ActionSlackUpdated May 2026

How do I send a Slack DM to a user?

Short answer: Drop the "Slack → Send Direct Message" action anywhere in your workflow, map the inputs from upstream nodes, and publish.

Use this action All 45 Slack actions

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
User ID userId	string	Required	Slack user ID of the recipient. Find it in the user's profile or use 'Find User by Email' first.
Message text	string	Required	The message text. Supports Slack mrkdwn (e.g. bold, _italic_, `code`).
Blocks (optional) blocks	json	Optional	Block Kit JSON for rich formatting. Leave empty for plain text. See https://api.slack.com/block-kit

Sample request

{
  "userId": "U0123ABC",
  "text": "e.g. Hello team :wave:",
  "blocks": "{{trigger.blocks}}"
}

Returns

{
  "ok": true,
  "raw": {},
  "channel": "D0123ABC",
  "message_ts": "1712835600.000100"
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

Triggered by

Apps that pair well as the trigger for Send Direct Message.

Any of these apps can fire this action as part of a workflow.

Gmail → Slack

1 Gmail triggers

Google Sheets → Slack

2 Google Sheets triggers

FAQ

Questions about Send Direct Message.

What does the Send Direct Message action do in Slack?

Sends a direct message to a Slack user. Looks up the user, opens a DM channel, and posts the message, all in one step.

What inputs does Send Direct Message require?

Required: User ID, Message. Every input accepts a static value or a variable from any upstream node in your workflow.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if Slack returns an error?

The workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does Send Direct Message support batch operations?

Yes. Run Send Direct Message inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles Slack's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

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