slack-status-updater

Lightweight Python service to automatically update Slack status based on a schedule and configurable rules.

This project lets you define status messages, emojis, and schedule rules so a small scheduler updates your Slack presence automatically. It supports both a local Python setup and a Docker-based deployment.

Features

• Scheduled status updates using a configurable scheduler
• Day-of-week scheduling - Different statuses for weekdays, weekends, or specific days
• Time range constraints - Statuses that only apply during certain hours
• Read configuration from config.yml (example provided)
• Slack integration using a token-based API client
• Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml for containerized deployment
• Small, easy-to-read codebase (single module + package)

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ (recommended)
• pip for installing dependencies
• A Slack user token with users.profile:write scope

Install dependencies

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Create configuration

1. Copy the example config:

cp config.example.yml config.yml

2. Edit config.yml and set your Slack token and schedules. At minimum set slack.token and one schedules entry.

Run locally

# run the small app which starts the scheduler
python slack_status.py

The service will read config.yml from the repository root by default.

Configuration

Open config.example.yml (renamed to config.yml) to see available settings.

Basic Configuration

Simple time-based status updates with day constraints:

slack_token: "your-slack-token-here"

intervals:
  - time: "07:30"
    days: "weekdays"
    presence: "auto"
    status_text: "Working"
    status_emoji: ":white_check_mark:"

  - time: "12:00"
    days: "weekdays"
    presence: "away"
    status_text: "Out for the day"
    status_emoji: ":x:"

Advanced Configuration

Schedule statuses for specific days or time ranges:

slack_token: "your-slack-token-here"

intervals:
  # Weekday working hours
  - time: "09:00"
    days: "weekdays"
    presence: "auto"
    status_text: "Working"
    status_emoji: ":computer:"

  # Weekend status
  - time: "09:00"
    days: "weekends"
    presence: "away"
    status_text: "Out of Office"
    status_emoji: ":palm_tree:"

  # Specific days
  - time: "18:00"
    days: ["monday", "wednesday", "friday"]
    presence: "away"
    status_text: "Gym time"
    status_emoji: ":muscle:"

  # Time range constraints (only active during specific hours)
  - time: "10:00"
    days: ["friday"]
    time_range:
      start: "10:00"
      end: "16:00"
    presence: "auto"
    status_text: "Friday focus time"
    status_emoji: ":dart:"

Configuration Options

Each interval supports the following fields:

• time (required): Time in HH:MM format when the status should be set
• days (required): Day constraints - can be:
  • "weekdays" - Monday through Friday
  • "weekends" - Saturday and Sunday
  • ["monday", "tuesday", ...] - Specific days of the week
• time_range (optional): Time range when the status is active
  • start: Start time in HH:MM format
  • end: End time in HH:MM format
• presence: Slack presence ("auto" or "away")
• status_text: Custom status message
• status_emoji: Status emoji (e.g., :computer:)

Note: Time ranges can cross midnight (e.g., start: "22:00", end: "06:00").

Security note: Do not commit real tokens into git. Prefer environment variables or secrets.

Docker

Build and run with Docker Compose

docker compose build
docker compose up -d

Environment variables

Set the token via environment variables or a mounted config.yml. Example docker-compose.yml in this repo demonstrates usage.

Troubleshooting

• Logs: If running with Docker Compose, use docker compose logs -f.
• Token errors: ensure the token has users.profile:write scope.
• Config load errors: ensure yml indentation is correct and required fields exist.

Author

👤 Filippo Finke

• Website: https://filippofinke.ch
• Twitter: @filippofinke
• Github: @filippofinke
• LinkedIn: @filippofinke