Get job alerts in Slack or other tools (webhooks)

What it's for

Job alerts post your clients' backup results straight into a Slack channel your techs already watch, so you spot failed or missed backups without signing in to the Web Portal. In Slack, each finished job shows up as a color-coded summary with the status, the job type, the user and device, how much data was backed up, and how long the job took. The alerts can also go to other tools that accept webhooks, such as an automation platform or your own script.

Magnus Box support sets these alerts up for you. Your Web Portal doesn't have a webhook option. You create the webhook in Slack (or your other tool), then email us the details.

Before you start

• For Slack: you need permission to add apps in your Slack workspace, and a channel for the alerts. We recommend a dedicated channel such as #backup-alerts, because alerts for every finished job get noisy fast in a general channel.
• For other tools: you need the tool's webhook URL. It must be an HTTPS address that can be reached from the internet and that returns HTTP 200 when it receives a message. An address that only works on your internal network won't work.

Steps

1. Create an Incoming Webhook in Slack

Skip this step if you're using another tool. Just have its webhook URL ready.

1. Go to Slack's app management page and create a new app. Give it a name such as "Backup alerts" and choose your workspace.
2. In the app's settings, select Incoming Webhooks and turn on Activate Incoming Webhooks.
3. Click Add New Webhook to Workspace, pick the channel for the alerts, then select Authorize. To post to a private channel, you must be a member of it first.
4. Copy the webhook URL. It looks like https://hooks.slack.com/services/T00000000/B00000000/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.

For more detail, see Slack's guide to sending messages using incoming webhooks.

2. Request the alerts

Email support@magnusbox.com with:

1. The webhook URL: the Slack webhook URL from step 1, or your other tool's webhook URL.
2. Which accounts or users the alerts should cover: for example all your clients, or only contoso-dental.
3. Which events you want: for example failed or missed backups, warnings, or all job results.

3. We set it up and confirm

We set up the alerts for you and reply to confirm when they're live.

Verify it worked

1. After we confirm, watch your Slack channel (or your tool's logs).
2. You'll see a test message, or the result of the next backup for one of the accounts you chose.
3. Check that the alert shows the right user, device and status.

If nothing arrives after the next backup has run, email support@magnusbox.com and we'll check it.

Change or stop the alerts

Email support@magnusbox.com if you want to:

• send the alerts to a different channel or tool
• add or remove accounts or users
• change which events you get
• stop the alerts

If the webhook URL is ever exposed, create a new webhook in Slack, remove the old one, and email us the new URL.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing arrives in Slack: make sure the Slack app is still installed and the channel isn't archived. If you removed or replaced the webhook in Slack, email us the new URL.
• Messages arrive out of order: that's expected. Messages are sent in parallel, and retries aren't sent in order. Use the times in each message.
• Too many messages: email us to narrow down the events, or move the alerts to their own channel.
• Your own tool misses messages: it must answer every message with HTTP 200. If it doesn't, the delivery is only retried a limited number of times.
• Still stuck? Email support@magnusbox.com with the channel or tool name and roughly when you expected an alert.

Related articles

• Syncro API
• Email Addresses
• API Reference