Skip to content
ToolDeck

Productivity & Team Ops

Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot

One message that summarizes what actually needs your attention this week.

Saves about ~2 hrs per week

What it does

  • Scans selected Slack channels and email labels
  • Summarizes what needs attention weekly
  • Flags threads that stalled or need a reply
  • Posts a single digest instead of you reading everything

How it works

  1. Channels and labels scanned
  2. Messages summarized by importance
  3. Stalled threads flagged
  4. Digest delivered weekly

What's included

  • Source selection
  • Digest prompt
  • Weekly schedule

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Slack, Claude.

Step 1: Pick sources

  1. Choose the channels to scan (start with the 2-3 where decisions happen).
  2. Add the email labels you want included.
  3. Store the source list in the flow.
  4. Test the read access (Slack bot token with channels:history; Gmail label read).
  5. Keep the volume small.

Watch out: Start small — summarizing 12 channels produces a digest as long as the channels; 3 channels is a digest you'll actually read.

Step 2: Add the digest prompt

  1. Build: 'From these messages, produce a digest of what actually needs attention: threads awaiting a reply, decisions pending, tasks mentioned, anything urgent. Ignore banter and routine updates. Under 200 words.'
  2. Instruct to source each flag to its thread link.
  3. Paste with API key.
  4. Test on a week's data.
  5. Tune what counts as 'routine'.

Watch out: The thread-links requirement is what makes the digest actionable — a claim 'X needs your reply' without a jump link is a scavenger hunt.

Step 3: Set the schedule

  1. Weekly schedule (e.g. Friday 4pm).
  2. Post the digest to a #digest channel or DM yourself.
  3. Flag the top 3 must-dos.
  4. Test one delivery.
  5. Adjust timing to your team's week.

Watch out: Friday 4pm is the classic sweet spot — it's the last chance to resolve something before the weekend, and Monday digests get buried in the week's flood.

Step 4: Tune the noise

  1. Add a blocklist of channels/keywords that always get skipped (standup bot traces, deploy pings).
  2. Exclude emoji-only messages.
  3. Monthly: review what got included that shouldn't have.
  4. Keep the digest under 200 words.
  5. Iterate the prompt quarterly.

Watch out: The blocklist is what keeps the digest trustworthy — if it includes 'deploy complete' pings, the one genuinely urgent thread is lost in the same message.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot automation do?

One message that summarizes what actually needs your attention this week. Scans selected Slack channels and email labels

How much time does Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot save?

It is estimated to save ~2 hrs per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot use?

It works with Slack and Claude.

What does Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot include?

Source selection, Digest prompt, Weekly schedule.

Can I set up Slack/Email Weekly Digest Bot myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.