Getting Started with Centro Broadcasts for Slack or Teams
This article walks through how to install, configure, and use Centro Broadcasts to send message broadcasts from Salesforce to multiple Slack channels. The same overall workflow also applies to Microsoft Teams chats and channels, but the examples below focus on Slack.
Applies to: Salesforce + Slack / Microsoft Teams using the Centro Core package and the Centro Broadcast add-on.
Table of Contents
1. Prerequisites
Before using Centro Broadcast, make sure the following are in place:
Centro Core is installed and configured in your Salesforce org.
The Centro app is installed in Slack or Teams and connected to your Salesforce org.
You have the necessary Salesforce admin permissions to install packages and assign permission sets.
To confirm the Slack connection, open the Centro app in Slack and verify that you see a valid Salesforce connection indicator in the upper-right corner of the app.
2. Install the Centro Broadcast Package
Your Centro representative will provide a package installation link for Centro Broadcast (from the Salesforce AppExchange or a direct package URL).
Open the Centro Broadcast package link in your browser while logged into Salesforce.
Select the appropriate Salesforce org (Sandbox or Production) if prompted.
On the installation screen:
Under Advanced Options, leave “Compile all Apex in the org” selected.
Choose Install for Admins Only (recommended initially).
Click Install and wait for the installation to complete.
You’ll receive an email from Salesforce when the installation completes if the install runs in the background.
3. Assign Permission Sets and Licenses
3.1 Assign Centro Broadcast User Permission Set
In Salesforce Setup, go to Permission Sets.
Search for and open the Centro Broadcast User permission set.
Click Manage Assignments > Add Assignments.
Select:
Your admin user (for testing and configuration).
Any other users who will send or manage broadcasts.
Click Assign to save.
3.2 Assign Core Centro Permission Sets for Test Admin
For initial setup and testing, we recommend that your admin user also has core Centro permissions:
Centro Admin permission set
Centro User permission set
Assign these to your admin user in the same way as above. This ensures access to all relevant Centro features during configuration and testing.
Note: Non-admin end users typically do not need the Centro Admin permission set, but they will usually need at least the Centro User permission set.
3.3 Verify Installed Package Licenses
In Salesforce Setup, go to Installed Packages.
Find and open the Centro and/or Centro Broadcast package entries.
Click Manage Licenses.
Confirm that:
Your admin user has a license assigned.
Any other broadcast users who need access also have licenses assigned.
4. Open the Centro Broadcast App & Tab
In Salesforce, click the App Launcher (grid icon).
Search for and open the Centro Broadcast app (or the app that contains the broadcast tab).
Click the Centro Broadcast tab.
The Broadcast tab acts as your main dashboard for:
Creating and managing audiences.
Building broadcast content.
Sending broadcast messages to Slack or Teams.
Viewing reporting on deliveries and engagement.
5. Create Broadcast Audiences
An audience is a named collection of Slack (or Teams) channels and/or chats that you want to send the same message to. Common examples include:
External Customer – Slack Connect
External Partners – Slack Connect
From the Centro Broadcast app, go to the Audiences tab (or section).
Click New to create your first audience.
Give your audience a descriptive name, for example:
External Customers – Slack Connect
Save the audience.
Repeat the process for any additional groups you need, for example:
External Partners – Slack Connect
You can define audiences by customer type, region, product, or any other segmentation that makes sense for your communications.
6. Link Salesforce Accounts to Slack Channels
To broadcast to Slack channels, Centro needs to know which Slack channel IDs correspond to which customers or accounts. The recommended way to do this is with the Centro Live Links Lightning web component on your Account page layout.
6.1 Ensure Centro Live Links Is on the Account Page
In Salesforce Setup, use the Object Manager to open Account.
Edit the appropriate Lightning Record Page for your accounts.
Ensure the Centro Live Links component is dropped onto the page layout.
Save and activate the page if needed.
Once in place, the Live Links component lets you connect a Salesforce record (like an Account) to a specific Slack channel or Teams conversation.
6.2 Sign In to Slack from Live Links (Recommended)
Open an Account record in Salesforce.
Locate the Centro Live Links component on the page.
If prompted, click to sign in to Slack so that your user can post messages into Slack. (This is not strictly required for linking, but it’s highly recommended.)
