Slack Notifications: Real-Time Network Configuration Alerts for rConfig V8

Slack Notifications enable rConfig V8 to send real-time alerts and updates directly to your Slack channels. This integration keeps your team informed of important network events, configuration changes, and system activities without requiring constant monitoring of the rConfig interface.

When to Use This Page

Use this page when you want configuration changes, or SNMP traps that match a filter with a Send Alert action, posted directly to a Slack channel instead of relying on team members to check rConfig for them.

Supported Notification Types

rConfig V8 currently sends only these two notification types to Slack:

Notification Type	Description	Availability
Configuration Changes	Alerts when device configurations are modified	rConfig V8+
SNMP Traps	Alerts when a received trap matches a filter with a Send Alert action (SNMP Trap UI Administration)	rConfig V8+

Note

Additional notification types will be added in future releases. Check release notes for updates.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Slack notifications, ensure you have:

• Active Slack workspace with administrative access
• Ability to create and install Slack apps
• Channel(s) designated for rConfig notifications
• Administrator access to rConfig V8
• At least one rConfig user with the Notifications switch enabled and the Slack channel ticked for the relevant event types in User Profile > Notification Preferences. Without an opted-in user, rConfig posts nothing to Slack (the test button is the only exception)

Create Slack App

Step 1: Create New Slack App

1. Navigate to Slack API Apps
2. Click Create New App
3. Select From scratch
4. Enter app name (e.g., “rConfig Notifications”)
5. Select your workspace
6. Click Create App

Step 2: Configure OAuth Permissions

1. Navigate to OAuth & Permissions in the left sidebar
2. Scroll to Scopes section
3. Under Bot Token Scopes, add the following scopes:
   • chat:write - Post messages to channels
   • chat:write.public - Post messages to public channels without joining

Tip

These scopes allow rConfig to send formatted messages to your channels without requiring the bot to join each channel.

Step 3: Install App to Workspace

1. Scroll to OAuth Tokens for Your Workspace section
2. Click Install to Workspace
3. Review and authorize the requested permissions
4. After installation, copy the Bot User OAuth Token (starts with xoxb-)

Configure rConfig V8

Step 1: Edit Environment Configuration

Open the rConfig .env file:

vim /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

Step 2: Add Slack Configuration

Add or update the following lines:

# Slack Integration
SLACK_ENABLED=true
SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN=xoxb-your-bot-token-here
SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL=general

Configuration Parameters:

• SLACK_ENABLED: Set to true to enable Slack notifications
• SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN: Bot User OAuth Token from Slack app
• SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL: Default channel name for notifications (without #)

Caution

Do not include the # symbol in the channel name. Use general not #general.

Step 3: Clear Application Cache

Save the file and clear the rConfig cache:

php /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/artisan rconfig:clear-all

Verify the Integration

Check Status in rConfig

Navigate to System Settings (/settings/system) and locate the Slack Notifications panel. It shows whether Slack is enabled or not enabled, and provides a Test Slack Notification button. There are no per-event-type toggles or channel-routing controls here: every notification rConfig sends to Slack goes to the single channel set in SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL.

Send a Test Message

Click Test Slack Notification to verify the integration is working correctly. The test posts directly to the configured channel, whether or not any user has opted in to Slack notifications.

Expected test message in Slack:

✅ rConfig Slack Test Notification
Generated at Tue, Oct 14, 2025 10:23 AM

Slack test notification from rConfig

Source: https://rconfig.example.com

Notification Examples

Configuration Change Notification

🔔 rConfig Change Notification - core-router-01
Device ID: #123 | Tue, Oct 14, 2025 10:23 AM

🔧 Command: show running-config
🧾 Config Version: 42

📝 Changes Detected:
- ntp server 10.0.0.1
+ ntp server 10.0.0.2

👉 View Complete Configuration

SNMP Trap Notification

🚨 rConfig SNMP Trap Alert
Tue, Oct 14, 2025 11:45 AM

Source IP: 10.1.1.20
Filter: Link Down Alerts
Trap OID: 1.3.6.1.6.3.1.1.5.3
Action: <matched filter action>

