In this guide
- Create a Slack incoming webhook, then a small custom tag that posts a JSON message with
sendHttpRequest. - Trigger it on events that matter, such as large orders or new leads.
- Keep personal data out of the message and protect the webhook URL.
Teams like to hear about big orders and new leads without opening a dashboard. A server container already sees those events, so a single tag can post to Slack. This page shows the recipe. Slack's features change, so check Slack's documentation for incoming webhooks. See interesting use cases and server-side tagging as an alternative to Zapier.
1. Create the webhook
- In Slack, create an app and enable Incoming Webhooks.
- Add the webhook to the channel that should receive messages.
- Copy the webhook URL. Treat it like a password: anyone with it can post to the channel.
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2. A tag template
Create a custom tag template in the server container. Add fields for the webhook URL (as a secure variable) and the message text, and allow the request in the template's permissions (Sends HTTP requests, to https://hooks.slack.com/*).
const sendHttpRequest = require("sendHttpRequest");
const JSON = require("JSON");
const getEventData = require("getEventData");
const url = data.webhookUrl;
const text = data.message || ("New event: " + getEventData("event_name"));
sendHttpRequest(url, (statusCode) => {
if (statusCode >= 200 && statusCode < 300) {
data.gtmOnSuccess();
} else {
data.gtmOnFailure();
}
}, {
method: "POST",
headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
timeout: 3000
}, JSON.stringify({ text: text }));3. Build the message
Use variables to fill it: order ID, total, currency, source. For example: New order #10293: $640 (source: meta / paid_social). Do not add the customer's name, e-mail or address. Slack messages are stored and shared.
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4. Trigger
- A trigger on the
purchaseevent with a condition thatvalueis greater than a threshold. - A trigger on
generate_leadfor high-value forms. - A trigger on error conditions, such as a failed tag, if you have a way to detect them.
5. Test
- Open server Preview and send a test purchase above the threshold.
- Check that the tag fires and the message arrives.
- Send one below the threshold: nothing should arrive.
- Check the tag's response in Preview: status 200.
Cautions
Orders from your store, back to the ad that earned them
Your store sends the order once. Open Tracked passes it on to each ad platform, cleaned and deduplicated.
Frequently asked questions
Can a server container send Slack messages?
Yes, with a small custom tag that posts JSON to a Slack incoming webhook.
What goes in the message?
Order ID, total and source. Avoid personal data.
How do I protect the webhook?
Store it in a secure server-side field and allow only Slack's address in the template.
What if the request fails?
It is not retried automatically. Log failures and check them.
Is this reliable enough for critical alerts?
Use it for convenience. For critical alerts, use a monitoring tool with retries.
Do I need spreadsheets to read my results?
No. Once tracking is live, the Open Tracked analytics shows spend, revenue, ROAS and profit, and you can ask Ari, the built-in AI assistant, questions about your own numbers in plain words. Ari's allowance depends on your analytics plan.
Is Open Tracked different from Open Track or Open Space Track?
No. Open Tracked is the official name of our server-side tracking platform, and the website is opentracked.io. Many people search for it as Open Track, OpenTrack or Open Space Track. All of them lead to the same product: server-side Google Tag Manager hosting, first-party analytics and a CRM pipeline.
Fix your tracking at the source
Open Tracked hosts your server-side Tag Manager, keeps first-party cookies alive and shows what each ad is really worth.
The Open Tracked team
We build Open Tracked: server-side tracking hosting, analytics and the tools around them, for stores that spend on ads. Questions about this guide, or an idea for the next one?
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