Bring BI to the Conversation: Querio’s NLQ in Slack

Tired of jumping between Slack and dashboards to get data? Querio’s Natural Language Query (NLQ) tool changes that by letting teams access live business metrics directly within Slack. Ask questions like “What’s our Q3 revenue?” in plain English, and Querio delivers instant charts and insights - no SQL needed.

Here’s how it works:

• Direct Integration: Connects to Snowflake, BigQuery, or Postgres without duplicating data.

• Secure Access: Uses read-only credentials and adheres to SOC 2 Type II compliance.

• Simple Setup: Add Querio to Slack, configure permissions, and start asking data-driven questions.

Querio empowers non-technical users to make faster decisions, keeps conversations focused, and ensures data remains secure.

Ask More of Your Data with Slack

Setting Up Querio's NLQ in Slack

Getting Querio's NLQ (Natural Language Query) up and running in Slack is straightforward, provided you have the right permissions and a clear plan for data access. The process requires administrative access and some preparation, so having the right people and systems in place from the start can save time and avoid potential security hiccups.

What You Need Before Starting

To begin, administrative access is a must. Only a Workspace Owner or Admin can install Querio, as Slack's security policies restrict regular team members from adding workspace-wide integrations. If you're not an admin, you'll need to collaborate with your IT team or workspace administrator to move forward.

Before diving into the integration, make sure your Querio account is set up and connected to your data warehouse - whether that's Snowflake, BigQuery, or Postgres. If these connections aren't already configured, loop in your data team early to ensure everything is ready to go.

It's also important to confirm that read-only database permissions are active in Querio. These credentials should already be tested and functional within your Querio workspace before proceeding.

Lastly, think about your team structure and existing data access policies. Different departments may need varying levels of access to information, such as sensitive financial data, customer records, or operational metrics. Clarifying who needs access to what helps maintain security and aligns with your organization's data governance practices.

Once these prerequisites are in place, you're ready to move on to the setup process.

Setup Instructions

1. Head to your Slack App Directory, search for "Querio", and click "Add to Slack."

2. Authorize permissions for Querio, allowing it to read messages, post insights, send direct messages, and access channel information. These permissions are essential for Querio to interpret your data questions and deliver accurate responses.

3. You'll be redirected to Querio's secure login page to authenticate your Slack workspace. Enter your workspace credentials to link your Slack identity with your Querio account. This ensures that team members only see the data they're authorized to access.

4. Configure your workspace by selecting which Slack channels will use Querio's NLQ functionality. Many teams start with a dedicated #data-insights channel for testing purposes. Once users are comfortable, you can expand to department-specific channels like #sales-team or #marketing-analytics.

5. Test your setup by asking a simple question in a channel where Querio is active. For example, you might type, "What's our total revenue this month?" If everything is set up correctly, Querio will respond with a chart and data summary in seconds. If there are issues, double-check that your data warehouse connections are active in your Querio dashboard.

Once the integration is working, the next step is to configure user roles to align with your organization's data governance policies.

Setting User Roles and Permissions

After completing the Slack setup, it's time to fine-tune user roles and permissions. Querio's system is designed to match your existing data governance framework, so team members can only access the data they’re already authorized to see in the Querio workspace. This consistency eliminates permission conflicts and ensures security.

A practical way to manage access is by creating specific Slack channels tailored to different data needs. For instance:

• #executive-metrics for leadership-focused insights

• #sales-data for sales pipeline updates

• #marketing-analytics for campaign performance metrics

Invite only the relevant team members to each channel, and Querio will automatically respect these access boundaries.

Querio is built with read-only access, meaning users can query and view data but cannot modify it through Slack. This setup safeguards your data while still providing broad access to insights.

Lastly, make it a habit to review permissions and update channel access as team roles and responsibilities evolve. This ensures that your data access policies remain aligned with your organization's needs over time.

Using Querio's NLQ in Slack for Data Insights

Once your integration is up and running, using Querio's Natural Language Query (NLQ) feature is as simple as chatting with a coworker. The tool transforms complex data queries into straightforward questions you can type directly into Slack, making business intelligence accessible to everyone on your team. This section dives into how you can ask everyday questions and turn them into actionable insights using Querio, while also exploring how to interpret the visual data it provides.

Asking Questions in Plain English

Querio shines in its ability to understand everyday business language - no SQL expertise required. Think of it as having a data analyst on call. It connects directly to your live data warehouse, whether you're using Snowflake, BigQuery, or Postgres, and processes your questions in real-time.

You can ask questions like, "How much revenue did we generate last quarter?" Querio automatically applies pre-set filters and business rules to deliver the right answer. For even sharper results, try being specific: "What were our total sales in the Northeast region for Q3 2025?" This clarity helps Querio pinpoint the exact data you need.

