workflow · how to

Monitor inbox keywords

Follow the monitor inbox keywords workflow in Slack.

Goal

Set up keyword monitors that watch for brand mentions and route matching activity into follow-up work you can act on from Slack.

When to use this

Use keyword monitoring when you want alerts for specific terms, competitor names, campaign hashtags, or product mentions without checking each social platform manually. Monitors are brand-scoped: each keyword you add applies to the brand you have selected when you configure it.

Choose this workflow when you already use the Engage inbox for replies and want listening alerts to land in the same operational rhythm. Pausing a monitor is the right move during a campaign blackout or when a keyword is too noisy. Reconfigure instead of delete when you only need to change where alerts post or how often they arrive.

Before you begin

Confirm these requirements before you add monitors:

  • Plan: Brand mentions monitoring requires the Team plan or higher. Free and Starter plans do not include this capability.
  • Brand context: Select the brand you want to monitor before you open the monitor list or add keywords. Monitors you create apply to that brand.
  • Delivery channel: Decide which Slack channel should receive monitor alerts. You configure this when you add or edit a monitor.
  • Keyword scope: Have the exact keyword or phrase ready. Add and remove actions require a non-blank keyword; blank submissions return guidance instead of creating a monitor.

If you manage multiple brands, switch to the correct brand in App Home before you start. Monitors you create while another brand is active will not appear on the brand you intended.

Steps

Open the monitor list

  1. Open /social and switch to the Engage work center.
  2. Open the Listening card.
  3. Review the list. Active monitors, paused monitors, and empty-state guidance appear when no monitors exist yet.

You can also open /social and search for listen in the command palette when Listening is enabled. Both paths open the same monitor list surface.

Add a keyword monitor

  1. From the monitor list, choose Add monitor.
  2. Enter the keyword or phrase you want to watch.
  3. In the configure modal, set the delivery channel and notification frequency.
  4. Submit the form.

Slash Social validates the keyword before save. If you leave the keyword blank, the form returns guidance and does not create a monitor.

Pause, resume, or reconfigure

Pause an active monitor when you want to stop notifications temporarily without deleting the keyword. Paused monitors do not send new alerts until you resume them.

Resume a paused monitor when tracking should start again. The monitor keeps its previous channel and frequency settings.

Open Configure on an existing monitor when you need to change channel routing or frequency without deleting and recreating the keyword. Submit the configure modal to save changes.

Act on matches

When a new mention matches a keyword, Slash Social creates inbox or listening follow-up work according to the monitor configuration you saved. Open matched work from the Engage inbox or from the alert in the delivery channel, depending on how you configured the monitor.

Follow-up work can end as assigned, reply sent, snoozed, or resolved. Your triage path should match the workflow you use for other inbound conversations.

Success criteria

You have finished this workflow when:

  • The monitor list shows your keyword with the expected status (active or paused).
  • A test mention or known match creates follow-up work in the channel and inbox scope you configured.
  • Pausing the monitor stops new alerts, and resuming restarts them without re-entering the keyword.
  • Reconfigured monitors deliver alerts to the updated channel or on the updated frequency.

Troubleshooting

The Listening card or monitor list does not appear

Confirm your organization is on the Team plan or higher. Brand mentions monitoring is not available on Free or Starter. Also confirm you selected the brand you intend to monitor.

Add monitor returns guidance instead of saving

Enter a non-blank keyword or phrase. Blank submissions are rejected by design.

Alerts stopped after a configuration change

Check whether the monitor is paused. Open the monitor list and resume the monitor if its status shows paused. If the monitor is active, open Configure and confirm the delivery channel is one your team can access.

Matches appear in the wrong brand scope

Switch to the correct brand in App Home, then review monitors on the Listening card. Monitors are brand-scoped; create a separate monitor per brand when you manage multiple brands.

No follow-up work after a known match

Verify the monitor is active, not paused. Confirm the keyword exactly matches the mention text your platforms deliver. For day-to-day inbox triage after matches arrive, see Use Engage home and the inbox. For how conversations enter the queue, read Inbox, conversations, and SLA.