Laravel Slack Notifier

A comprehensive Laravel package for sending beautiful Slack notifications using both Incoming Webhooks and the Slack Web API. Send simple text messages or rich block messages with an elegant, fluent interface.

Features

✅ Dual Sending Methods: Support for both Incoming Webhooks and Web API (chat.postMessage)
✅ Simple Text Messages: Send quick text notifications
✅ Block Messages: Create rich, interactive messages with blocks
✅ Fluent Interface: Chain methods for clean, readable code
✅ Easy Configuration: Simple .env based configuration
✅ Test Command: Built-in artisan command to test your setup
✅ Laravel Auto-Discovery: Zero configuration setup
✅ Highly Customizable: Control username, icon, channel, and more

Requirements

• PHP 8.1 or higher
• Laravel 9.x, 10.x, 11.x, or 12.x
• Guzzle HTTP Client 7.x

Installation

Install the package via Composer:

composer require hkwise/laravel-slack-notifier

Publish Configuration (Optional)

The package works out of the box with environment variables, but you can publish the config file if needed:

php artisan vendor:publish --tag=slack-notifier-config

This will create a config/slack-notifier.php file.

Configuration

Environment Variables

Add the following variables to your .env file:

# Default method: webhook or api SLACK_DEFAULT_METHOD=webhook # Webhook Configuration SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/WEBHOOK/URL # Web API Configuration SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token-here SLACK_DEFAULT_CHANNEL=#general # Optional Settings SLACK_TIMEOUT=10 SLACK_NOTIFICATIONS_ENABLED=true SLACK_BOT_USERNAME="Laravel Bot" SLACK_BOT_ICON=:robot_face:

Getting Slack Credentials

Option 1: Incoming Webhooks (Recommended for Simple Use)

1. Go to Slack Apps
2. Create a new app or select an existing one
3. Navigate to "Incoming Webhooks"
4. Activate Incoming Webhooks
5. Click "Add New Webhook to Workspace"
6. Select the channel where you want to post messages
7. Copy the webhook URL and add it to your .env as SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL

Pros: Simple setup, no token management
Cons: Can only post to the pre-configured channel

Option 2: Web API (Recommended for Multiple Channels)

1. Go to Slack Apps
2. Create a new app or select an existing one
3. Navigate to "OAuth & Permissions"
4. Under "Scopes" → "Bot Token Scopes", add these permissions:
   • chat:write (Send messages)
   • chat:write.public (Send messages to public channels without joining)
   • groups:read (May be required for private channels)
   • groups:write (May be required for private channels)
5. Click "Install to Workspace" at the top
6. Copy the "Bot User OAuth Token" (starts with xoxb-)
7. Add it to your .env as SLACK_BOT_TOKEN

Pros: Can send to any channel dynamically
Cons: Requires more setup, need to manage tokens

Channel Formatting

You can specify channels in multiple ways:

• With hash: #general, #my-channel
• Without hash: general, my-channel
• Channel ID: C1234567890 (starts with 'C')
• Direct messages: @username or user ID U1234567890

For Private Channels:

• Your bot must be invited to the private channel before it can send messages
• In the private channel, type: /invite @YourBotName
• Or click channel name → Integrations → Add apps → Select your bot

Usage

Basic Text Message (Webhook)

use HKWise\LaravelSlackNotifier\Facades\SlackNotifier;

// Simple webhook message
SlackNotifier::text('Hello from Laravel!')
    ->send();

Basic Text Message (Web API)

// Send to a specific channel using Web API
SlackNotifier::via('api')
    ->to('#general')
    ->text('Hello from Laravel!')
    ->send();

// Send to a user
SlackNotifier::via('api')
    ->to('@username')
    ->text('Hey! Check this out.')
    ->send();

Ephemeral Messages (Visible Only to One User)

// Send an ephemeral message (only visible to specific user)
SlackNotifier::via('api')
    ->to('#general')
    ->toUser('U1234567890')  // Slack user ID
    ->text('This message is only visible to you!')
    ->asEphemeral()
    ->send();

// Quick ephemeral message
SlackNotifier::quickEphemeralMessage(
    'You have a pending approval request',
    'U1234567890',
    '#approvals'
);

