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Getting Started with Spark

Everything you need to know to set up automated celebrations for your team

Welcome to Spark! ✨

Spark automates employee celebrations in your Slack workspace. Never miss a birthday, work anniversary, or team milestone again. Set it up once, and Spark handles everything automatically - from tracking important dates to sending personalized messages at the perfect time.

This guide will walk you through installation, configuration, and advanced features to help you get the most out of Spark.

1. Installation & Setup

Add Spark to Your Workspace

  1. Click the "Add to Slack" button below
  2. Select your Slack workspace
  3. Review and authorize the requested permissions
  4. You'll be redirected back to Spark to complete setup
Add to Slack

Required Permissions

  • chat:write - Post celebration messages to channels
  • users:read - Access user profiles and birthdays
  • channels:read - List channels for celebration delivery
  • commands - Enable slash commands for quick access

2. Main Features & Modules

Spark offers four celebration modules. Each module can be configured independently based on your team's needs.

Birthday Celebrations

Automatically celebrate team birthdays with personalized messages

  • •Automated birthday tracking
  • •Channel or DM delivery
  • •Timezone-aware scheduling
  • •Employee opt-out support

Work Anniversaries

Recognize years of service and milestone anniversaries

  • •Track employee start dates
  • •Milestone celebrations (1, 5, 10+ years)
  • •Custom anniversary messages
  • •Historical tracking

Team Milestones

Celebrate achievements and company milestones

  • •Custom milestone tracking
  • •Project completion celebrations
  • •Promotion announcements
  • •Configurable triggers

Custom Templates

Personalize messages with AI assistance

  • •AI-powered message generation
  • •Template library
  • •Multi-language support
  • •Dynamic variables

3. Configuration

AI-Powered Setup (Recommended)

The easiest way to configure Spark is through our conversational AI assistant powered by OpenAI GPT-4o mini. Simply chat with Spark in your Slack workspace:

Open Slack → Go to Apps → Click "Spark" → Start chatting

The AI will guide you through module selection, data import, and customization - all through natural conversation.

Note: Our AI assistant uses OpenAI GPT-4o mini and may occasionally produce unexpected or inaccurate responses. We recommend reviewing any AI-suggested configurations or messages before enabling them. You always have full control to edit or customize any content.

Import Employee Data

Spark offers three ways to import your employee data:

1. Google Sheets Integration

Connect a Google Sheet with your employee data. Spark automatically syncs changes.

  • • Automatic synchronization
  • • Easy to update and manage
  • • Supports multiple celebration types

2. CSV Upload

Upload a CSV file with employee birthdays and hire dates.

  • • One-time bulk import
  • • Simple CSV format
  • • Quick setup for existing data

3. Manual Entry via AI

Tell the AI assistant about your team members in natural language.

  • • Conversational data entry
  • • No file preparation needed
  • • Perfect for small teams

Channel Selection & Timing

Choose Where Celebrations Appear

  • • Public Channel: Team-wide celebrations in #general or custom channels
  • • Direct Messages: Private celebrations sent directly to individuals
  • • Mixed Mode: Different delivery methods for different celebration types

Smart Scheduling

  • • Timezone Support: Messages sent at appropriate local times
  • • Weekend Handling: Move weekend celebrations to Friday or Monday
  • • Custom Time: Set preferred celebration time (default: 9 AM)
  • • Holiday Awareness: Skip or reschedule for company holidays

4. When Does Spark Send Messages?

Understanding exactly when and how Spark posts messages to your Slack workspace:

Automated Celebration Messages

Spark automatically sends celebration messages to your configured channel(s) based on the dates in your employee data:

  • Birthday Messages: Posted on the employee's birthday at your configured time (default: 9 AM in your workspace timezone)
  • Anniversary Messages: Posted on the employee's work anniversary date at your configured time
  • Milestone Messages: Posted when custom milestones are triggered (e.g., project completions, promotions)

AI Assistant Responses

When you interact with Spark's AI assistant, messages are sent in these scenarios:

  • Direct Messages to Spark: When you send a DM to the Spark app, the AI responds in that same DM thread
  • @mentions: When you @mention Spark in a channel where it's been invited, it responds in that channel
  • App Home: Conversations in the Spark App Home tab stay private to you

What Spark Does NOT Do

  • ✕Spark never reads or monitors general channel conversations
  • ✕Spark never sends unsolicited messages (only scheduled celebrations and responses to your queries)
  • ✕Spark never posts to channels without explicit configuration by an admin

5. Message Templates & Customization

Spark provides professionally crafted message templates, or create your own with AI assistance.

🌿

Professional

Warm, professional tone suitable for all workplaces

😊

Friendly

Casual and fun for relaxed team cultures

🎨

Custom

Create unique messages with AI assistance

AI Template Generation (Powered by OpenAI GPT-4o mini)

Describe your desired message style to the AI, and it will generate custom templates that match your company culture. You can:

  • • Specify tone and style
  • • Include company-specific phrases
  • • Add dynamic variables (name, years, team, etc.)
  • • Generate templates in multiple languages

AI-generated templates may occasionally produce unexpected content. Always review and approve templates before enabling them.

Dynamic Variables

Personalize messages with dynamic placeholders:

{name}Employee's name
{years}Years of service
{team}Team or department
{date}Celebration date

6. Advanced Features

Multi-Language Support

Spark supports celebrations in multiple languages. Set default language per workspace or per employee:

🇺🇸 English🇪🇸 Spanish🇫🇷 French🇩🇪 German🇵🇹 Portuguese🇯🇵 Japanese

Privacy & Opt-Out

Respect employee preferences with built-in privacy controls:

  • Employees can opt out of birthday celebrations
  • Choose public or private celebration delivery
  • GDPR compliant data handling
  • Automatic data deletion on uninstall
Read our full Privacy Policy →

Automatic Slack Roster Sync

Spark can automatically sync with your Slack workspace roster, detecting new team members and updating employee lists. Enable this feature to ensure your celebrations stay up-to-date as your team grows.

7. Need Help?

We're Here to Help!

Whether you're just getting started or need help with advanced features, our team is ready to assist you.

AI Assistant

Chat with Spark's AI directly in your Slack workspace for instant help

Priority Support

All paid plans include priority email support with 24-hour response time

Ready to Get Started?

Install Spark today and start celebrating your team in minutes

Add to Slack

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