# Using the Drivetrain Slackbot

The **Drivetrain Slackbot** brings your financial data and updates directly into Slack. Once installed, you can view notifications for comments, tasks, and approvals, and ask questions about your metrics—all without leaving Slack.

If you haven’t installed the integration yet, see [Integration for Slack](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/extending-drivetrain/integration-for-slack) for setup instructions and permissions.

Watch how the Drivetrain Slackbot delivers **instant insights and updates** **within Slack.**

{% embed url="<https://drivetrain-ai.wistia.com/medias/vr6621738o>" %}

### Receive contextual alerts <a href="#receive-contextual-alerts" id="receive-contextual-alerts"></a>

After [connecting Slack](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/extending-drivetrain/integration-for-slack), Drivetrain automatically sends you notifications for events that require your attention. You’ll receive alerts when:

* You’re **tagged** in a comment on a model or report
* A task is **assigned** to you
* A task you assigned is **updated** (for example, completed, commented on, or routed for approval)

Each notification includes the full context—such as the sender’s name, comment, and a link to the relevant model or report—so you can review the details and take action directly from Slack.

### Ask questions with @Drivetrain <a href="#ask-questions-with-drivetrain" id="ask-questions-with-drivetrain"></a>

Beyond notifications, the Drivetrain Slackbot allows you to query your data directly from Slack. To get started, tag **@Drivetrain** in a message and enter your question in plain language.

For example:

**`@Drivetrain`**` ``- Show me the trend of closing cash and runway numbers for every quarter in 2025`

The Slackbot interprets your question, retrieves the data, and returns a concise, data-backed response with explanatory commentary. You can ask about metrics, compare time periods, or run quick calculations—all while respecting your access controls in Drivetrain.

### Continue the conversation <a href="#continue-the-conversation" id="continue-the-conversation"></a>

Follow-up questions are supported within the same Slack thread. For example:

**`@Drivetrain`**` ``- Calculate the runway if I got a $100 million dollar cash infusion in October 2025`

The Slackbot uses your previous context to run the calculation, explain the logic applied, and show the impact on your forecast. This makes it easy to explore scenarios and see the effect of assumptions in real-time.

### Analyze trends and benchmarks <a href="#analyze-trends-and-benchmarks" id="analyze-trends-and-benchmarks"></a>

You can also use the Slackbot for comparative analysis. For example:

**`@Drivetrain`**` ``- Compare Q1 2024 and Q1 2025 operating expenses and highlight key changes`

If the metric exists in Drivetrain, the Slackbot fetches it and highlights the key differences. You can then drill down by department, account, or other dimensions to identify what’s driving the change.

### Why use the Drivetrain Slackbot <a href="#why-use-the-drivetrain-slackbot" id="why-use-the-drivetrain-slackbot"></a>

The **Drivetrain Slackbot** helps teams stay aligned and make faster decisions by bringing context and insights to the tools they already use.

* Get **real-time alerts** for comments, tasks, and approvals
* Query data and analyze results directly in **Slack**
* Explore trends, variances, and scenarios **without switching tools**

For deeper analysis and visualizations, open [**Drive AI**](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/getting-started/drive-ai) in your Drivetrain tenant.

#### **Related articles**

[Integration for Slack](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/extending-drivetrain/integration-for-slack)

[Drive AI](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/getting-started/drive-ai)

[Writing effective prompts](https://handbook.drivetrain.ai/getting-started/drive-ai/writing-effective-prompts)