Add condition under Disable If.
  • Then select the Status column.
  • Check the checkbox next to Done.

Tip: You can disable a button based on a whole bunch of things: who owns the task or due date of the task for example.

4. Set up the automation.

 Now that you have your button set up, all you have to do is return to the doc and press the button every day...for every task...JUST KIDDING. In Coda, you can automate your mundane tasks. To set up an automation:
  • Click settings gear in the top right of your screen.
  • Select Automations.
  • Click Add rule.
  • For Step 1, choose a Time-based trigger (I recommend Monday morning).
  • For Step 2, choose Push buttons and then select the button from your table.

Now you can test your automation by pressing Test rule in the bottom right of the window. This will send reminders for EVERY task. Good thing you are the owner for all your tasks...right? Go check your Slack, and bask in all the time you just got back every week.

Now what?

 Congratulations! You've unlocked the full potential of Coda and Slack and are now equipped with the ultimate project management toolkit. How do you plan on implementing this strategy? Are there other criteria you might set for the status update?
If you want to see all the bells and whistles of automations, check out our guide here.

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