Capture and triage engineering requests from Slack in Jira
Capture and triage engineering requests from Slack in Jira
Tables, Canvas, Zaps
Turn Slack reactions into Google Tasks automatically
Turn Slack reactions into Google Tasks automatically
Stop losing track of action items buried in Slack conversations. React with an emoji, get a task.
Overview
Important conversations and action items get buried in Slack channels every day. You see a message that needs follow-up, maybe add a quick emoji reaction to remember it, but then it disappears into the endless scroll of team chatter. Hours or days later, you realize that critical task never made it to your actual to-do list.
You're constantly switching between Slack and your task manager, manually copying messages, losing context, and missing deadlines because there's no simple way to capture actionable items from your team conversations.
This automation transforms your Slack workspace into a task-capturing system. Simply react to any message with your chosen emoji, and it instantly becomes a properly formatted task in Google Tasks—complete with the original message content and context. No more forgotten action items, no more manual copying, no more missed opportunities buried in chat history.
Why build a Slack to Google Tasks automation?
- Tasks get captured instantly — React with an emoji and your task appears in Google Tasks within seconds, so nothing falls through the cracks
- Context stays intact — The original Slack message content becomes your task description, so you always remember what needs to be done
- Workflow stays natural — Use the emoji reactions you're already familiar with instead of learning new commands or processes
You can customize which emoji triggers the automation and choose which Google Tasks list receives your new tasks. Swap in different task management apps like Todoist or Asana, or add conditional logic to route different types of tasks to specific lists.
What key features come with the Slack reaction to Google Tasks automation?
- Instant emoji triggers — Any emoji reaction you choose (📝, ✅, 🔥, or custom emojis) creates a task without interrupting your conversation flow
- Smart content capture — Automatically pulls the full Slack message text, timestamp, and channel information into your Google Tasks description for complete context
- Flexible task routing — Choose which Google Tasks list receives your new tasks, or set up multiple automations for different emoji reactions and lists
- Real-time sync — Tasks appear in Google Tasks within seconds of adding the reaction, so you can immediately see and organize your captured items
- Cross-platform access — Since it creates standard Google Tasks, you can access and manage your captured items from Gmail, Google Calendar, mobile apps, or any Google Tasks interface
How does this automation work?
This ready-made automation builds you a bridge between Slack conversations and your Google Tasks. Here's how it works:
- Someone posts a message in any Slack channel that contains actionable information
- You add your designated emoji reaction (like 📝 or ✅) to that message
- Zapier detects the new reaction and captures the message details
- The automation extracts the message text along with sender information and channel context
- A new task gets created in your specified Google Tasks list with the message content as the description
- The task includes metadata like the original message timestamp and channel for easy reference
- You receive the task in Google Tasks where you can add due dates, notes, or organize it further
- The task syncs across platforms so it appears in Gmail, Google Calendar, and on mobile devices automatically
You'll find detailed setup instructions inside the automation. Scroll down for a preview.
Who should use this Slack to Google Tasks automation?
- Project managers who need to track action items and decisions that emerge from team discussions without losing important context or details.
- Team leads who want to make sure follow-up tasks from meetings and brainstorming sessions actually make it into their task management system.
- Remote workers who participate in multiple Slack channels and need a reliable way to capture personal to-dos from ongoing conversations.
- Customer success teams who need to create tasks from customer feedback, bug reports, or feature requests shared in Slack channels.
- Busy professionals who want to maintain focus during conversations while still capturing important tasks for later review and action.
Final Note
Ready to turn your Slack reactions into organized tasks? Set up this automation and never lose track of important action items again.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different task management app instead of Google Tasks?
Yes. This automation works with other task management tools in the same category. For example, if you don't use Google Tasks, you can swap in tools like Todoist, Asana, or Microsoft To Do instead. Zapier supports thousands of apps, making it easy to adapt the slack google tasks integration workflow to your existing stack.
How does the emoji reaction workflow actually work?
Simply react to any Slack message with your chosen emoji (like ✅ or 📝), and the automation instantly creates a task in Google Tasks with the message content. The setup takes just a few minutes, and you can customize which emoji triggers the workflow and which Google Tasks list receives the new to-dos.
Can I customize what information gets saved to my tasks?
Absolutely. You can customize the task title, description, due date, and which Google Tasks list to use. The automation can capture the original Slack message, sender name, channel, and timestamp, giving you full context for each task without any manual copying and pasting.
Does this require any coding or technical setup?
No coding required at all. This is a no-code automation that connects through Zapier's simple interface. Just authenticate your Slack and Google Tasks accounts, choose your trigger emoji, and you're ready to start converting Slack messages to tasks with a single click.
Will this create tasks for everyone who reacts with the emoji, or just me?
By default, this automation triggers for anyone who uses the emoji. However, you can easily make it personal by adding a filter step that checks if the person who reacted is you. Simply add a filter after the trigger that only continues if the user who added the reaction matches your Slack user ID, ensuring tasks are only created from your own reactions.
