Custom Webhook Variables

Customize Honeycomb alerts with variables for precise, actionable notifications.

Introduction

Use variables to customize payloads for your Honeycomb trigger alerts and SLO burn alerts. These variables dynamically populate your webhook payloads, ensuring that alerts contain the relevant information for your workflows. To learn more about working with variables in custom webhooks, visit Custom Webhooks: Define Payload Template Variables and Custom Webhooks: Override Payload Template Variables.

Simple Example

You can reference a variable in a JSON payload template like this:

{
  "message": "{{ .Alert.Summary }}"
}

In this example, .Alert.Summary is a variable that dynamically evaluates to the summary of the alert when the webhook is sent.

Array Variables

When using variables that return arrays, wrap them with toJson to generate valid JSON:

{
 "datasets": {{ toJson .Datasets }}
}

In this example, the .Datasets variable contains a list of dataset names associated with the alert. Wrapping the variable with toJSON ensures proper JSON formatting.

Omitting toJson for array variables will trigger an error like: Failed to send: invalid character 'e' in literal true (expecting 'r').

Variables for Triggers

Trigger variables provide contextual information about alerts. Use them to customize payloads for your integrations.

Variable	Type	Description	Example
`.Name`	string	Human-readable name of the trigger. Use this in messages to identify which trigger fired.	”Deflector Shield Overload”
`.ID`	string	Unique identifier for the trigger. Useful for programmatic references or deduplication.	”JwwZxfcP5kH”
`.Description`	string	Short summary of the trigger. We suggest including what it monitors and why it exists. Helps recipients understand context.	”One or more deflector shields are overloaded. Consider diverting power from other shields to compensate. See YT-1300 Operations Manual page 167 for diagnostics.”
`.URL`	string	Direct link to the trigger’s detail page in the Honeycomb UI. Allows quick access for troubleshooting or investigation.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/triggers/4a77775a78666350356b48"`
`.Environment`	string	Name of the Honeycomb environment where the trigger is defined. Useful for scoping alerts to the correct context.	”test”
`.Datasets`	array	List of dataset names monitored by the trigger. Can be used to include dataset context in alerts. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	`["test"]`
`.Tags`	array	List of tags assigned to the trigger, each with a `key` and `value` field. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	`[{"key": "team", "value": "rebel-alliance"}]`
`.Operator`	string	Comparison operator used to evaluate the trigger condition.	”less than or equal to”
`.Threshold`	float	Numeric threshold value that, when exceeded or met, causes the trigger to fire.	1.5
`.Frequency`	integer	How often the trigger is evaluated, in minutes.	15
`.Query.TimeRange`	integer	Duration of the query that the trigger uses for evaluation, in seconds.	60
`.Result.URL`	string	Direct link to the query result that caused the alert. Useful for viewing data behind the trigger.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/result/4656626d79/a/6e694854a6241"`
`.Result.Groups`	array	Groups included in the trigger evaluation. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.
`.Result.GroupsTriggered`	array	Groups that met or exceeded the trigger threshold. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.
`.Result.NewlyTriggeredGroups`	array	Groups that crossed the threshold during this evaluation, rather than every group currently over it. Use this to report only what changed. Each entry has the same shape as `.Result.Groups`. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.
`.Result.RecoveredGroups`	array	Groups that dropped back below the threshold during this evaluation, while other groups remain over it. Only populated when the trigger’s alert type is `"on_group_change"`. Each entry has the same shape as `.Result.Groups`. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.
`.Result.Groups[0].Group.Key`	string	Column name used for grouping results. Helps identify which metric or dimension caused the trigger.	”endpoint”
`.Result.Groups[0].Group.Value`	any	Value of the grouping column for this group.	”/1/example/endpoint”
`.Result.Groups[0].Result`	float	Query result for this specific group. Can be included in alert messages to show actual values.	10
`.Alert.InstanceID`	string	Unique identifier for this specific trigger firing. Useful for deduplication or correlating alerts.	”c0fd570f-e920-4022-96d2-39e7df3e0621”
`.Alert.Description`	string	Short summary of the alert. We suggest including which groups or values caused it to fire.	”test environment:\nCurrently less than or equal to threshold value (less than or equal to) for location: rear (value 0), location: port (value 0)“
`.Alert.Status`	string	Status of the trigger. Possible values include: `"TRIGGERED"` (indicates the condition was met), `"OK"` (means it is normal).	”TRIGGERED”
`.Alert.Summary`	string	Concise summary of the alert suitable for notifications or messages.	”TEST: Triggered: Rear Deflector Shield Overload”
`.Alert.IsTest`	boolean	Indicates whether this alert firing is a test or a real evaluation.	true
`.Alert.Timestamp`	time	Timestamp for the time at which the Trigger was evaluated. Useful for tracking and audit purposes.	2024-11-21T16:40:22.896871538Z
`.Alert.Type`	string	Type of trigger evaluation. Possible values include: `"on_change"` (fires when the status changes), `"on_true"` (fires whenever the condition is true), `"on_group_change"` (fires when an individual group crosses or drops below the threshold, without waiting for every group to recover).	“on_change”
`.Alert.InvestigateURL`	string	Direct link to the Canvas investigation for this alert. Populated when Honeycomb Intelligence is enabled; empty otherwise.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/v2/canvas/investigations/4a77775a78666350356b48"`
`.Recipient.Name`	string	Name of the person or system receiving the alert.	”Primary On Call”
`.Recipient.Secret`	string	Shared secret of the recipient. Useful if you need to include authorization in the request body.	”some-shared-secret”

