Release empty bookings

What this workflow does

When Neowit decides a booking went unused and auto-releases it, this workflow:

1. Fires on the Booking Not In Use trigger.
2. Sends the organizer a short Slack DM explaining the release.

It's the right pattern for any "explain after the fact" notification.

Note: This is not the same as Booking No-Show. Booking No-Show fires when a no-show is detected — the booking may still exist on the calendar. Booking Not In Use fires after the room has been auto-released — the original booking is gone.

[SCREENSHOT] The finished workflow on the canvas: a Booking Not In Use trigger connected to a single Send Direct Message action. The Slack action's inspector is open on the right showing a templated Content field.

Prerequisites

• Workflows enabled for your organization. See Enable workflows for your org.
• Slack connected. The organizer's Slack email must match the email on their Neowit user.
• The auto-release feature itself enabled for the spaces you care about (an org-level booking policy — outside this article's scope).

Build it

1. Create the workflow

From the Workflows list click New workflow, name it Notify on auto-release, and open the editor.

2. Add the trigger

Click Add node → Triggers → Booking Not In Use. The trigger has no settings — it fires for every auto-release in the organization.

3. Add the Slack action

Click Add node → Actions → Send Direct Message. Settings:

• Email — switch the mode button to Data reference and pick event → organizer → email.

• Content type — markdown.
• Content — pick Template mode and paste:

Hi! Your booking *{{ trigger.event.subject }}* in **{{ trigger.event.space.name }}** was just auto-released because the room hadn't been used. The slot is free for others now.

If you don't need a slot in future, releasing it from your calendar earlier helps the rest of the office find space.

For details on data references and templates, see References and templates.

Wire an edge from the trigger's output to the Slack action's input.

4. Test it

1. Click Run workflow in the toolbar.
2. Paste a synthetic payload into the trigger's input dialog:
   

   {
   
     "event": {
   
       "id": "test-1",
   
       "subject": "Project sync",
   
       "isAutoBooked": false,
   
       "isRecurring": false,
   
       "organizer": { "id": "user-1", "email": "you@example.com", "name": "You" },
   
       "space": { "id": "room-3", "name": "Sky room" }
   
     }
   
   }

    

3. Click Run. The Slack DM should land in your inbox within a few seconds.

Heads up: test runs use your real Slack. Point Email at a test account while you iterate.

5. Enable it

Click Save, turn Enabled on, add a commit message, and save. From the next auto-release onwards, the workflow runs automatically.

Variations

• Skip auto-booked meetings. Drop an If condition between the trigger and the action with event.isAutoBooked equals true (or false) to narrow to or exclude that subset.
• Only for one floor or building. Add a Space condition — Is On Floor or Is In Building — between the trigger and the Slack action.
• Channel post instead of a DM. Swap the action for Post To Channel and target a facilities channel for awareness rather than direct nudges.
• Combine with no-show notifications. Build a parallel workflow on Booking No-Show — see Notify on no-show. Use slightly different language because the booking still exists for No-Show but is gone for Not In Use.

When it doesn't fire

If a booking auto-releases but no message lands:

1. Check the workflow is Enabled in the Save dialog.
2. Open the Executions tab. If the run shows red on the Slack node, the organizer's email may not match a Slack user — see Slack and Integration disconnected.
3. If there's no execution at all, the auto-release feature itself may be off for that space. Check the booking policy in your organization settings.
4. See Workflow didn't run for more diagnostics.

Related

• Notify on no-show
• Triggers
• Slack