TriggerSlackReal-timeUpdated June 2026

How do I trigger when a specific word appears in Slack?

Short answer: Drop the "Slack → Keyword Mentioned" trigger on your workflow canvas, add filters if you want them, and publish. It fires within seconds of the event in Slack, not on a polling schedule.

Use this trigger All 13 Slack triggers

Anatomy

What this trigger looks like in a workflow.

Drop it on the canvas. Configure a couple of fields. Publish.

In the builder

Trigger

Keyword Mentioned

When the matching event happens

keywordphrase mentionedsearch matchbrand monitoringoutage alertwatch for wordwhen a keyword is mentionedfire on keyword

What this trigger returns

for the curious

You don’t need to read this. Tiny Command auto-maps every field into the visual picker so downstream nodes can pull values by clicking. We show it here for power users who want to know what’s on the wire.

{
  "raw": {},
  "text": "We have an outage on the API gateway",
  "user": "U1234567890",
  "channel": "C1234567890",
  "timestamp": "1712835600.000100",
  "channel_type": "channel"
}

Output shape

Fields available to downstream nodes.

Every field below can be referenced by name in any action or filter that comes after this trigger.

Field	Type	Example
raw	object	{ … }
text	string	"We have an outage on the API gateway"
user	string	"U1234567890"
channel	string	"C1234567890"
timestamp	string	"1712835600.000100"
channel_type	string	"channel"

Pairs with

Drop these actions after Keyword Mentioned.

Add Labels to Message

Gmail · Email

Add Sheet Tab

Google Sheets · Spreadsheets & Databases

Create Company

HubSpot · CRM & Sales

Cancel Subscription

Stripe · Payments

FAQ

Questions about Keyword Mentioned.

How does the Keyword Mentioned trigger work in Slack?

Fires when a specific word or phrase appears in any Slack message. Use it for brand monitoring, escalation on words like "outage", or routing customer mentions.

Is the Keyword Mentioned trigger real-time?

Yes. Keyword Mentioned uses webhooks or push subscriptions, not polling. Your workflow fires within seconds of the event happening in Slack.

What data does Keyword Mentioned return?

The full event payload from Slack. The output shape table on this page lists every field, its type, and an example value so you can map fields into downstream nodes.

Can I filter Keyword Mentioned so only some events start a workflow?

Yes. Add a Filter node right after the trigger and match on any field, whether that's subject, sender, status, or anything else in the payload. Workflows only continue when the filter passes.

Do I need Slack admin permissions to use Keyword Mentioned?

For most Slack accounts a standard user can authorize the trigger. Some Slack plans require an admin to enable third-party webhooks. Check Slack's docs if the trigger fails to register.