Test alerts and group changesWhen you test a trigger from the Honeycomb UI, .Result.NewlyTriggeredGroups and .Result.RecoveredGroups are always empty, because a test evaluation reports every group over the threshold instead of calculating what changed since the last run. Both variables populate normally when the trigger runs on its schedule.

Variables for SLO Budget Rate Burn Alerts

These variables provide information about SLO burn alerts for monitoring error budget consumption.

Variable	Type	Description	Example
`.Name`	string	Human-readable name of the SLO associated with the burn alert. Use this to identify which SLO is impacted.	”Diagnostics Check Errors”
`.ID`	string	Unique identifier for this specific burn alert. Useful for programmatic references.	”U7nREbqQ3z”
`.Description`	string	Short summary of the burn alert. We suggest including why the burn alert exists and what it monitors. Helps recipients understand the alert context.	”Many diagnostics checks are failing. If this continues, critical systems may go offline. BubbleUp on component to understand failures.”
`.URL`	string	Direct link to the burn alert’s detail page in the Honeycomb UI. Allows quick access for investigation.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/slos/burn_alerts/55376e5245627151337a"`
`.Environment`	string	Name of the Honeycomb environment where the burn alert is active. Helps scope alerts to the correct context.	”test”
`.Datasets`	array	List of dataset names associated with the burn alert. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	[“test”]
`.BudgetRateWindowMinutes`	integer	Time window used to calculate the budget rate, in minutes.	10
`.BudgetDecreaseThreshold`	float	Threshold of budget decrease rate that triggers this alert.	1
`.SLO.URL`	string	Direct link to the associated Service Level Objective (SLO) in the Honeycomb UI. Useful for deeper investigation.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/slo/6a373935455846566a4844"`
`.SLO.ID`	string	Unique identifier for the associated SLO.	”R74738d7”
`.SLO.Tags`	array	List of tags assigned to the SLO associated with this burn alert, each with a `key` and `value` field. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	`[{"key": "team", "value": "rebel-alliance"}]`
`.SLI.URL`	string	Direct link in the Honeycomb UI to Service Level Indicator (SLI) underlying the SLO.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/schema?dc=sli.diagnostics"`
`.Alert.InstanceID`	string	Unique identifier for this instance of the burn alert firing. Useful for deduplication.	”c056e6a4-6a76-444d-a475-d4b02569fa26”
`.Alert.Description`	string	Brief explanation of the alert.	”Diagnostics Check Errors”
`.Alert.Status`	string	Status of the burn alert. Possible values include: `"TRIGGERED"` (indicates the budget rate threshold was exceeded), `"OK"` (means it is within limits).	”TRIGGERED”
`.Alert.Summary`	string	Concise summary of the alert, suitable for notifications.	”Triggered: Diagnostics Check Errors budget rate is above 5%“
`.Alert.IsTest`	boolean	Indicates whether this alert was generated during a test run.	true
`.Alert.Timestamp`	time	Timestamp of the time when the burn alert was evaluated. Useful for auditing and tracking.	2024-11-21T16:40:22.896871538Z
`.Alert.CurrentBudgetDecrease`	float	Rate of budget decrease at the time the alert fired.	1.34
`.Alert.InvestigateURL`	string	Direct link to the Canvas investigation for this alert. Populated when Honeycomb Intelligence is enabled; empty otherwise.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/v2/canvas/investigations/burn-alerts"`
`.Recipient.Name`	string	Name of the person of system receiving this alert.	”Primary On Call”
`.Recipient.Secret`	string	Shared secret of the recipient. Useful if you need to include authorization in the request body.	”some-shared-secret”

