How We Automated Slack Workflows with Astro

Why We Built Astro on Kubernetes

Ever feel like your workday is just a series of jumping between browser tabs? Checking reports, approving requests, filling out forms – it all adds up. We wanted a way to cut down on the tool-hopping and keep everything where conversations are already happening: Slack.

That’s why we built Astro. It’s a Slackbot that connects with external vendors, retrieves key information, and enables users to complete tasks without leaving Slack. No more distractions – just seamless, efficient workflows.

How Astro Simplifies Weekly Performance Reports

One of the first use cases we implemented with Astro is automating weekly performance tracking. Every Thursday, Astro sends a performance tracking form straight to employees in Slack, making it quick and easy to fill out without needing to jump between different platforms.

If someone forgets to complete their report, Astro follows up with reminders and, if needed, escalates to their direct manager. This ensures reports are submitted on time without managers having to chase people down, keeping everything on track with minimal effort.

How Astro Works

Astro is an internal Slackbot framework designed for Kubernetes-centric organizations. It has two main components:

• A Slack application – Installed by the organization, with a customizable name and image.
• A Kubernetes-based backend – Built as a Kubernetes controller using Go and Kubebuilder, enabling Astro to operate in an event-driven way within our Kubernetes cluster.

When Astro boots, it connects to the company’s HR system and retrieves essential employee data such as names, email addresses, and roles. It then searches the Slack workspace for these email addresses and correlates each employee to their Slack ID. All this employee data gets saved as a Kubernetes “Employee” custom resource, which Astro can then use to fetch data or communicate with users.

Astro also has an internal workflow engine with a YAML-based DSL that fits neatly into a Kubernetes resource definition, allowing it to send Slack messages, buttons, inputs, select buttons, and modals. 

Workflows are defined using two CRDs that Astro watches:

• SlackbotWorkflow – Defines automated processes that Astro runs on its own, like scheduled reminders or background tasks.
• SlackbotCommand – Defines user-triggered actions, allowing employees to interact with Astro by sending commands from Slack.

Commands enable users to engage with Astro, while workflows allow Astro to take action automatically, either on a set schedule or as needed.

The Future of Kubernetes Beyond Infrastructure

Kubernetes is often seen purely as an infrastructure tool, but we feel like it’s a great programming platform with a lot of unexplored potential. With its event-driven nature and built-in mechanics for inter-process communication and data storage, Kubernetes can be thought of as more than a data-center management tool.

Astro has shown us that Kubernetes isn’t just for running applications – it can also be a powerful foundation for making everyday work more efficient. As we continue improving Astro, we see even more opportunities to use Kubernetes for business process automation, not just infrastructure management.

Looking Ahead: Open-Sourcing Astro

Astro is still in development and currently works with our own HR provider. However, as we continue to refine it and gain more production mileage at Develeap, we’re planning to open-source the project. Our goal is to expand support for additional popular HR systems, making Astro a flexible, extensible framework that any Kubernetes-centric organization can leverage to streamline internal workflows.