New Feature Slack-native AI answers for on-call teams

How to use AI auto-answering in OnCallManager

OnCallManager can answer operational questions in Slack using knowledge learned from team conversations and Google Docs connected to each rotation. This guide shows how to set it up, how people should ask questions, and how to improve answer quality over time.

Overview

What it does

When someone mentions a rotation handle in Slack with a question, OnCallManager searches knowledge linked to that rotation and replies in the thread.

What it uses

  • Past team conversations captured as knowledge
  • Google Docs linked to the rotation knowledge base
  • Slack thread context for the current question

Setup

Step 1: Create a rotation

  1. Open OnCallManager in Slack
  2. Click New Schedule
  3. Create the rotation handle your team will mention in Slack

Step 2: Connect Google Docs

  1. Find the rotation in Slack App Home
  2. Click Manage Knowledge Base
  3. Pick the Google Docs your team already uses for runbooks, SOPs, or incident notes

Linked documents sync automatically so answers stay up to date as the docs change.

Step 3: Let the system learn

If a question is asked and someone on the team answers it in the thread, OnCallManager can capture that exchange as future knowledge for the same rotation.

Ask Questions in Slack

Usage pattern

Mention the rotation handle directly in Slack with a clear question. 

@backend-oncall How do I restart the service?

Where answers appear

Answers are posted back into the same Slack thread so the discussion stays in context and your team can refine the answer if needed.

If no good answer is found

Team members should answer normally in the thread. Those replies help the system improve future answers for the same type of question.

Best Practices

  • Link the docs people actually use during incidents, not every document in the workspace.
  • Use one rotation handle per operational area so answers stay grounded in the right knowledge base.
  • When a human answer is better, reply in-thread with the exact steps you want the system to learn.
  • Keep linked Google Docs concise and operational so the AI can retrieve the right instructions quickly.