Approval request with action buttons

Carry a stable request identifier in action values. The application must authenticate callbacks and implement the approve/reject actions.

Output

Local preview of the selected language’s tested example. Slack client appearance may differ; controls here do not send requests.

✋ Approval needed

Requested by: Nick Deploy version 3.1.0?

Request ID: release-42

Serialized output

{
  "channel": "C1",
  "mrkdwn": true,
  "blocks": [
    {
      "type": "header",
      "block_id": "<generated-block-id>",
      "text": {
        "type": "plain_text",
        "text": ":hand: Approval needed"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "section",
      "block_id": "<generated-block-id>",
      "text": {
        "type": "mrkdwn",
        "text": "*Requested by:* Nick\n\nDeploy version 3.1.0?"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "actions",
      "block_id": "approval:release-42",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "button",
          "text": {
            "type": "plain_text",
            "text": "Approve"
          },
          "action_id": "approve",
          "style": "primary",
          "value": "release-42"
        },
        {
          "type": "button",
          "text": {
            "type": "plain_text",
            "text": "Reject"
          },
          "action_id": "reject",
          "style": "danger",
          "value": "release-42"
        },
        {
          "type": "button",
          "text": {
            "type": "plain_text",
            "text": "View details"
          },
          "action_id": "details",
          "url": "https://approvals.example.com/release-42"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "context",
      "block_id": "<generated-block-id>",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "mrkdwn",
          "text": "Request ID: `release-42`"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "text": "Approval requested by Nick"
}

Code

An approval flow with approve, reject and details buttons. The buttons carry value or action_id so your interaction handler can identify them.

from slackblocks import (
    ActionsBlock,
    Button,
    ContextBlock,
    HeaderBlock,
    Message,
    SectionBlock,
    Text,
)


def approval_request(*, channel: str, request_id: str, requester: str, summary: str) -> Message:
    return Message(
        channel=channel,
        text=f"Approval requested by {requester}",
        blocks=[
            HeaderBlock(":hand: Approval needed"),
            SectionBlock(text=f"*Requested by:* {requester}\n\n{summary}"),
            ActionsBlock(
                block_id=f"approval:{request_id}",
                elements=[
                    Button(
                        text="Approve",
                        action_id="approve",
                        value=request_id,
                        style="primary",
                    ),
                    Button(
                        text="Reject",
                        action_id="reject",
                        value=request_id,
                        style="danger",
                    ),
                    Button(
                        text="View details",
                        action_id="details",
                        url=f"https://approvals.example.com/{request_id}",
                    ),
                ],
            ),
            ContextBlock(
                elements=[Text(f"Request ID: `{request_id}`")],
            ),
        ],
    )
print(approval_request(channel="C1", request_id="release-42", requester="Nick", summary="Deploy version 3.1.0?").json())

When the user clicks a button, Slack will POST an interaction payload to your app. Match on action_id (approve / reject / details) and pull the request ID from block_id or the button's value.

import * as S from "@nicklambourne/slackblocks";

const message = S.Message().channel("C1").text("Approval requested").blocks(
  S.SectionBlock().text("Approve deployment?"),
  S.ActionsBlock().elements(
    S.Button().text("Approve").actionId("approve").value("release-42").style("primary"),
    S.Button().text("Reject").actionId("reject").value("release-42").style("danger"),
  ),
).build();
console.log(JSON.stringify(message));

package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	s "github.com/nicklambourne/slackblocks/go/v3"
	"os"
)

func main() {
	value, err := s.NewMessage().Channel("C1").Text("Approval requested").Blocks(
		s.NewSectionBlock().Text("Approve deployment?"),
		s.NewActionsBlock().Elements(
			s.NewButton().Text("Approve").ActionID("approve").Value("release-42").Style("primary"),
			s.NewButton().Text("Reject").ActionID("reject").Value("release-42").Style("danger"),
		),
	).Build()
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	if err := json.NewEncoder(os.Stdout).Encode(value); err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
}

import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.*;
import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.block.*;
import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.component.*;
import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.element.*;
import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.object.*;
import io.github.nicklambourne.slackblocks.payload.*;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

public final class Recipe {
  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    var value = MessagePayload.builder().channel("C1").text("Approval requested").blocks(
    SectionBlock.builder().markdownText("Approve deployment?").build(),
    ActionsBlock.builder().elements(
    ButtonElement.builder().text("Approve").actionId("approve").value("release-42").style(ButtonStyle.PRIMARY).build(),
    ButtonElement.builder().text("Reject").actionId("reject").value("release-42").style(ButtonStyle.DANGER).build()).build()).build();
    System.out.println(value.toJson());
  }
}

