How to Create Asana Tasks from Slack Messages with Make

Make Dashboard > Scenarios > Create a new scenario

Create a new scenario in Make

Log in to Make at make.com and click the blue 'Create a new scenario' button in the top right of the Scenarios dashboard. You'll land on a blank canvas with a single empty module circle in the center. This is where you set the trigger. Click the circle to open the app search modal — every scenario starts here. Name your scenario something like 'Slack → Asana: Client Issue Tasks' using the pencil icon at the top left so you can find it later.

1. 1Click 'Create a new scenario' in the top right
2. 2Click the empty circle module in the canvas center
3. 3Type 'Slack' in the search bar
4. 4Select 'Slack' from the results
5. 5Click the pencil icon top-left and rename the scenario

Scenario Canvas > Slack Module > Watch Messages

Configure the Slack 'Watch Messages' trigger

From the Slack module list, select 'Watch Messages' — this uses a webhook-based connection and fires in real time when a new message lands in a channel. Click 'Add' next to Connection and authenticate with the Slack workspace where your shared client channels live. After connecting, set the Channel field to the specific shared client channel you want to monitor. You can only monitor one channel per scenario module, so if you have multiple client channels, you'll add a Router later — do not try to comma-separate channels here.

1. 1Select 'Watch Messages' from the Slack trigger list
2. 2Click 'Add' next to the Connection field
3. 3Authorize Make in the Slack OAuth window that opens
4. 4In the Channel dropdown, select the target client Slack channel
5. 5Set 'Limit' to 1 to process one message at a time

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Scenario Canvas > Arrow between modules > Filter (wrench icon)

Add a Text Filter to catch client issue messages

Click the small wrench icon on the arrow between the Slack module and where your next module will be — this opens Make's filter panel. Add a filter condition so the scenario only continues when the message actually contains a client issue keyword. Use the 'Text' operator 'Contains' and set the value to 'issue'. Add a second OR condition for 'bug', 'broken', 'urgent', and ':red_circle:'. This prevents every casual Slack message from creating an Asana task. Without this filter, a client saying 'Thanks!' generates a task.

1. 1Click the wrench icon on the connector arrow after the Slack module
2. 2Click 'Add AND condition' and set Field to 'Text' (the message body)
3. 3Set operator to 'Contains (case insensitive)'
4. 4Enter 'issue' as the first value
5. 5Click 'Add OR condition' and repeat for 'bug', 'broken', 'urgent', ':red_circle:'

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Scenario Canvas > + Add module > Flow Control > Router

Add a Router to assign priority by keyword

Click the '+' button after the filter to add the next module, then choose 'Flow Control > Router' instead of going straight to Asana. The Router lets you branch: one path for 'urgent' messages (High priority in Asana) and another path for everything else (Normal priority). Right-click each Router output arrow to name the routes 'High Priority' and 'Standard'. This is the step most people skip — they set a static priority in Asana and then clients complain urgent issues aren't flagged.

1. 1Click '+' after the filter on the canvas
2. 2Search for 'Router' and select 'Flow Control > Router'
3. 3Right-click the top output arrow and label it 'High Priority'
4. 4Right-click the bottom output arrow and label it 'Standard'
5. 5Set a filter on the 'High Priority' route: message Text Contains 'urgent' OR Contains ':red_circle:'

Scenario Canvas > High Priority Route > + Add module > Asana > Create a Task

Add an Asana 'Create a Task' module on the High Priority route

Click '+' on the 'High Priority' Router output arrow and search for Asana. Select 'Create a Task'. Connect your Asana account via OAuth — Make will ask for a workspace and project. Set the Workspace to your Asana workspace and set the Project to the Asana project designated for client issues. In the Name field, type the Slack message text using the dynamic variable picker: click the field, then select the Slack module's 'Text' variable. Prefix it with '[HIGH] ' so tasks are visually flagged in Asana's list view.

1. 1Click '+' on the High Priority Router output
2. 2Search 'Asana' and select 'Create a Task'
3. 3Click 'Add' next to Connection and authorize via Asana OAuth
4. 4Set Workspace to your Asana workspace name
5. 5Set Project to the client issues project
6. 6In the Name field, type '[HIGH] ' then click the variable picker and select Slack Text

Scenario Canvas > Asana Create Task Module > Notes / Due Date fields

Map client context fields in the Asana task

Still inside the Asana 'Create a Task' module, scroll down to fill in the remaining fields. Set the Notes field to a formatted block that includes the Slack channel name, the message author's display name, a link to the original Slack message, and a timestamp. Make provides all of these as variables from the Slack trigger: 'channel.name', 'user', 'permalink', and 'ts'. Set the Due Date to 'today + 1 day' using Make's formula: formatDate(addDays(now; 1); 'YYYY-MM-DD'). This gives the team a default deadline without requiring manual entry.

1. 1Click the Notes field and build a multi-line text block using Slack variables
2. 2Insert: 'Client: {{1.channel.name}}\nReported by: {{1.user}}\nOriginal message: {{1.permalink}}\nReported at: {{1.ts}}'
3. 3Click the Due Date field
4. 4Type the formula: formatDate(addDays(now; 1); 'YYYY-MM-DD')
5. 5Set Assignee to the account manager's Asana user ID (copy from Asana profile URL)

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Asana Create Task Module > Custom Fields > Add item

Set task priority using Asana custom fields

Scroll further down in the Asana module to find 'Custom Fields'. If your Asana project has a Priority custom field (most teams add this manually), you can set it here. Click 'Add item', select your Priority field by name, and set the value to 'High' for this route. If your Asana project does not yet have a Priority custom field, go to Asana first: open the project, click the grid icon at top right, and add a single-select field named 'Priority' with values High, Medium, Low. Then return to Make and refresh the custom fields list.

