--- title: Handover Automation description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring. breadcrumbs: Docs > Incident Response > On-Call > Handover Automation --- # Handover Automation {% callout %} # Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com {% alert level="danger" %} This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site). (). {% /alert %} {% /callout %} ## Overview{% #overview %} {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation.1869657f7f9f531586de32b8dc83d93d.png?auto=format" alt="The Handover Automation section on an On-Call team page" /%} Handover automations run automatically when on-call duty passes from one person to another. They handle tasks that teams typically manage with custom scripts, such as notifying other systems about who's on-call, updating internal chat channels, or triggering downstream workflows. Each automation is configured at the team level and scoped to one or more schedules. **Note**: For a low-code approach to automating actions across a broader range of on-call events, see [Workflow Automation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/service_management/workflows/). ### Prerequisites{% #prerequisites %} - You must have **Write** permission on the On-Call Team to create, edit, or delete automations. - **Slack actions**: The [Datadog Slack app](https://docs.datadoghq.com/integrations/slack/?tab=datadogforslack#install-the-datadog-app-in-your-slack-workspace) must be installed in your workspace. - **Microsoft Teams actions**: The [Datadog Teams app](https://docs.datadoghq.com/integrations/microsoft_teams/?tab=datadogapprecommended#overview) must be configured for your tenant. - **Slack: Update user group**: The Slack app requires additional `usergroups:read` and `usergroups:write` permissions. The UI displays a warning with a link to enable these if they are missing. - **Datadog: Run Workflow**: A [Datadog Workflow](https://docs.datadoghq.com/service_management/workflows/) must already exist before you can configure this action. ### Set up a handover automation{% #set-up-a-handover-automation %} 1. Navigate to [**On-Call > Teams**](https://app.datadoghq.com/on-call/teams) and open a specific team. 1. Scroll to the **Handover Automation** section. 1. Click **Add an Automation** (or **Add** if automations already exist). 1. Select an action type (see Available actions). 1. Click **Next**. 1. Complete the configuration form. Select one or more **schedules** scoped to the team, then fill in any action-specific fields. 1. Click **Add Automation** to save. ### Edit or delete an automation{% #edit-or-delete-an-automation %} - To edit: click the pencil icon on an existing automation, modify the fields, and click **Update Automation**. - To delete: click the pencil icon, then click **Delete** in the modal footer. ## Available actions{% #available-actions %} Handover automations support actions across Datadog, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. ### Datadog{% #datadog %} #### Run workflow{% #run-workflow %} Triggers a [Datadog Workflow Automation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/service_management/workflows/) when a shift changes. The workflow receives handover context including schedule information, the previous and incoming responders, and a timestamp. For example, you can use this action to: - **Federate permissions**: Assign the current on-call responder an IAM role that permits scaling up or down. - **On-call compensation**: Send shift data directly to your HR system or payroll tool. ### Slack{% #slack %} #### Send message{% #send-message %} Posts a handover summary to a Slack channel showing who is handing off to whom for each selected schedule. You can also include an AI-generated shift summary. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-slack-message.187ffff6564ae6c453b3ce75fa156c6f.png?auto=format" alt="Example Slack handover message showing shift change details" /%} #### Update channel topic{% #update-channel-topic %} Updates a Slack channel topic when a shift changes. Use numbered variables (`{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, and so on) in a customizable template to reference responders in schedule order. For example, `On-call: {{1}} (backup: {{2}})` resolves to the primary and secondary on-call responders when the shift changes. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-slack-channel-topic.fc28d6f7451ecf0db3f8b40034e2966c.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Slack Update channel topic automation" /%} Channel topics have a character limit. The UI validates the template before saving. #### Send a direct message{% #send-a-direct-message %} Sends a direct message to the incoming on-call responder when their shift begins. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-slack-direct-message.3c5d0148cd688cd9a1c635605f6a63f9.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Slack Send a direct message automation" /%} #### Update user group{% #update-user-group %} Updates the members of a Slack user group to match the current on-call responders for the selected schedules. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-slack-update-group.987450c7c2f7f5c1d41cba77ca0f71c3.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Slack Update user group automation" /%} **Note**: This action requires `usergroups:read` and `usergroups:write` permissions on the Datadog Slack app. If these permissions are missing, the UI displays a warning with a link to enable them. ### Microsoft Teams{% #microsoft-teams %} #### Send message{% #send-message-1 %} Posts a handover summary to a Microsoft Teams channel showing who is handing off to whom for each selected schedule. You can also include an AI-generated shift summary. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-ms-teams-message.0a4fa98ed5d49bf734063d1e243be66e.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Microsoft Teams Send message automation" /%} #### Update channel description{% #update-channel-description %} Updates a Microsoft Teams channel description when a shift changes. Use numbered variables (`{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, and so on) in a customizable template to reference responders in schedule order. For example, `On-call: {{1}} (backup: {{2}})` resolves to the primary and secondary on-call responders when the shift changes. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-ms-teams-channel-topic.1042981f19210c0124924bfa054ae6d5.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Microsoft Teams Update channel description automation" /%} #### Send a direct message{% #send-a-direct-message-1 %} Sends a direct message to the incoming on-call responder when their shift begins. {% image source="https://datadog-docs.imgix.net/images/service_management/oncall/handover-automation-ms-teams-direct-message.951ad2c810716ffa8f669b1220d19009.png?auto=format" alt="Configuration form for the Microsoft Teams Send a direct message automation" /%} ## Troubleshooting{% #troubleshooting %} **Not receiving Slack @ mentions** Your Slack and Datadog accounts may not be linked. To connect them, run any Datadog Slack command such as `/dd page`. **Slack user group action is unavailable or shows a warning** The Datadog Slack app is missing the `usergroups:read` and `usergroups:write` permissions. Follow the link in the warning banner to update the app permissions in your Slack workspace. **Automation is not triggering** - Confirm the automation is scoped to the correct schedule. - Confirm the schedule has an active shift change (the automation triggers only on `shift_change` events). - Confirm that your Slack or Microsoft Teams integration is correctly configured in Datadog. {% alert level="info" %} If you need an action type that isn't listed, contact your account representative or [support@datadoghq.com](mailto:support@datadoghq.com). {% /alert %} ## Further reading{% #further-reading %} - [Datadog On-Call](https://docs.datadoghq.com/incident_response/on-call/) - [On-Call Schedules](https://docs.datadoghq.com/incident_response/on-call/schedules) - [Workflow Automation](https://docs.datadoghq.com/service_management/workflows/) - [Slack Integration](https://docs.datadoghq.com/integrations/slack/) - [Microsoft Teams Integration](https://docs.datadoghq.com/integrations/microsoft_teams/)