How to track pull request status in Slack
Use a live-updating PR status board. HotBot connects to GitHub or GitLab via webhooks and keeps one Slack message updated with current PR state: CI results, review assignments, merge readiness. No refreshing, no scrolling through old notifications.
What does a live PR status board actually show?
Each PR's current state (open, in review, approved, merged), CI build status (passing, failing, running), who's assigned to review, how long since the last activity, and whether it's ready to merge. It stays current via webhooks, no polling.
How is a status board different from notifications?
Notifications push a new message for every event. A status board is one message that updates in place. Instead of scrolling through 50 notifications to figure out where a PR stands, you look at one always-current message. Way less channel noise.
Can I track PRs from multiple repos in one place?
Yes. HotBot's PR Tracker pulls PRs from multiple GitHub or GitLab repos into a single live-updating Slack message. Group by repo, author, or priority. Each tracker handles unlimited repos.
How do escalation rules work for stale PRs?
You set a time threshold. When a PR sits past that without review, HotBot can ping the reviewer, then a team lead, then a manager, in whatever order you want. Different repos can have different rules. You can exclude specific labels from escalation.
Does this work with GitLab merge requests?
Yes. Same features for both: live status board, filtering, digests, escalation. Connect GitHub and GitLab repos at the same time if you want.