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Slackblocks;
using Slackblocks.Blocks;
using Slackblocks.Components;
using Slackblocks.Elements;
using Slackblocks.Objects;
using Slackblocks.Payloads;

var value = new MessagePayload("C1", text: "Approval requested", blocks: [
    new SectionBlock(text: "Approve deployment?"),
    new ActionsBlock(elements: [
        new ButtonElement("Approve", actionId: "approve", value: "release-42", style: ButtonStyle.Primary),
        new ButtonElement("Reject", actionId: "reject", value: "release-42", style: ButtonStyle.Danger),
    ]),
]);
Console.WriteLine(value.ToJson());

require "slackblocks"
include Slackblocks

value = MessagePayload.new(channel: "C1", text: "Approval requested", blocks: [
  SectionBlock.new(text: "Approve deployment?"),
  ActionsBlock.new(elements: [
    ButtonElement.new(text: "Approve", action_id: "approve", value: "release-42", style: ButtonStyle::PRIMARY),
    ButtonElement.new(text: "Reject", action_id: "reject", value: "release-42", style: ButtonStyle::DANGER)
  ])
])
puts value.to_json

Your interaction handler matches the action ID and reads the request ID from the button value.

use slackblocks::*;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let actions = ActionsBlock::builder()
        .element(
            ButtonElement::builder()
                .text("Approve")
                .action_id("approve")
                .value("release-42")
                .style(ButtonStyle::Primary)
                .build()?,
        )
        .element(
            ButtonElement::builder()
                .text("Reject")
                .action_id("reject")
                .value("release-42")
                .style(ButtonStyle::Danger)
                .build()?,
        )
        .build()?;
    let message = MessagePayload::builder("C01234567")
        .text("Approval requested")
        .block(
            SectionBlock::builder()
                .text("Approve this release?")
                .build()?,
        )
        .block(actions)
        .build()?;
    println!("{}", serde_json::to_string(&message)?);
    Ok(())
}

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Slackblocks as S;

$message = new S\MessagePayload(channel: 'C1', text: 'Approval requested', blocks: [
    new S\SectionBlock('*Approve deployment?*'),
    new S\ActionsBlock(elements: [
        new S\ButtonElement(text: 'Approve', actionId: 'approve', value: '482', style: S\ButtonStyle::Primary),
        new S\ButtonElement(text: 'Reject', actionId: 'reject', value: '482', style: S\ButtonStyle::Danger),
    ]),
]);
echo $message->toJson();

alias Slackblocks.{Message, Blocks, Elements.Button}
Message.new!(channel: "C1", text: "Approval requested", blocks: [
  Blocks.Section.new!(text: "*Approve deployment?*"),
  Blocks.Actions.new!(elements: [
    Button.new!(text: "Approve", action_id: "approve", value: "482", style: :primary),
    Button.new!(text: "Reject", action_id: "reject", value: "482", style: :danger)
  ])
]) |> Slackblocks.to_map!()

{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}

import Data.Aeson (encode)
import qualified Data.Map.Strict as Map
import Slackblocks

example = do
  question <- buildMarkdownText (markdownText "*Approve deployment?*")
  section <- buildSectionBlock (sectionBlock {sectionBlockText = Just (markdownTextAsText question)})
  yes <- buildPlainText (plainText "Approve")
  no <- buildPlainText (plainText "Reject")
  approve <- buildButtonElement ((buttonElement yes) {buttonElementActionId = Just "approve", buttonElementValue = Just "482", buttonElementStyle = Just ButtonStylePrimary})
  reject <- buildButtonElement ((buttonElement no) {buttonElementActionId = Just "reject", buttonElementValue = Just "482", buttonElementStyle = Just ButtonStyleDanger})
  actions <- buildActionsBlock (actionsBlock [buttonElementAsElement approve, buttonElementAsElement reject])
  buildMessagePayload ((messagePayload "C1") {messagePayloadText = Just "Approval requested", messagePayloadBlocks = Just [sectionBlockAsBlock section, actionsBlockAsBlock actions]})

Output

✋ Approval needed

Code​

Code