// Ephemeral block message
SlackNotifier::via('api')
    ->to('#team')
    ->toUser('U1234567890')
    ->addHeader('Private Notification')
    ->addSection('This is visible only to you')
    ->asEphemeral()
    ->send();

Quick Methods

// Quick simple message
SlackNotifier::quickMessage('Server is up and running!', '#monitoring');

// Quick block message with header
SlackNotifier::quickBlockMessage(
    'Deployment Complete',
    'Your application has been successfully deployed to production.',
    '#deployments'
);

Rich Block Messages

use HKWise\LaravelSlackNotifier\Facades\SlackNotifier;

SlackNotifier::via('api')
    ->to('#general')
    ->addHeader('📊 Daily Report')
    ->addDivider()
    ->addSection('*Sales Overview*')
    ->addSection('Total Sales: $12,450\nNew Customers: 23\nOrders: 145')
    ->addDivider()
    ->addContext([
        [
            'type' => 'mrkdwn',
            'text' => 'Generated on: ' . now()->format('M d, Y')
        ]
    ])
    ->send();

Custom Block Messages

SlackNotifier::blocks([
    [
        'type' => 'header',
        'text' => [
            'type' => 'plain_text',
            'text' => '🚨 System Alert'
        ]
    ],
    [
        'type' => 'section',
        'text' => [
            'type' => 'mrkdwn',
            'text' => '*High CPU Usage Detected*\nServer: web-01\nUsage: 95%'
        ]
    ],
    [
        'type' => 'section',
        'fields' => [
            [
                'type' => 'mrkdwn',
                'text' => '*Server:*\nweb-01'
            ],
            [
                'type' => 'mrkdwn',
                'text' => '*CPU:*\n95%'
            ]
        ]
    ]
])->send();

Customizing Bot Appearance

SlackNotifier::username('Custom Bot')
    ->iconEmoji(':fire:')
    ->text('Message with custom appearance')
    ->send();

Complete Example: Error Notification

try {
    // Your code here
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    SlackNotifier::via('api')
        ->to('#errors')
        ->username('Error Bot')
        ->iconEmoji(':warning:')
        ->addHeader('⚠️ Application Error')
        ->addDivider()
        ->addSection("*Error:* {$e->getMessage()}")
        ->addSection("*File:* {$e->getFile()}:{$e->getLine()}")
        ->addDivider()
        ->addContext([
            [
                'type' => 'mrkdwn',
                'text' => 'Environment: ' . app()->environment()
            ],
            [
                'type' => 'mrkdwn',
                'text' => 'Time: ' . now()->toDateTimeString()
            ]
        ])
        ->send();
}

Using in Controllers

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use HKWise\LaravelSlackNotifier\Facades\SlackNotifier;

class OrderController extends Controller
{
    public function store(Request $request)
    {
        $order = Order::create($request->all());

        // Notify team about new order
        SlackNotifier::via('api')
            ->to('#orders')
            ->addHeader('🛍️ New Order Received')
            ->addSection("*Order ID:* #{$order->id}")
            ->addSection("*Customer:* {$order->customer_name}")
            ->addSection("*Total:* \${$order->total}")
            ->send();

        return response()->json($order);
    }
}

Using in Jobs

namespace App\Jobs;

use Illuminate\Bus\Queueable;
use Illuminate\Contracts\Queue\ShouldQueue;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Bus\Dispatchable;
use Illuminate\Queue\InteractsWithQueue;
use Illuminate\Queue\SerializesModels;
use HKWise\LaravelSlackNotifier\Facades\SlackNotifier;

class NotifySlack implements ShouldQueue
{
    use Dispatchable, InteractsWithQueue, Queueable, SerializesModels;

    public function handle()
    {
        SlackNotifier::quickMessage('Background job completed!', '#notifications');
    }
}

Testing Your Configuration

The package includes an artisan command to test your Slack configuration:

