SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     User Training 7: Ask the Vacation Tracker Bot in Plain Language in Slack
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/user-training-slack-ask-the-vacation-tracker-bot-in-plain-language/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2026-10-23
UPDATED:   2026-10-23
READING:   2 min
SUMMARY:   Ask the Vacation Tracker bot questions in plain language in Slack, and request or cancel leave by chatting.

# User Training 7: Ask the Vacation Tracker Bot in Plain Language in Slack

# User Training 7: Ask the Vacation Tracker Bot in Plain Language in Slack

Chat with Vacation Tracker in Slack like you would with a colleague. Ask about your balance, who's off or holidays, or request leave.

Your Administrator turns this on

Plain-language chat is a setting your Administrator controls. When it's off, the bot replies "I am sorry, I don't understand this command" and suggests asking an administrator to turn on natural language conversation. You can still use /vacation.

## Ask a Question

Open the Vacation Tracker app in your Slack direct messages and type your question. For example:

- How many days of PTO do I have left? The bot replies with a table of your leave types and what's left.

- Who from my team is off next week? The bot tells you who has approved leave.

- When is our next public holiday? The bot lists the next holidays for your Location.

![Vacation Tracker bot in Slack answering a balance question with a table](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/user_training_slack_ask_the_vacation_tracker_bot_in_plain_language_1_c639439390_61f3475945.png)

## Request Leave by Chatting

- Type what you need, for example I need a day off on December 3.

- The bot asks which leave type to use. Reply with the name, for example Paid Time Off.

- The bot shows the details and whether anyone else on your team is off. Click Review & Submit.

- The Request a leave form opens with your details filled in. Check them and click Send request.

![Bot reply with the request details and Review & Submit](https://cms.vacationtracker.io/uploads/user_training_slack_ask_the_vacation_tracker_bot_in_plain_language_2_6a3a25d112_b816c997de.png)

## Cancel Leave by Chatting

Type, for example, Please cancel my December 3 request. The bot shows the request and asks you to Confirm. It then replies that the request has been cancelled.

## Check It Worked

The bot answers your question in plain language, and requests you send show on your dashboard.

## Common Questions

Does the bot send requests without asking me?No. You always check the form and click Send request, and you confirm before anything is cancelled.

Can the bot see other people's balances?No. It only shows what you can see in Vacation Tracker.

### What's Next?

User Training 8: Set Up Calendar Sync, Out-of-Office and Notifications (Slack) (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/user-training-slack-set-up-calendar-sync-out-of-office-and-notifications/)
User Training 1: Request Leave in Slack (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/user-training-slack-request-leave/)
User Training 0: What You Do as a User (Slack) (https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/user-training-slack-what-you-do-as-a-user/)

Need help?

Contact our Support team via email (mailto:hello@vacationtracker.io) or chat (#), Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST.