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  • Provider content overrides in the Dashboard

    Save provider-native JSON on Chat and Tool workflow steps, then version and promote it with the rest of the workflow.

    Authors:
    George DjabarovVictor Yakubu
    George D., Victor Y.
    Provider content overrides in the dashboard

    Provider content overrides can now be configured directly in the Novu Dashboard. Use them when a workflow needs fields from a provider's native API that the shared step editor does not expose, such as Slack Block Kit, WhatsApp templates, or PagerDuty incident fields.

    Previously, these payloads had to be added to every trigger() call in application code. You can now save the JSON once on the workflow step. It applies to every trigger and moves from development to production with the workflow.

    Keep provider-native content with the workflow

    Open a Chat or Tool step and select a connected provider from the content source dropdown. Provider tabs only appear when that provider has an active integration in the current environment.

    The override is stored as a JSON object on the step. It supports Liquid variables, so the payload can still use workflow and subscriber data:

    {
  "blocks": [
    {
      "type": "section",
      "text": {
        "type": "mrkdwn",
        "text": "Deploy *{{payload.status}}* for {{subscriber.firstName}}"
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "actions",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "button",
          "text": { "type": "plain_text", "text": "View run" },
          "url": "{{payload.runUrl}}"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

    The Dashboard also shows a preview of the merged payload before you save the workflow.

    Get validation where a provider schema is available

    Schema-backed editors help you catch malformed provider payloads before delivery. Slack overrides include autocomplete and validation against supported chat.postMessage fields, including nested Block Kit elements. The editor also links to Slack's Block Kit Builder.

    WhatsApp Business overrides provide autocomplete and validation for message shapes such as templates, interactive messages, media, and text. The same override interface is available for Tool providers, including PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Grafana, and Tool Webhook.

    When a provider does not have a schema-backed editor, the Dashboard provides a free-form JSON field with a warning and a link to the provider's documentation. Novu passes that object to the provider, so test the workflow with a real trigger before relying on it.

    Combine default content and overrides predictably

    The shared step body remains the default content. Novu merges the saved override into the provider request. If the override omits the provider's primary content field, such as text for Slack or text.body for WhatsApp, Novu fills it from the rendered step body.

    Overrides follow this precedence order:

    1. Dashboard override saved on the step.
    2. Workflow-level provider override passed at trigger time.
    3. Step-level provider override passed at trigger time.

    The higher-priority value wins when the same field appears at multiple levels. Arrays replace the lower-priority array as a whole. They are not merged by index.

    Some Slack chat.postMessage fields do not apply when the integration delivers through an incoming webhook. Check the Slack setup guide before relying on fields such as thread or sender metadata.

    Use Rich Chat for shared content and overrides for provider-specific fields

    The Rich Chat editor and provider content overrides work together. Use the block editor when you want to create one structured message and let Novu render it for each connected chat provider. Use an override when one provider needs its own JSON format or a field outside the shared card model.

    Provider content overrides are available for Tool steps and are rolling out gradually for Chat steps. If the provider dropdown does not appear on a Chat step yet, trigger-time provider overrides continue to work.

    Read the Chat provider content overrides overview, configure Slack overrides in the Dashboard, or review the provider override precedence rules.

  • Rich chat editor for workflow Chat steps

    Build structured chat notifications with text, images, lists, link buttons, variables, and provider-aware previews from the workflow editor.

    Authors:
    Paweł TymczukVictor Yakubu
    Paweł T., Victor Y.
    Rich chat editor for workflow Chat steps

    Workflow Chat steps now include a visual block editor. Instead of limiting every workflow-sent chat notification to one text body, you can compose structured messages for approvals, reports, summaries, prompts, and calls to action from the Dashboard.

    Novu converts the shared message into a provider-specific format at delivery time. You author the content once, then inspect how it may appear on each chat provider connected to the environment.

    Rich chat editor

    Build structured Chat steps visually

    Type / or use the add control to insert blocks into a Chat step. The first release supports:

    • Text and images.
    • Dividers, blockquotes, hard breaks, and numbered or bulleted lists.
    • Link buttons with variable-backed labels and redirect URLs.
    • Repeat and Digest blocks for content produced by earlier workflow steps.

    Dashboard buttons open a URL. They do not route a reply to an agent or call back into your application.

    Preview each provider before publishing

    The preview panel uses the same shared card model as delivery. Switch between providers configured in the current environment to inspect an approximate rendering for each one.

    Novu maps the card into provider-specific formats for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Providers without a matching rich layout receive a compatible Markdown or text representation. When a provider cannot represent a block or button fully, the preview shows a compatibility warning so you can simplify the message or add a provider content override.

    Provider previews are approximate. The delivered message can still differ because each platform controls its own spacing, layout, and supported features.

    Existing text workflows keep their behavior

    Existing Chat steps that use plain text or Liquid continue to use the Text editor and deliver as before. New empty Chat steps open in the Block editor by default.

    You can switch between the Block and Text editors, but changing modes replaces the content stored for the current mode. Copy any content you need before switching while editing an existing workflow.

    Liquid variables and translations continue to work. Use the Text editor for templates that depend heavily on Liquid conditions or loops. Use the Block editor when the message benefits from a structured layout that can be shared across providers.

    Return the same card model from Framework

    Code-first workflows can return a card from step.chat() instead of a text-only body:

    Return the same card model from Framework
    import { Actions, Card, CardText, Divider } from '@novu/framework';

await step.chat('deploy-complete', async () => ({
  card: Card({
    title: 'Deploy complete',
    children: [
      CardText('All checks passed.'),
      Divider(),
      Actions([
        {
          type: 'link-button',
          id: 'view-deploy',
          label: 'View deploy',
          url: 'https://example.com/deploys/123',
        },
      ]),
    ],
  }),
}));

    Existing body returns remain valid. When a Chat step returns both body and card, Novu uses the card.

    Add provider-native JSON when the shared card is not enough

    The block editor covers shared rich content. Provider content overrides remain available beside Default content when you need exact provider JSON, such as a full Slack Block Kit payload or a WhatsApp template.

    Read how to write Chat templates in the Dashboard or see the Framework Chat step for code-first workflows.

  • Tool steps for on-call services and webhooks

    Send workflow notifications to subscriber-specific PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Grafana IRM/OnCall, or custom HTTP endpoints through a first-class Tool channel.

    Authors:
    George DjabarovVictor Yakubu
    George D., Victor Y.
    Tool channel steps for on-call services and webhooks

    Tool is now a first-class channel in Novu workflows, alongside Email, SMS, Chat, and Push. Add a Tool step when a notification needs to create an on-call alert or reach an HTTP endpoint instead of a person-facing messaging channel.

    The first Tool providers are PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Grafana, and Tool Webhook.

    Tool channel step

    Route alerts to each subscriber's on-call service

    PagerDuty, Opsgenie, and Grafana use subscriber-specific channel endpoints. Each subscriber can connect a PagerDuty service, an Opsgenie account or team, or a Grafana IRM/OnCall stack. A single workflow then resolves the matching destination for each subscriber at delivery time.

    This supports products whose customers need alerts delivered to their own on-call systems. Your application collects the destination credential or webhook URL and registers it through the channel endpoints API. You do not need a separate provider integration or routing implementation for every customer.

    If a subscriber has no endpoint for the selected provider, Novu marks the Tool step as skipped for that subscriber. Other subscribers in the same trigger are unaffected.

    Send to shared or customer-defined HTTP endpoints

    Tool Webhook covers destinations that do not have a native Tool provider. It supports two routing modes:

    • Static: Configure one shared endpoint on the integration. Every delivery goes to that URL.
    • Dynamic: Register one or more tool_webhook endpoints for each subscriber. Novu sends the Tool step to every endpoint registered for that subscriber.

    Dynamic endpoints can define their own URL, headers, and POST, PUT, or PATCH method. This gives each subscriber control over where their notifications go without hardcoding those destinations in your workflow.

    Shape, sign, and inspect webhook deliveries

    Tool Webhook lets you configure the outbound JSON without replacing the content authored in the workflow. Novu builds the request from the integration-level JSON body, the rendered Tool step content, and step overrides. The rendered step content is always sent as content and wins if the integration body defines the same key.

    You can set a signing secret to add an HMAC-SHA256 digest in the X-Novu-Signature header. The receiving server can verify the signature against the raw request body before processing the delivery.

    Novu handles delivery retries and records the result in Activity, so you can inspect the workflow run, delivery status, and attempts without maintaining a separate webhook delivery system.

    To use the new channel:

    1. In the Integrations Store, select Connect Provider, open the Tool tab, and choose a provider.
    2. Add a Tool step to a workflow and write its content with the same Liquid variables available to other workflow steps.
    3. For subscriber-specific routing, register each destination through the channel endpoints API from your backend.
    4. Trigger the workflow as usual. Novu resolves the destination, delivers the Tool step, and records the result in Activity.

    Read the setup guides for PagerDuty, Opsgenie, Grafana, and Tool Webhook.

  • LangChain adapter for Novu Connect

    Connect a LangChain or LangGraph agent to Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Telegram, and email, with mapped conversation history and in-channel tool approval on the adapter-managed path.

    Authors:
    Paweł TymczukVictor Yakubu
    Paweł T., Victor Y.
    Langchain adapter for Novu Connect

    The LangChain adapter is now available through @novu/framework/langchain. It gives teams already using LangChain or LangGraph a direct path to Novu Connect without rebuilding their agent for each communication channel.

    Your agent or graph continues to run in your application. Novu Connect handles inbound channel events, conversation context, and delivery of the response back to the user.

    For OpenAI:

    npm install @novu/framework langchain @langchain/core @langchain/openai

    For Anthropic:

    npm install @novu/framework langchain @langchain/core @langchain/anthropic
    Good to know

    This is not limited to just OpenAI and Anthropic, you can use other LangChain provider keys.

    Return a config or invoke your own agent

    The adapter supports two handoff patterns based on how much of your LangChain setup you want it to manage.

    When you return a LangChainAgentConfig from onMessage, the adapter calls createAgent().invoke() in your application, maps ctx.history, and delivers the final assistant response:

    import { agent } from '@novu/framework/langchain';

export const supportBot = agent('support-bot', {
  onMessage: async (_message, ctx) => ({
    model: 'openai:gpt-4o',
    system: 'You are a helpful support agent.',
  }),
});

    If you already invoke a LangChain agent or LangGraph graph yourself, use toLangChainMessages(ctx.history), run your existing invoke() call, and return { messages }. Novu delivers the final assistant message. Tool approval is not managed by the adapter on this bring-your-own invocation path.

    Ask for approval in the channel

    On the config path, needsApproval lets you gate sensitive tools without building a separate approval flow for every channel. When the model calls a gated tool, Novu posts an Approve / Deny card and pauses the turn. After the user responds, the adapter replays the approval cycle from conversation history and continues the agent run.

    import { tool } from '@langchain/core/tools';
import { agent } from '@novu/framework/langchain';
import { z } from 'zod';

const issueRefund = tool(
  async ({ orderId }) => ({ orderId, status: 'refunded' }),
  {
    name: 'issueRefund',
    description: 'Issue a refund for an order',
    schema: z.object({ orderId: z.string() }),
  },
);

export const supportBot = agent('support-bot', {
  onMessage: async () => ({
    model: 'openai:gpt-4o',
    system: 'You are a helpful support agent.',
    tools: [issueRefund],
    needsApproval: (toolCall) => toolCall.name === 'issueRefund',
  }),
});

    This approval flow does not require a separate LangGraph checkpointer. The conversation history holds the information the adapter needs to resume the turn.

    Get started with npx novu connect --runtime langchain, then follow the LangChain quickstart. See the LangChain reference for config returns, custom invocation, approval gating, Next.js setup, and error handling.

  • Vercel AI SDK adapter for Novu Connect

    Bring an existing Vercel AI SDK agent to Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Telegram, and email while keeping the same model, tools, and application code.

    Authors:
    Adam ChmaraVictor Yakubu
    Adam C., Victor Y.
    Vercel AI SDK adapter for Novu Connect

    The Vercel AI SDK adapter is now available through @novu/framework/ai-sdk. Your agent continues to run your application. Novu Connect receives messages from each connected channel, passes the conversation context to your handler, and delivers the response that your handler returns.

    Install @novu/framework with the AI SDK and your model provider:

    npm install @novu/framework ai @ai-sdk/openai

    Use one handler across connected channels

    Return generateText() from onMessage, and the adapter handles the handoff between Novu conversation history and the Vercel AI SDK.

    import { agent, toModelMessages } from '@novu/framework/ai-sdk';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { generateText } from 'ai';

export const supportBot = agent('support-bot', {
  onMessage: async (_message, ctx) =>
    generateText({
      model: openai('gpt-4o'),
      instructions: 'You are a helpful support agent.',
      messages: toModelMessages(ctx.history),
    }),
});

    toModelMessages(ctx.history) converts the full conversation into AI SDK messages and already includes the current inbound message. After you connect other channel providers, the same handler can reply on Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Telegram, and email.

    Keep tool approval in the conversation

    AI SDK tool loops work through the adapter, including actions and tool calls that require a person to approve them. Set needsApproval: true on a tool, and Novu posts an Approve / Deny card in the conversation any time the tool is called. The turn pauses until the user decides, then resumes with the decision included in the mapped conversation history.

    import { agent, toModelMessages } from '@novu/framework/ai-sdk';
import { openai } from '@ai-sdk/openai';
import { generateText, tool } from 'ai';
import { z } from 'zod';

export const supportBot = agent('support-bot', {
  onMessage: async (_message, ctx) =>
    generateText({
      model: openai('gpt-4o'),
      messages: toModelMessages(ctx.history),
      tools: {
        issueRefund: tool({
          inputSchema: z.object({ orderId: z.string() }),
          needsApproval: true,
          execute: async ({ orderId }) => refund(orderId),
        }),
      },
    }),
});

    You can also use MCP tools through the AI SDK MCP client on the custom-code path. Your application creates the client and supplies its credentials, while Novu Connect handles the conversation and channel delivery.

    Get started with npx novu connect --runtime ai-sdk, then follow the AI SDK quickstart. See the AI SDK reference for return types, tool approval, MCP tools, streaming updates, and error handling.

  • Improved code workflows preview

    Preview code-first workflows live from your local bridge, right inside the dashboard. novu dev now opens a Local environment instead of the legacy local Studio.

    Author:Dima Grossman
    Dima Grossman

    The dashboard now has a Local environment mode that replaces the legacy local Studio. It gives you a code-first workspace to preview and iterate on your workflows live.

    One command

    Run the CLI in your project and Novu tunnels your local bridge app, then opens the dashboard on the Local environment via a secure handshake.

    npx novu dev

    Your locally defined workflows show up in the dashboard instantly, so you can review steps, payloads and previews against your real code as you edit. Syncing workflows to dev and production flows are left unchanged.

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