Mention one Slack handle, like @primary-on-call, to tag whoever is on call right now. Better Stack keeps a Slack user group's members in sync with your on-call schedule, so handovers, overrides and holidays are picked up automatically.

Set up your Slack workspace first

Connect Slack to your team if you haven't yet. Slack offers user groups on its paid plans only. By default, Slack also lets only workspace admins manage user groups. Ask your Slack admin to allow members to create, edit and deactivate user groups

Tag your on-call schedule in Slack

1. Go to Who's on-call, open ⋯ on your schedule and click Configure.
2. Expand Advanced settings to find Tag this on-call schedule in Slack.
3. Keep Create a new group and enter a handle into On-call schedule Slack handle. Handles use lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores. We'll lowercase what you type and replace anything else with hyphens.
4. Click Save changes.

We'll create the Slack user group and keep its members matched to whoever escalation would notify: the current responders, or your whole team when a gap or holiday leaves nobody on duty. Outside the schedule's working hours we disable the group, so mentioning it tags no one rather than the previous responder.

Connected Slack before user groups were available?

Workspaces connected earlier haven't given Better Stack access to user groups yet. Click Reconnect Slack on the schedule form to re-authorize the workspace.

Use a Slack group you already have

Pick Use an existing group and select the group in Slack user group. We'll add and remove only the on-call responders. Everyone else in the group stays.

We never rename or disable a group you already have. If you rename its handle in Slack, your schedule follows the new handle automatically.

Combine several schedules into one group

Enter the same handle on several schedules in one team to build a follow-the-sun rotation. The group then tags everyone currently on call across those schedules, and each schedule's form lists who shares it. See Complex on-call schedules to set up the rotation itself.

Stop tagging a schedule

Clear the handle, or the selected group, and click Save changes. A group Better Stack created is disabled. A group you already had keeps all its other members.

Seeing "Better Stack can't manage user groups in this Slack workspace"?

Your workspace only lets admins manage user groups. Ask your Slack admin to allow members to create, edit and deactivate user groups, then save the schedule again. Reconnecting Better Stack can't fix this permission, even when a workspace admin reconnects it.

Is the group not tagging anybody?

Nobody currently on call has a Slack account in the connected workspace. Slack accounts pair automatically when a responder's Better Stack e-mail address matches their Slack e-mail address. Responders can also connect their Slack account themselves in their account settings.

Did you disable or delete the group in Slack?

Better Stack can't update a group that is gone. Switch the group back on in Slack, or pick a different one, and save the schedule again.