SNMP trap alert: Source IP: 10.1.1.20 - Filter: Link Down Alerts - Oid: 1.3.6.1.6.3.1.1.5.3

Trap Payload
{ ...full trap data as JSON... }

Common Gotchas

Caution

• Never include the # symbol in the channel name. SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL expects the bare name (general, not #general).
• Slack rate-limits to about 1 message per second per channel. All rConfig Slack notifications share one channel (SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL), with no per-type routing to spread the load, so high-volume events can hit this limit.
• The bot must be invited to private channels. Unlike public channels, chat:write.public doesn’t cover private ones, use /invite @rConfig in the channel first.
• The cache must be cleared after every .env change. Run php artisan rconfig:clear-all after adding or updating the Slack variables, or the old (or missing) values keep being used.
• A working test button does not mean events will post. Event notifications only go out when at least one user has the Notifications switch on and Slack ticked for that event type in Notification Preferences.

Troubleshooting

Test message not appearing in Slack

Check Slack app installation:

• Verify app is installed in workspace
• Confirm bot has required scopes (chat:write, chat:write.public)
• Check bot token is valid and not revoked

Verify rConfig configuration:

# Check if Slack is enabled
grep SLACK_ENABLED /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

# Verify token format (should start with xoxb-)
grep SLACK_BOT_USER_OAUTH_TOKEN /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/.env

Check rConfig logs:

tail -50 /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage/logs/laravel-$(date +%F).log | grep -i slack

Messages appear as “App” instead of custom name

Set custom bot name:

1. Go to Slack app settings
2. Navigate to Features > App Home
3. Edit Bot User section
4. Set display name (e.g., “rConfig Notifications”)
5. Save changes

Channel not found errors

Verify channel name:

• Use channel name without # symbol
• Ensure channel exists in workspace
• Confirm bot has access to private channels (if applicable)

For private channels:

1. Invite bot to private channel: /invite @rConfig
2. Verify bot appears in channel member list

Invalid authentication errors

Check token validity:

• Verify token has not been revoked in Slack app settings
• Confirm workspace has not changed
• Regenerate token if necessary:
  1. Go to OAuth & Permissions
  2. Click Revoke (if token exists)
  3. Click Reinstall to Workspace
  4. Copy new token
  5. Update .env file

Notifications not sending for specific events

Verify event configuration:

• Confirm the event is actually one of the two types Slack notifications cover (configuration changes, SNMP traps), other event types aren’t sent to Slack at all
• Check the Slack Notifications status in System Settings shows enabled
• Confirm at least one user has the Notifications switch enabled and Slack ticked for that event type in User Profile > Notification Preferences. With no opted-in users, nothing posts to Slack
• For SNMP traps, confirm the trap matches a filter with a Send Alert action

Check event triggers:

# Review recent events in logs
tail -100 /var/www/html/rconfig8/current/storage/logs/laravel-$(date +%F).log | grep -i notification

Rate limiting issues

Symptoms:

• Some notifications not delivered
• Delayed notifications
• Rate limit errors in logs

Resolution:

• Slack limits: 1 message per second per channel
• Consider batching notifications for high-volume events
• All Slack notifications share one configured channel, there’s no per-type routing to spread load across channels

Security Considerations

Protect bot token: Never commit the bot token to version control or share it publicly. Store it securely in the .env file.

Restrict permissions: Grant only the minimum required scopes to the Slack bot.

Monitor token usage: Regularly review Slack app audit logs for suspicious activity.

Channel access control: Use private channels for sensitive notifications and carefully manage channel membership.

Best Practices

Pick one channel deliberately: All Slack notifications go to the single channel configured in SLACK_BOT_USER_DEFAULT_CHANNEL, there’s no per-notification-type channel routing, so choose a channel appropriate for both configuration-change and SNMP-trap volume.

Set notification schedules: Consider limiting non-critical notifications to business hours.

Test regularly: Periodically send test messages to ensure the integration remains functional.

Document the channel’s purpose: Tell team members which channel receives rConfig notifications and which event types are posted there.

Related Documentation

• MS Teams Notifications - Configure MS Teams alerts
• Scheduled Tasks - Configure automated operations