How to Set Up Slack & Discord Notifications for GitHub Releases

1. Prerequisites

Before you start, you need:

• •A GitWatchman account (free — sign in with GitHub)
• •At least one repository being monitored in GitWatchman
• •Admin access to a Slack workspace or Discord server where you want to receive notifications

2. Setting Up Slack Notifications

Slack uses Incoming Webhooks to receive messages from external services. Here's how to create one:

1. Go to api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App → From scratch
2. Name your app (e.g., "GitWatchman Releases") and select your workspace
3. In the sidebar, click Incoming Webhooks and toggle it On
4. Click Add New Webhook to Workspace and select the channel where you want release notifications (e.g., #releases)
5. Copy the webhook URL — it looks like https://hooks.slack.com/services/T.../B.../...

3. Setting Up Discord Notifications

Discord's webhook system is straightforward and doesn't require creating an app:

1. Open your Discord server and go to Server Settings → Integrations
2. Click Webhooks → New Webhook
3. Name it (e.g., "GitWatchman") and select the target channel
4. Click Copy Webhook URL — it looks like https://discord.com/api/webhooks/...

That's it — Discord webhooks don't require OAuth or app approval. The webhook URL is all you need.

4. Connecting to GitWatchman

Once you have your webhook URL, connecting it to GitWatchman takes under a minute:

1. Log in to GitWatchman
2. Click your avatar in the top-right and open your Profile
3. Scroll to the Integrations section
4. Click Connect next to Slack or Discord
5. Paste your webhook URL and click Save
6. Click Test to send a sample notification to your channel

You can connect both Slack and Discord at the same time — they work independently. Each integration can be toggled on or off without deleting the webhook URL.

5. What Notifications Look Like

GitWatchman formats notifications differently for each platform to match native conventions:

Slack

Slack notifications use Block Kit formatting. Each notification includes a header with the repository name and version, a summary of the release notes (truncated if very long), and action buttons linking to the release page and the GitWatchman dashboard.

Discord

Discord notifications use Rich Embeds with a purple accent color matching GitWatchman's branding. Each embed shows the repository name, version tag, release notes excerpt, and a timestamp. The footer links back to GitWatchman.

6. Tips for Teams

• •Dedicated channel. Create a #releases channel so notifications don't clutter your main conversation. Team members can join the channel if they want to follow updates.
• •Monitor what matters. GitWatchman lets you track up to 5 repositories. Choose the dependencies that affect your team most — your framework, ORM, auth library, and maybe your UI library.
• •Review together. When a major release notification arrives, use it as a prompt for a quick team discussion: "React 20 is out — who wants to review the changelog?"
• •Use labels. GitWatchman lets you add a custom label to each integration (e.g., "Backend Team" or "Frontend Releases"). This helps if you manage multiple webhooks.

Frequently Asked Questions