Managing Incident Status via Slack

A step-by-step guide to updating incident lifecycle status directly from an incident’s Slack channel using Rootly slash commands.

Overview

Slack lets responders update incident status in real time—without switching to the web interface.
Using /rootly status (and related quick actions), you can move an incident through its lifecycle, capture required context, and keep all Timeline entries accurate and audit-ready.

Use Slack status updates when your team needs fast, in-channel lifecycle changes during active response.

Prerequisites

Before updating an incident via Slack:

• You must run commands inside the incident’s Slack channel
  (Commands do not work from random channels or DMs.)
• You must have permission to update incidents based on your workspace’s roles and access settings.
• The Slack integration must be installed and Rootly must have access to the channel.

If a command “does nothing,” you are likely not in an incident channel. Try again inside the correct channel.

Updating Status with /rootly status

1. Open the Status Modal

   In the incident’s Slack channel, type:

   /rootly status
   

   This opens a modal showing the available incident lifecycle statuses your team has enabled (Triage, Started, Mitigated, Resolved, Cancelled, etc.).

   
2. Select the New Status

   Choose the appropriate status for the incident, then click Submit.

   Rootly will:

   • Update the Incident Status
   • Record the change in the Timeline
   • Trigger any associated workflows (notifications, role assignment, stakeholder updates, etc.)
   • Sync the new status back to the web interface

Supported Quick Actions

Slack also supports shortcut commands for common lifecycle operations:

Command	Description	Where It Works
/rootly resolve	Resolve the incident	Must be inside incident channel
/rootly cancel	Cancel the incident	Must be inside incident channel
/rootly mitigate	Mark mitigated	May be blocked if sub-statuses enabled
/rootly status	Open modal to choose any allowed status	Must be inside incident channel
/rootly new / create / declare	Create a new incident	Works in any channel

If your workspace uses Sub-Statuses, /rootly mitigate will be blocked. Rootly will prompt you to use your sub-status flow instead.

Important Behavior & Guardrails

Required Fields Enforcement

If your workspace enforces required fields for lifecycle transitions, you may see an error when attempting to update status through Slack.

For example:

• Moving from Started → Resolved may require a Severity or Impact Summary
• Moving out of Triage may require Service or Environment

The Slack modal will clearly indicate what is missing.

Sub-Statuses and Mitigation

If your organization has Sub-Statuses enabled, Rootly disables /rootly mitigate to prevent conflicts.
You’ll see a message indicating mitigation must be performed through the sub-status workflow.

Scheduled Incidents

Slack lifecycle commands (mitigate/resolve/cancel) are not supported for scheduled incidents.
You must use the Web UI to update scheduled maintenance lifecycle states.

Troubleshooting

“Nothing happens when I run the command.”

• You are likely not inside an incident channel.
• Use /rootly status inside the incident’s Slack channel.

“I’m not authorized to update this incident.”

Check your incident role or team permissions:

• Only authorized users may update incident status.

“The transition is blocked.”

Your workspace is enforcing required fields for the next lifecycle status.
Fill the missing fields in the Slack modal or in the Web UI.

“/rootly mitigate is blocked.”

Your workspace uses Sub-Statuses, so mitigation must be done via the sub-status flow.

Best Practices

• Use /rootly status during response to maintain clean, accurate lifecycle transitions.
• Add short notes when submitting the modal—these appear in the Timeline and help with retrospective analysis.
• Use /rootly resolve when service is restored; complete post-incident tasks later in the Web UI.
• Keep lifecycle updates in Slack concise and consistent so responders always understand the current state.