Variables for SLO Exhaustion Time Burn Alerts

Use these variables when configuring burn alerts that monitor projected SLO exhaustion time.

Variable	Type	Description	Example
`.Name`	string	Human-readable name of the SLO tied to this burn alert. Helps identify which SLO may be at risk.	”Diagnostics Check Errors”
`.ID`	string	Unique identifier for this specific burn alert. Useful for referencing programmatically.	”U7nREbqQ3z”
`.Description`	string	Short summary of the burn alert. We suggest including why the burn alert exists and what it monitors. Helps recipients understand the alert context.	”Many diagnostics checks are failing. If this continues, critical systems may go offline. BubbleUp on component to understand failures.”
`.URL`	string	Direct link to the burn alert page in the Honeycomb UI. Enables quick investigation.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/slos/burn_alerts/55376e5245627151337a"`
`.Environment`	string	Name of the Honeycomb environment where the burn alert is active.	”test”
`.Datasets`	array	List of dataset names associated with the burn alert. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	[“test”]
`.ExhaustionMinutes`	integer	Configured amount of time until the SLO budget is projected to be exhausted, in minutes.	60
`.SLO.URL`	string	Direct link to the associated Service Level Objective (SLO). Useful for reference or investigaton.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/slo/6a373935455846566a4844"`
`.SLO.ID`	string	Unique identifier for the SLO associated with this burn alert.	”R74738d7”
`.SLO.Tags`	array	List of tags assigned to the SLO associated with this burn alert, each with a `key` and `value` field. For correct formatting, wrap array variables with `toJSON`.	`[{"key": "team", "value": "rebel-alliance"}]`
`.SLI.URL`	string	Direct link to the Service Level Indicator (SLI) driving this SLO.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/environments/test/datasets/falcon/schema?dc=sli.diagnostics"`
`.Alert.InstanceID`	string	Unique identifier for this instance of the burn alert firing. Can be used to deduplicate alerts.	”c056e6a4-6a76-444d-a475-d4b02569fa26”
`.Alert.Description`	string	Short explanation of the alert event.	”Diagnostics Check Errors”
`.Alert.Status`	string	Status of the burn alert. Possible values include: `"TRIGGERED"` (exhaustion is approaching), `"OK"` (the SLO is within budget).	”TRIGGERED”
`.Alert.Summary`	string	Concise summary of the alert, useful for notifications.	”Triggered: Diagnostics Check Errors will violate SLO in 1h”
`.Alert.IsTest`	boolean	Indicates if the alert firing occurred during a test.	true
`.Alert.Timestamp`	time	Timestamp of the time when the burn alert was evaluated.	2024-11-21T16:40:22.896871538Z
`.Alert.InvestigateURL`	string	Direct link to the Canvas investigation for this alert. Populated when Honeycomb Intelligence is enabled; empty otherwise.	`"https://ui.honeycomb.test/rebel-alliance/v2/canvas/investigations/burn-alerts"`
`.Recipient.Name`	string	Name of the person or system receiving the alert.	”Primary On Call”
`.Recipient.Secret`	string	Shared secret of the recipient. Useful if you need to include authorization in the request body.	”some-shared-secret”

Triggers

Service Level Objectives (SLOs)

Anomaly Detection

Notification Channels

Introduction

Simple Example

Array Variables

Variables for Triggers

Variables for SLO Budget Rate Burn Alerts

Variables for SLO Exhaustion Time Burn Alerts

​Introduction

​Simple Example

​Array Variables

​Variables for Triggers

​Variables for SLO Budget Rate Burn Alerts

​Variables for SLO Exhaustion Time Burn Alerts

Introduction

Simple Example

Array Variables

Variables for Triggers

Variables for SLO Budget Rate Burn Alerts

Variables for SLO Exhaustion Time Burn Alerts