# Test webhook method (default)
php artisan slack:test

# Test Web API method
php artisan slack:test --method=api --channel=#general

# Test with a specific channel
php artisan slack:test --method=api --channel=@username

Available Methods

Configuration Methods

| Method | Description | Example | |--------|-------------|---------| | via(string $method) | Set sending method ('webhook' or 'api') | ->via('api') | | to(string $channel) | Set channel/user (API only) | ->to('#general') | | toUser(string $userId) | Set user ID for ephemeral messages | ->toUser('U1234567890') | | username(string $name) | Set bot username | ->username('Bot') | | iconEmoji(string $emoji) | Set bot icon | ->iconEmoji(':robot_face:') | | asEphemeral(bool $ephemeral) | Mark message as ephemeral | ->asEphemeral() |

Message Methods

| Method | Description | Example | |--------|-------------|---------| | text(string $text) | Set simple text message | ->text('Hello!') | | blocks(array $blocks) | Set custom blocks | ->blocks([...]) | | addBlock(array $block) | Add a single block | ->addBlock([...]) | | addHeader(string $text) | Add header block | ->addHeader('Title') | | addSection(string $text, string $type) | Add section block | ->addSection('Content') | | addDivider() | Add divider block | ->addDivider() | | addContext(array $elements) | Add context block | ->addContext([...]) | | addAttachment(array $attachment) | Add attachment | ->addAttachment([...]) |

Sending Methods

| Method | Description | Example | |--------|-------------|---------| | send() | Send the message | ->send() | | sendTestMessage(?string $method, ?string $channel) | Send test message | ->sendTestMessage('api', '#test') | | quickMessage(string $text, ?string $channel) | Quick text message | ->quickMessage('Hello', '#general') | | quickBlockMessage(string $header, string $message, ?string $channel) | Quick block message | ->quickBlockMessage('Title', 'Text', '#general') | | quickEphemeralMessage(string $text, string $userId, ?string $channel) | Quick ephemeral message | ->quickEphemeralMessage('Private', 'U123', '#general') |

Block Types Reference

Header Block

->addHeader('My Header')

Section Block

->addSection('*Bold text* and _italic text_')
->addSection('Plain text', 'plain_text')

Divider Block

->addDivider()

Context Block

->addContext([
    ['type' => 'mrkdwn', 'text' => 'Context info'],
    ['type' => 'mrkdwn', 'text' => 'More context']
])

Custom Blocks

->blocks([
    [
        'type' => 'section',
        'text' => [
            'type' => 'mrkdwn',
            'text' => 'Custom section'
        ],
        'accessory' => [
            'type' => 'button',
            'text' => [
                'type' => 'plain_text',
                'text' => 'Click Me'
            ],
            'url' => 'https://example.com'
        ]
    ]
])

For more block types and options, see the Slack Block Kit Builder.

Error Handling

The package throws exceptions when things go wrong. Always wrap your calls in try-catch blocks:

try {
    SlackNotifier::quickMessage('Hello!');
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    Log::error('Slack notification failed: ' . $e->getMessage());
}

Common errors:

• Slack webhook URL is not configured - Add SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL to .env
• Slack API token is not configured - Add SLACK_BOT_TOKEN to .env
• Channel is required for API method - Use ->to('#channel') when using API method
• channel_not_found - Bot needs to be invited to the private channel. Use /invite @BotName in the channel

Disabling Notifications

You can disable notifications globally (useful for local development):

SLACK_NOTIFICATIONS_ENABLED=false

When disabled, all send() calls will return success without actually sending.

Advanced Configuration

The config file (config/slack-notifier.php) contains additional options:

return [
    'default_method' => 'webhook',  // or 'api'
    'webhook_url' => env('SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL'),
    'api' => [
        'token' => env('SLACK_BOT_TOKEN'),
        'default_channel' => env('SLACK_DEFAULT_CHANNEL', '#general'),
    ],
    'timeout' => 10,  // HTTP request timeout in seconds
    'enabled' => true,  // Enable/disable globally
    'defaults' => [
        'username' => 'Laravel Bot',
        'icon_emoji' => ':robot_face:',
    ],
];

Testing

composer test

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Credits

Developed by Hassan Khan

License

The MIT License (MIT). Please see License File for more information.

Support

If you find this package helpful, please consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub!

Useful Links

• Slack API Documentation
• Slack Block Kit Builder
• Incoming Webhooks Guide
• Web API Reference