6.3 Link an Account to a Slack Channel
From the Account’s Live Links component, click the option to Link Conversation or Create/Link Channel (wording may vary).
If the channel already exists:
Search for the existing Slack channel in the list (for example, your customer’s Slack Connect channel).
Select it and confirm the linkage.
If the channel does not exist yet:
Use the component to create a new channel in Slack (for example:
acme-external).Confirm creation and linking.
After linking, you’ll see the channel appear as a linked conversation on the Account, indicating the connection between that record and the Slack channel.
The Live Links component can also invite internal users and external contacts into the channel. That configuration is covered in a separate, more detailed setup guide.
6.4 Repeat for Additional Accounts
Repeat the linking process for at least a few more Accounts so that you have multiple Slack Connect channels available to build into your audiences.
7. Populate Audiences with Linked Conversations
Once you have linked conversations on Accounts, you can add those conversations to your broadcast audiences using the Audience Builder in Centro Broadcast.
Return to the Centro Broadcast app.
Open the Audience Builder feature.
Click Next to start configuring.
On the first screen, select the audience you want to work with, for example:
External Customers – Slack Connect
Proceed to the step where you can Select Linked Conversations.
Select the linked Slack conversations (from your Accounts) that should belong to this audience.
Click Next and then Save.
When you drill into the audience record (for example, “External Customers – Slack Connect”), you should now see a list of the selected conversations associated with that audience.
8. Create Structured Broadcast Content
Centro Broadcast supports two types of message experiences:
Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
Structured Broadcast | Predefined message body with optional buttons. Engagement is tracked. | Release notes, announcements, scheduled updates. |
Freeform Broadcast | Message body is typed at send time. Less structured, more ad hoc. | One-off updates or quick, unscripted messages. |
8.1 Create a Structured Content Record
In the Centro Broadcast app, navigate to the Broadcast Content or similar tab.
Click New to create a new content record.
Provide a name, for example:
Release Notes – Q1 Customers
(Optional) Associate the content to a Salesforce Campaign if you want to track it there.
In the Message Body (rich text) area:
Compose your Slack-oriented message.
You can draft the text directly in Slack first and then paste it into the editor if you prefer.
(Optional) Add buttons to the message (for example, “Book a Call”, “Learn More”, “View Docs”).
Click Save when you are satisfied. This content can now be used as a structured broadcast template.
Button clicks in structured broadcasts are tracked and will roll up into engagement reporting.
9. Send a Broadcast (with Test Channel)
With your audiences configured and content created, you’re ready to send a broadcast.
From the Centro Broadcast app, initiate a new broadcast (for example, via a New Broadcast or Start Broadcast button).
Click Next to begin the wizard.
Select an Audience:
Choose your desired audience, for example: External Customers – Slack Connect.
Choose Broadcast Type:
Select Structured to use the content record you just created.
Alternatively, select Freeform if you want to type a message on the fly.
If using Structured:
Select the specific content record (for example, “Release Notes – Q1 Customers”).
Click Next.
9.1 Use the Test Feature
Before broadcasting to all audience channels, you can send a test message:
Select a test channel in Slack (typically an internal channel used for validation).
Click Send Test.
Verify in Slack that:
The message looks correct.
Buttons (if any) appear and function as expected.
9.2 Send the Broadcast to the Audience
Return to the broadcast wizard once you are satisfied with the test.
Review the list of audience channels:
You can select or deselect specific channels if needed.
Use Select All to include every channel in the audience.
Click Send to dispatch the broadcast to all selected channels.
The message will appear in each selected Slack channel. For example, if your content includes a “Book a Call” button, clicking that button will be recorded as engagement.
10. View Broadcast Reporting
Centro Broadcast provides reporting on message delivery and engagement so you can track performance.
Open the Centro Broadcast dashboard or reporting tab.
Locate the broadcast run you just sent.
Review key metrics, such as:
Deliveries – how many channels received the message.
Engagements – how many button clicks or other tracked interactions occurred.
For example, you might see:
1 delivery of the content.
1 engagement (e.g., one click on the “Book a Call” button).
More advanced reporting options and use cases are covered in separate articles and videos.
Next Steps & Support
You’re now ready to start using Centro Broadcast to send updates to multiple Slack Connect or Microsoft Teams conversations from Salesforce.
If you have questions about configuration, permissions, or advanced use cases, please contact your Centro representative or reach out to our support team.