1. 1Scroll to 'Custom Fields' in the Asana module
2. 2Click 'Add item'
3. 3Select 'Priority' from the custom field dropdown
4. 4Set the value to 'High'
5. 5Save the module settings

Scenario Canvas > Standard Route > + Paste Asana Module

Duplicate the Asana module for the Standard priority route

Right-click the Asana 'Create a Task' module you just configured and select 'Copy'. Then click '+' on the Standard Router output arrow and paste the copied module. Change the Name field prefix from '[HIGH] ' to nothing (or '[REQ] ' if you want a visual tag). Change the Priority custom field value from 'High' to 'Normal'. Change the Due Date formula to give 3 days instead of 1: formatDate(addDays(now; 3); 'YYYY-MM-DD'). All other fields — Notes, Assignee, Project — stay the same.

1. 1Right-click the High Priority Asana module and select 'Copy'
2. 2Click '+' on the Standard Router output arrow
3. 3Select 'Paste module' from the app search modal
4. 4Update the Name field to remove '[HIGH] ' prefix
5. 5Update Priority custom field to 'Normal'
6. 6Update Due Date formula: formatDate(addDays(now; 3); 'YYYY-MM-DD')

Scenario Canvas > After each Asana Module > + Add module > Slack > Post a Message

Add a Slack 'Post a Message' confirmation module

After each Asana module, add a final Slack 'Post a Message' module to send a confirmation back to the client channel. This closes the loop — clients see their request was captured without needing to ask. Set the Channel to the same channel variable from the trigger: '{{1.channel.id}}'. Set the message text to something like: 'Got it. I've logged this as an Asana task: {{asana_task.permalink_url}}'. The Asana module exposes 'permalink_url' as an output variable — use that so clients can click through.

1. 1Click '+' after the High Priority Asana module
2. 2Search 'Slack' and select 'Post a Message'
3. 3Set Channel to '{{1.channel.id}}' from the Slack trigger variables
4. 4Set Text to: 'Got it. Logged as a task: {{AsanaModuleNumber.permalink_url}}'
5. 5Repeat for the Standard route Asana module

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Scenario Canvas > Run once (bottom left toolbar)

Run a test with a real Slack message

Click 'Run once' in the bottom left of the Make canvas. Switch to Slack and post a test message in your target channel containing the word 'urgent issue'. Return to Make — the scenario canvas will animate as each module fires. Green checkmarks appear on each module that succeeded. Click any module to inspect the exact data that passed through it. Verify in Asana that a new task appeared in the correct project with the correct priority, notes, and due date. Check the Slack channel for the confirmation message.

1. 1Click 'Run once' in the bottom left toolbar
2. 2Go to Slack and post: 'urgent issue — the login page is broken for our team'
3. 3Return to Make and watch the modules animate
4. 4Click each module bubble to verify data output
5. 5Open Asana and confirm the task exists with correct fields

📬 New entry: {{1.name}}
Email: {{1.email}}
Details: {{1.description}}

Scenario Canvas > Toggle ON (bottom left) > Scheduling > Immediately

Activate the scenario and set scheduling to instant

Click the toggle switch in the bottom left of the canvas to turn the scenario ON. Make will prompt you to set a scheduling interval — select 'Immediately' so the webhook fires as soon as a Slack message lands rather than on a polling cycle. Confirm the scenario is active by checking the green status dot next to the scenario name on the Scenarios dashboard. The scenario now runs continuously without manual intervention. Monitor the first 20-30 live runs by checking the scenario History tab for any errors.

1. 1Click the toggle switch in the bottom left to ON
2. 2In the scheduling dialog, select 'Immediately'
3. 3Click 'Save' to confirm
4. 4Navigate to Scenarios dashboard and verify green status dot
5. 5Click 'History' tab on the scenario to monitor early runs

Paste this formula into Make's Notes field using the formula editor (click the 'f(x)' button inside the field). It builds a clean, formatted notes block and falls back gracefully when the real_name field is empty — which happens when the Slack user is a bot or a deactivated account. The formatDate call normalizes the Slack epoch timestamp into a readable format.

// Make Formula — paste into Asana 'Notes' field using the f(x) formula editor
// Requires: Slack 'Watch Messages' module (module 1) + Slack 'Get User Info' module (module 2)
if(

// Make Formula — paste into Asana 'Notes' field using the f(x) formula editor
// Requires: Slack 'Watch Messages' module (module 1) + Slack 'Get User Info' module (module 2)

if(
  isEmpty(2.real_name);
  concat(
    "Client Channel: "; 1.channel.name; "\n";
    "Reported by: Unknown User (ID: "; 1.user; ")\n";
    "Message: "; 1.text; "\n";
    "Link: "; 1.permalink; "\n";
    "Reported at: "; formatDate(1.ts * 1000; "MMMM D, YYYY [at] h:mm A"; "UTC")
  );
  concat(
    "Client Channel: "; 1.channel.name; "\n";
    "Reported by: "; 2.real_name; "\n";
    "Message: "; 1.text; "\n";
    "Link: "; 1.permalink; "\n";
    "Reported at: "; formatDate(1.ts * 1000; "MMMM D, YYYY [at] h:mm A"; "UTC")
  )
)