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Slack api

Using macOS shortcuts with stream deck can be a great way to improve productivity. In this article, we are going to talk about how we can change our slack status just in one click.

Get the Slack API token​

To update our slack status, we will need to firstly get the slack API token. You will be able to learn how to get the slack API token from the following reference docs:

  1. English
  2. Japanese

Note: #2, it introduces the way to install an stream deck 3rd party plugin. But I don't recommend it since I do not want to put my token in a 3rd party plugin.

There are two api endpoints we are going to use:

  1. users.setPresence: This endpoint is used to switch between auto and away status.
  2. users.profile.set: This endpoint is used to update the status text and emoji.

Switch between auto and away status​

Here we are going to use curl to send a request to the slack API. You can also use other tools like postman or insomnia.

curl -X POST "https://slack.com/api/users.setPresence" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer your-slack-api-key" \
-d '{"presence": "away"}'

The last parameter presence can be auto or away. For example, if we set it as away, our slack status will be changed to away like below:

Official reference: users.setPresence

Update the status text and emoji​

curl -X POST "https://slack.com/api/users.profile.set" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer your-slack-api-key" \
-d '{"profile": {"status_text": "unavailable", "status_emoji": "📴"}}'

The last parameter status_text and status_emoji can be any string and emoji. For example, if we set it as unavailable and 📴, our slack status will be changed to unavailable and 📴 like below:

Imgur

Official reference: users.profile.set

Conclusion​

Using above apis with stream deck, we can change our slack status just in one click. It is very convenient and can improve our productivity.The slack API can do much more than just changing the status. You can also use it to send messages, create channels, and so on. If you are interested, you can check the official reference here.