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Serval provides intuitive ways to interact directly from Slack, making it easy to create tickets, trigger workflows, and get help without leaving your conversations. This guide covers all the available interaction methods.

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Overview

Slash Commands

Type commands like /help from any channel or DM

Message Actions

Create a ticket from an existing Slack message

@Mentions

Tag @Serval in channels to activate assistance

Thread Replies

Continue conversations naturally in threads

Team Inbox

For support teams: Centralized view of all tickets

Direct Messages

Private one-on-one conversations with Serval

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Slash Commands

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/help Command

The quickest way to create a ticket from anywhere in Slack: 
/help [your request message]
When to use: At any time, especially when you prefer creating a quick & simple ticket. Example - Access request: 
/help I need access to AWS for today
The /help command works anywhere in Slack as long as Direct Messaging is enabled by your Serval administrators.

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Message Actions

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Creating Tickets from Existing Messages

Sometimes the perfect ticket description is already in a Slack message. You can turn any message into a ticket using Slack’s message actions:
  1. Hover over any message in Slack
  2. Click the three dots (…) menu
  3. Select “More message shortcuts…”
  4. Choose “Create a ticket” using Serval from the list of actions
Benefits:
  • No need to retype or copy/paste existing messages
  • Works on any message in any channel

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Mentions in Channels

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Activating Serval with @mentions

In channels where Serval is present, you can activate help by mentioning @Serval: How it works:
  • In Help Desk channels: Serval automatically monitors and responds to all new threads
  • In Silent Mode channels: @Serval activates assistance for that thread
  • In Team Only channels: Behaves similarly to Help Desk channels, but does not escalate to a human. It will always stay engaged
Example - Getting help: 
@Serval can you help me reset my password?
Example - Triggering a workflow: 
@Serval please run the new user onboarding workflow for jane@company.com

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Thread-Based Interactions

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Working Within Threads

Serval maintains context within Slack threads, making conversations natural and efficient: Best practices:
  • Keep related discussion in the same thread
  • Serval remembers context from earlier in the thread
  • You can ask follow-up questions naturally
  • Upload files, images, or logs directly in the thread

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Status Updates via Emojis

Serval uses emoji reactions to communicate status at a glance: Common status emojis:
  • ⏳ Serval is working on it
  • ✅ Successfully completed
  • ❌ Cancelled

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Direct Messages (DMs)

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Private Support Conversations

For sensitive requests, you can DM Serval directly: When to use DMs:
  • Personal or sensitive requests
  • Private troubleshooting sessions
Your Serval administrator must enable Direct Messaging for this to work. This is done within the Slack application at the team level. Note that any Serval administrator will be able to view your support ticket, but others in your Slack workspace will not.

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Team Inbox Channels

A dedicated private channel for Serval Managers and Agents to triage all tickets created for your team, without switching to the web interface. Key benefits:
  • Triage all tickets in one place, right from Slack
  • Collaborate with other agents on ticket resolution
  • Respond to end users directly—replies sync back to their original location
Team Inbox channels are designed to be triage-only, meaning new messages posted to the channel won’t create new tickets. Use /help, DMs, or help desk channels to create new tickets.

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Working with Team Inbox

  • View: Each ticket appears as a thread with details and history
  • Respond: Reply in threads—messages send to end users automatically
  • Manage: Use commands like @Serval assign to me to pick up and handle escalated tickets
Learn more: For complete setup instructions, see Configure Team Inbox Channels.

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Advanced Interactions

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Workflow Triggers

Trigger Serval workflows directly from Slack: Example commands:
  • “Run the employee onboarding workflow for john@company.com”
  • “Execute the AWS access grant workflow for the engineering team”
  • “Start the offboarding process for the contractor”

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Transfer Tickets by Tagging @Serval

Move a ticket to another team by mentioning @Serval in a message and requesting the transfer. For example: 
@Serval transfer this ticket to the Security team
Only members of the ticket’s current team can perform transfers. After the transfer, the receiving team takes ownership of the ticket.

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Manual Escalation

Use the manual escalation button on the ticket card in Slack to escalate a ticket directly to a human agent without AI involvement. This bypasses the help desk agent entirely and routes the ticket to your team’s triage queue.

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Ticket Management

Update and manage tickets without leaving Slack: Available actions:
  • “Set priority to high”
  • “Assign this to @teammate”
  • “Close this ticket”
  • “Change status to in progress”

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Quick Reference

MethodWhere it worksBest for
/help commandAnywhere in SlackQuick ticket creation
Message actions (…)Any messageConverting existing messages to tickets
@Serval mentionChannels with ServalActivating help in a thread
Thread repliesActive threadsOngoing conversations
Direct messagesServal DMPrivate requests
Team InboxTeam Inbox channelSupport agents triaging all team tickets

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Ticket Status in Slack

Serval displays dynamic ticket status updates directly in Slack messages. As a ticket progresses — from creation through workflow execution to resolution — the status UI in the Slack message updates in real time so you can track progress without leaving Slack.

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Welcome Message for New Users

When a new user interacts with Serval for the first time in Slack, they receive a welcome message in the Messages tab introducing Serval’s capabilities. This message explains how to get help, what they can ask, and where to find support.

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Tips for Success

Include relevant details like user emails, system names, error messages, or links to help Serval take accurate action.
Keep related messages in the same thread so Serval maintains full context of the conversation.
Serval understands conversational requests - no need to use special syntax or formatting.
Quick visual feedback helps you understand Serval’s progress without reading every response.

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Troubleshooting

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Serval isn’t responding

Check these common issues:
  1. Is Serval added to the channel? (Look for @Serval in the member list)
  2. Is the channel configured in Serval? (Check your Slack integration settings)
  3. For new channels, try @mentioning Serval to add it
  4. Ensure your Slack workspace is properly connected to Serval

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Commands not working

If slash commands aren’t appearing:
  1. Refresh Slack (Cmd/Ctrl + R)
  2. Check that your workspace admin has approved the Serval app
  3. Try typing /help fully - it should auto-complete
  4. Contact support@serval.com if issues persist