How to Send Basecamp Updates to Slack with n8n

Workflows > + New Workflow

Create new n8n workflow

Log into your n8n instance and create a new workflow. Name it 'Basecamp to Slack Updates' so you can find it later. This workflow will receive webhook data from Basecamp and format it for Slack.

1. 1Click the + New Workflow button
2. 2Click the pencil icon next to 'My workflow'
3. 3Type 'Basecamp to Slack Updates'
4. 4Press Enter to save the name

Node Menu > Trigger > Webhook

Add Webhook trigger node

Add a Webhook node as your trigger. This creates a unique URL that Basecamp will send updates to. Copy the webhook URL from the node settings - you'll need this for Basecamp configuration.

1. 1Click the + button on the canvas
2. 2Search for 'Webhook' in the node list
3. 3Click on Webhook under Trigger nodes
4. 4Click 'Execute Node' to generate the webhook URL
5. 5Copy the Production URL to your clipboard

Basecamp Project > Settings > Webhooks

Configure Basecamp webhook

In Basecamp, go to your project settings and add the webhook URL. Choose which events trigger notifications: to-do completions, milestone updates, and message posts work best for team updates.

1. 1Open your Basecamp project
2. 2Click the gear icon in the top right
3. 3Select 'Set up webhooks'
4. 4Paste your n8n webhook URL
5. 5Check 'Todo completed', 'Milestone completed', and 'Message created'
6. 6Click 'Add webhook'

Node Menu > Logic > IF

Add conditional logic for event types

Add an IF node to handle different Basecamp event types. Each event (todo completion, milestone, message) needs different formatting for Slack. This prevents irrelevant notifications from cluttering your channels.

1. 1Click the + button after the Webhook node
2. 2Search for 'IF' and select it
3. 3Set Condition to 'String'
4. 4Set Value 1 to '{{ $json.kind }}'
5. 5Set Operation to 'Equal'
6. 6Set Value 2 to 'Todo'

Node Menu > Data Transformation > Function

Format todo completion messages

Add a Function node on the 'true' path to format todo completions. Extract the task name, assignee, and project from Basecamp's webhook data. Create a Slack-friendly message with proper formatting.

1. 1Connect a Function node to the IF node's 'true' output
2. 2Name it 'Format Todo Message'
3. 3Add the code from the Pro Tip section
4. 4Set the Language to JavaScript
5. 5Click 'Execute Node' to test

Node Menu > Communication > Slack

Add Slack node for todos

Connect a Slack node to send the formatted todo messages. Configure it to use the channel and text from your Function node output. Set up authentication with a Slack bot token that has chat:write permissions.

1. 1Add a Slack node after the Function node
2. 2Choose 'Send Message' as the operation
3. 3Click 'Create New' for credentials
4. 4Paste your Slack Bot Token
5. 5Set Channel to '{{ $json.channel }}'
6. 6Set Text to '{{ $json.text }}'

Node Menu > Logic > IF

Handle milestone events

Add another IF node on the 'false' path to check for milestone events. Milestones need different formatting since they include due dates and completion percentages rather than just task names.

1. 1Connect an IF node to the first IF node's 'false' output
2. 2Set Condition to 'String'
3. 3Set Value 1 to '{{ $json.kind }}'
4. 4Set Operation to 'Equal'
5. 5Set Value 2 to 'Schedule Entry'

Node Menu > Data Transformation > Function

Format milestone messages

Add a Function node to format milestone notifications with project name, milestone title, and due date. Include relevant team members using @mentions if they're assigned to the milestone.

1. 1Connect a Function node to the milestone IF node's 'true' output
2. 2Name it 'Format Milestone Message'
3. 3Set up milestone-specific formatting code
4. 4Include due date and assignee extraction
5. 5Test with sample milestone data

Node Menu > Communication > Slack

Add second Slack node for milestones

Connect another Slack node for milestone messages. Use the same bot credentials but consider posting to a different channel if your team separates task updates from milestone announcements.

1. 1Add a Slack node after the milestone Function node
2. 2Select your existing Slack credentials
3. 3Choose 'Send Message' operation
4. 4Set Channel to your milestones channel
5. 5Set Text to the formatted milestone message

Basecamp > Any Project > Todo List

Test with real Basecamp data

Complete a test todo in Basecamp and check that your Slack channel receives the notification. The message should include task name, who completed it, and which project it belongs to.

1. 1Go to any Basecamp project with webhook enabled
2. 2Mark a todo as complete
3. 3Check your Slack channel for the notification
4. 4Verify the message format and channel
5. 5Check n8n execution log for any errors

Workflow > Save & Activate

Activate workflow for production

Save and activate your workflow in n8n. The webhook will now receive all configured Basecamp events and route them to appropriate Slack channels. Monitor the first few executions to catch any formatting issues.

1. 1Click the 'Save' button in the top right
2. 2Toggle the workflow to 'Active' status
3. 3Check that the webhook URL is still valid
4. 4Test with one more Basecamp action
5. 5Monitor executions for the first hour

This JavaScript code handles todo completion formatting and extracts nested data from Basecamp's webhook payload. Paste it in the 'Format Todo Message' Function node to properly format Slack messages.

// Extract todo completion data from Basecamp webhook
const webhookData = $input.first().json;
const todoTitle = webhookData.subject || 'Unknown task';

// Extract todo completion data from Basecamp webhook
const webhookData = $input.first().json;
const todoTitle = webhookData.subject || 'Unknown task';
const creatorName = webhookData.creator?.name || 'Someone';
const projectName = webhookData.bucket?.name || 'Unknown project';
const basecampUrl = webhookData.app_url || '';

// Determine Slack channel based on project name
let slackChannel = '#general';
if (projectName.toLowerCase().includes('marketing')) {
  slackChannel = '#marketing-updates';
} else if (projectName.toLowerCase().includes('dev')) {
  slackChannel = '#dev-updates';
} else if (projectName.toLowerCase().includes('client')) {
  slackChannel = '#client-projects';
}

// Format Slack message with emoji and formatting
const slackText = `✅ *${todoTitle}* completed by ${creatorName} in ${projectName}`;
const fullMessage = basecampUrl ? `${slackText}\n<${basecampUrl}|View in Basecamp>` : slackText;

// Return formatted data for Slack node
return {
  json: {
    channel: slackChannel,
    text: fullMessage,
    username: 'Basecamp Bot',
    icon_emoji: ':white_check_mark:'
  }
};