Slack Status Updater

日本語版の説明はこちら - Japanese version here (Qiita)

Automatically update your Slack status based on your work schedule, breaks, and holidays using Google Apps Script and Slack API.

Features

Automatically sets your Slack status to "Active" during work hours and "Away" outside work hours
Updates status for lunch breaks and short breaks with random emojis that change daily
Sets status to "Away" on weekends and holidays
Recognizes holidays and special vacation periods (e.g., Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas)
Easily customizable for different work schedules and company-specific holidays

Prerequisites

A Google account
A Slack workspace with the necessary permissions to create and use API tokens
Basic knowledge of Google Apps Script

Setup

Create a new Google Apps Script project
Copy and paste the provided code into the script editor
Set up a Slack API token:
- Go to Slack API
- Create a new app or use an existing one
- Add the following OAuth scopes: users.profile:write, users:write
- Install the app to your workspace and copy the Bot User OAuth Token
In the Google Apps Script project, go to Project Settings > Script Properties
Add a new property named USER_TOKEN and paste your Slack API token as the value

Customizing Holidays and Time Zones

This script can be easily customized to fit your specific location, work schedule, and holidays. Here's how you can modify these settings:

Customizing Holidays

Open the slackStatusUpdater.gs file.
Locate the VACATION_PERIODS object in the CONSTANTS.
Modify, add, or remove holiday entries as needed. For example:

VACATION_PERIODS: {
    NEW_YEARS: { start: '01-01', end: '01-01', name: "New Year's Day", emoji: '🎉' },
    MARTIN_LUTHER_KING: { start: '01-17', end: '01-17', name: "Martin Luther King Jr. Day", emoji: '✊🏾' },
    PRESIDENTS_DAY: { start: '02-21', end: '02-21', name: "Presidents' Day", emoji: '🇺🇸' },
    ...
},

Changing the Time Zone

Find the checkVacationPeriod function in the script. Locate the following line:

const formattedDate = Utilities.formatDate(date, 'America/San_Francisco', 'MM-dd');

Replace 'America/San_Francisco' with your desired time zone. For example:

For London: 'Europe/London'
For Bangalore: 'Asia/Kolkata'
For Nairobi: 'Africa/Nairobi'

You can find a full list of supported time zones in the IANA Time Zone Database.

Customizing Work Hours

In the CONSTANTS object, find the WORK_HOURS section. Modify the values to match your work schedule. For example:

WORK_HOURS: {
  START: 9,     // Work starts at 9 AM
  END: 17,      // Work ends at 5 PM
  LUNCH_START: 12,
  LUNCH_END: 13,
  BREAK_START: 15,
  BREAK_END: 15.25,  // 15 minutes break
},

Customizing Status Messages and Emojis

In the CONSTANTS object, locate the STATUSES and EMOJIS sections. Modify the text and emojis to your preference:

STATUSES: {
  DEFAULT: { presence: 'auto', text: '', emoji: '' },
  OUTSIDE_WORK: { presence: 'away', text: '', emoji: '' },
  HOLIDAY: { presence: 'away', text: 'Holiday', emojiType: 'HOLIDAY' },
  LUNCH: { presence: 'away', text: 'Lunch Break', emojiType: 'LUNCH' },
  BREAK: { presence: 'auto', text: 'Short Break', emojiType: 'BREAK' },
},
EMOJIS: {
  HOLIDAY: ['🌴', '🏔️', '🏖️', '📖', '🎮'],
  LUNCH: ['🍱', '🍛', '🍜', '🍝', '🍣', '🍙', '🍔', '🥪', '🥗', '🍕'],
  BREAK: ['☕', '🍵', '🥤', '🍡', '🍩'],
},

Remember to save your changes after customization. These modifications will allow you to tailor the script to your specific needs, location, and work culture.

Usage

Run the updateUserStatus function manually to test the script
Set up a time-based trigger to run the script automatically:
- In the Google Apps Script editor, go to Triggers
- Click "Add Trigger"
- Choose updateUserStatus as the function to run
- Set the trigger type to "Time-driven" and choose your desired frequency (e.g., every 5 minutes)