Surface Blocked Items Automatically Using Slack Emoji
Blocked work gets buried in Slack and progress stalls. This automation lets you flag blockers with a single reaction and Notis updates your tracker so blockers are always visible and can be addressed immediately.
Trigger
Message Reaction Added
Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Action
Batch update spreadsheet
Updates a specified range in a google sheet with given values, or appends them as new rows if `first cell location` is omitted; ensure the target sheet exists and the spreadsheet contains at least one worksheet.
Why this helps
ADHD founders miss blockers because they're mentioned casually in Slack rather than flagged systematically, leading to work stoppage and team frustration.
- Blockers surface instantly
- Team knows what's preventing progress
- Reduce 'why is this stuck?' questions
- Faster unblocking and escalation
- Visual blocker dashboard in Sheets
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Slack and Google Sheets to Notis.
- 2Create a new automation with 'Message Reaction Added' as the trigger.
- 3Set to watch for a blocker emoji (like 🚫, 🛑, or 🔐).
- 4Write your prompt: 'When a blocker emoji is added to a task message, find that task in my tracking sheet and update its status to Blocked and set Blocker Flag to True. Include the date it was marked blocked.'
- 5Communicate the blocker emoji to your team so they know to use it.
Questions about this workflow
How do I track what's blocking each item?
Ask Notis to include a 'Blocker Details' column. You can then add a note in that column via Slack thread or update it manually as you learn more.
Can I automatically notify someone when items are blocked?
Yes. Set up a second Notis automation that runs daily, reads your blocked items in Sheets, and sends you a summary message listing all current blockers.
Should I have an 'unblock' emoji to clear the blocker flag?
Absolutely. Use something like ✅ or 🟢 to mark items as unblocked, clearing the blocker flag and moving them back to In Progress.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Slack to Google Sheets. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Slack triggers
Google Sheets actions
New Channel Created Trigger
Triggered when a new channel is created in Slack.
Add Sheet to Spreadsheet
Adds a new sheet (worksheet) to a spreadsheet. use this tool to create a new tab within an existing google sheet, optionally specifying its title, index, size, and other properties.
Channel Message Received
Triggered when a message is posted in a Slack channel (public, private, or multi-party IM). Does NOT match direct messages.
Aggregate Column Data
Searches for rows where a specific column matches a value and performs mathematical operations on data from another column.
Direct Message Received
Triggered when a new direct message (DM) is sent to a user in Slack. Catches all DMs across all DM channels.
Append Dimension
Tool to append new rows or columns to a sheet, increasing its size. use when you need to add empty rows or columns to an existing sheet.
Message Reaction Added
Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Batch get spreadsheet
Retrieves data from specified cell ranges in a google spreadsheet; ensure the spreadsheet has at least one worksheet and any explicitly referenced sheet names in ranges exist.
Message Reaction Removed
Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message in Slack. Supports optional filtering by channel and emoji name.
Batch update spreadsheet
Updates a specified range in a google sheet with given values, or appends them as new rows if `first cell location` is omitted; ensure the target sheet exists and the spreadsheet contains at least one worksheet.
Reaction Added Trigger
DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_MESSAGE_REACTION_ADDED` instead. Triggered when a reaction is added to a message in Slack.
Batch Update Values by Data Filter
Tool to update values in ranges matching data filters. use when you need to update specific data in a google sheet based on criteria rather than fixed cell ranges.
Reaction Removed Trigger
DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_MESSAGE_REACTION_REMOVED` instead. Triggered when a reaction is removed from a message.
Clear Basic Filter
Tool to clear the basic filter from a sheet. use when you need to remove an existing basic filter from a specific sheet within a google spreadsheet.
New Bot Message Received Trigger
DEPRECATED: use `SLACK_CHANNEL_MESSAGE_RECEIVED` with `is_bot_message=true` instead. Triggered when a new bot message is posted to a Slack channel.
Clear spreadsheet values
Clears cell content (preserving formatting and notes) from a specified a1 notation range in a google spreadsheet; the range must correspond to an existing sheet and cells.
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When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
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