# Use Slack for a weekly unanswered-decision digest

Example: A manager receives many team questions. Some have replies but no owner decision, so a simple unanswered-message list misses them.

By Righthand Team · 2026-10-19

Source: https://www.righthand.ai/blog/use-slack-for-a-weekly-unanswered-decision-digest

Keep Slack as the source for its records. A Righthand can use available information for the decision below.

This article is from Righthand. The example and result are illustrative. This guide has no executed integration test.

## The customer task

A manager receives many team questions. Some have replies but no owner decision, so a simple unanswered-message list misses them.

[Provider documentation](https://docs.slack.dev/reference/methods/chat.postMessage/). The documentation gives information about posting messages to identified channels. For private-channel messages, the app must be a channel member.

## Make account access explicit

For Slack requests and replies, use the [Slack setup guide](https://docs.righthand.ai/guides/setting-up-slack). The bot must be in the intended conversation.

Provider documentation does not establish installed Righthand operations. Examine the connection’s available tools before assigning direct account work.

For direct account work, the connection must have the necessary read or write operation and permission. If that operation is unavailable, supply the information in a message. The owner must make any account change in that case.

[Connection Permissions](https://docs.righthand.ai/guides/add-a-connection) gives information about account access and tool permissions. Give only the access necessary for the identified task.

## The request to the Righthand

> Read the identified decision conversations.
>
> Record questions without an explicit decision.
>
> Do not include questions with a clear accepted result.
>
> Send the owner and deadline for each remaining item.
>
> Send the owner the result before 3 PM Friday.
>
> Use Pacific time.

## Use the provider records for the result

Identify the exact conversation and its audience. Use the channel or thread supplied by the owner. For a message to a mixed or outside audience, the applicable communication permission is necessary.

A reply to a question does not always contain a decision.

For a permitted write, examine the resulting account record. A proposal does not establish a completed change.

For an external message, identify the recipient and permitted task. **Ask** uses an explicit instruction or approval. Connection tool permissions are another required control. [Communications Policy](https://docs.righthand.ai/security/external-communications).

## An illustrative result and next step

> The digest lists two decisions that have discussion but no approval. Three other questions already have accepted answers.

The manager gives the two missing decisions and leaves completed questions closed.

## Try one account task

1. Give the Righthand one identified source record.
2. Compare its result with that source.
3. Examine the account record after a permitted write.
4. Examine the work in [Activity](https://docs.righthand.ai/guides/working-with-your-righthand).

If a direct operation is unavailable, give the source information in a message. This does not establish a direct integration.

## When the account tools are sufficient

Use Slack directly when its existing view gives the complete answer and no other conversation is necessary. A person can make the decision from that view.

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