Using Console in Microsoft Teams and Slack

A native Microsoft Teams and Slack experience

Console is natively built for both Microsoft Teams and Slack.

The end-user experience is consistent across platforms. Employees interact with Console directly inside Teams or Slack using natural language, without needing to visit a portal or fill out external forms.

Requests, updates, approvals, and resolutions all happen inside the conversation thread, keeping the entire workflow in one place

Direct messages and shared channel support

Users can message the Console bot directly in Teams or Slack to submit a request. The bot can also be added to team channels in Teams or Slack channels, allowing entire groups to interact with it in a shared space.

Console supports two engagement modes inside a shared channel:

• Automatically replying to every message

• Engaging only when explicitly asked

All responses remain threaded so each request stays organized in its own conversation and does not clutter the broader channel.

Single bot, multiple workspaces
End users interact with one Console bot inside Teams or Slack.

Behind the scenes, Console automatically routes requests to the appropriate workspace, such as IT, HR, RevOps, or Legal.

Each workspace maintains its own:

• Routing rules

• Playbooks

• Knowledge base

• Integrations
  
  

Users do not need to know which team owns their request. Console determines the correct workspace automatically based on the content of  the message.

Channel configuration and workspace wiring

Each Console workspace can be connected to one or more specific Microsoft Teams channels or Slack channels.

Once a channel is connected to a workspace, all requests in that channel route to that workspace’s playbooks and routing rules.

The channel connection hardwires the routing. Requests from that channel always land in the correct workspace. After creating a new channel in Teams or Slack, there may be a short delay before it appears in Console’s channel selector.

Bi-directional sync with backend systems

Console supports full bi-directional sync between Microsoft Teams or Slack and the backend ticketing system, whether that is Console Inbox, Jira, ServiceNow, Linear, or any other system.

When an agent replies in the backend, the message syncs back to the user’s Teams or Slack thread in real time. When a user replies in Teams or Slack, that message syncs forward to the agent’s ticket view.

Multiple agents can work the same ticket. All replies continue to sync to the same Teams or Slack thread. The user experience remains fully native to Teams or Slack. The employee does not need to think about which system the agent is using.

Escalation to a human inside Teams or Slack

If a request cannot be resolved automatically, Console supports an escalation flow inside Teams or Slack.

When a user asks to speak with a human:

• Console detects the intent and creates a ticket

• The user sees an opt-in button such as “Talk to IT”

• Selecting the button creates a bi-directional sync between the ticketing system and the Teams or Slack thread
  
  

Escalations route to the correct workspace first, then follow that workspace’s routing rules. This escalation flow works whether the backend system is Console Inbox, Jira, ServiceNow, Linear, or any other ticketing system.

Alert and notification channels

A dedicated Teams or Slack channel can be configured as an alert destination for IT or operations.

This channel is separate from the user-facing support channel. SLA breach alerts can be sent to this channel so the team does not need to monitor Console directly.

Priority-based alerts are configurable, allowing teams to notify the channel only for urgent tickets if desired. Alert channels are configured inside each workspace’s Alerts settings.

Access request flows inside Teams and Slack

Console supports structured access request flows directly inside the Teams or Slack conversation thread.

Users specify:

• The application

• The level of access

• The duration

• The reason for access
  
  

Approvals that don’t require manager approval can be fully automated, and approvals that do are surfaced to the designated manager. 

The approver can approve, deny, or request more information from the notification itself. If additional context is needed, a two-way communication thread opens between requester and approver inside Teams or Slack.

Once approved, Console executes the access grant in the backend system, such as Okta, automatically.