Forget about table names or complex joins. Just focus on the questions that matter to your business. Behind the scenes, Querio’s AI converts your plain English into SQL queries, but you’ll never need to see or manage that complexity. It uses a context layer configured by your data team, ensuring consistent application of business definitions, relationships, and metrics across all queries.

Reading Results and Charts

Once Querio processes your query, it delivers results as visual charts and graphs, formatted for clarity and usability. Currency is displayed in USD with dollar signs and proper comma separators, dates follow the MM/DD/YYYY format, and numbers use standard American formatting with commas for thousands and periods for decimals.

Visualizations are optimized for any device, so whether you're at your desk or checking Slack on your phone, the insights are easy to read. The type of chart depends on the question and the data: line charts for revenue trends, bar charts for regional comparisons, and clean tables for summary metrics. Querio automatically picks the best format to ensure the data is easy to interpret.

Each result includes a brief summary of the findings, written in plain language. This summary highlights key takeaways, such as percentage changes, trends, or standout data points. Even team members without a technical background can quickly understand the insights. These visuals and summaries make it easy to validate strategies and make informed decisions.

Common Query Examples for Teams

Different teams have different data needs, and Querio is built to handle a wide range of business questions. Here are some examples of how various departments might use it:

• Sales: "What's our pipeline value for deals closing this month?"

• Marketing: "How many new leads came from LinkedIn last week?"

• Finance: "What's our monthly recurring revenue growth rate?"

• Executives: "What are our top 5 KPIs for this month compared to our targets?"

The key to getting the best results is to ask questions that reflect how your business operates. Use the terminology your team already knows, focus on time periods relevant to your workflows, and zero in on the metrics that drive your decisions. Querio is designed to adapt to your team’s language and priorities, making it a seamless addition to your daily operations.

Improving Team Workflows with Slack and Querio

With Querio's integration into Slack, team workflows are no longer limited by outdated processes or delayed data access. Instead of waiting for weekly reports or scheduling extra meetings to analyze metrics, teams can now access data insights as part of their everyday conversations. This integration transforms data into actionable insights that flow seamlessly into daily activities, making business intelligence (BI) a natural part of collaboration.

Adding BI to Daily Team Work

Imagine starting a morning standup where team members can instantly ask, "What was yesterday's conversion rate?" and share real-time results with the group. Marketing teams can enhance their weekly planning sessions by querying, "How did last week's email campaigns perform compared to the previous week?" Querio delivers visual charts directly in Slack, keeping everyone aligned without needing to toggle between tools.

Project updates become more reliable when backed by live data. For example, product managers can validate feature adoption during sprint reviews by asking, "How many users tried the new checkout flow this month?" Instead of waiting for someone to pull a report, decisions can be made on the spot.

Executive briefings also benefit from this streamlined access. During budget discussions, a CFO can ask, "What’s been our customer acquisition cost trend over the past six months?" and instantly view a visualization. This eliminates the delays caused by back-and-forth emails or follow-up analysis, allowing leadership conversations to flow smoothly.

The real game-changer? Data becomes a part of the dialogue, not a separate task. Teams spend less time switching between platforms and more time acting on insights. Since Querio connects directly to data warehouses like Snowflake, BigQuery, or Postgres, the information is always current, reflecting the latest business activity. This integration opens the door for broader access, especially for team members without technical expertise.

Helping Non-Technical Users Access Data

One of the most impactful improvements is how Querio empowers non-technical users to access data independently. Sales representatives, for instance, no longer need to rely on analytics teams for pipeline insights. A rep can simply ask, "Show me my deals likely to close this quarter", and instantly see their forecast.

Marketing coordinators can track campaign performance without needing SQL skills or dashboard training. They can ask, "How many sign-ups came from our webinar last Tuesday?" and get immediate answers.

Finance teams also reap the rewards of this self-service approach. Thanks to a context layer configured by the data team, business definitions remain consistent across departments. For example, "outstanding invoices" means the same thing whether it's asked by finance, sales, or customer success.

With data requests fulfilled in seconds rather than hours or days, teams can make decisions more iteratively. They can test ideas, analyze results, and adjust strategies almost in real-time, fostering a more agile approach to decision-making.

Best Practices for Data-Driven Team Decisions

To get the most out of Querio's integration, consider these best practices:

• Ask precise questions. Specific queries like "What’s our revenue growth rate compared to the same period last year?" yield more actionable insights than broad questions like "What’s our revenue?"

• Share insights in relevant channels. For example, if a customer success manager notices a 15% rise in support ticket volume, sharing this in both the customer success and product development channels can spark coordinated action. Cross-functional visibility helps teams spot patterns and opportunities they might otherwise miss.

• Document key findings. Save and pin significant results in shared channels to create a searchable knowledge base of insights. This ensures valuable trends and discoveries don’t get buried in chat history.

• Understand data freshness. While Querio connects to warehouse data, some metrics may have slight delays due to loading or processing times. Teams should keep these timing nuances in mind to ask the right questions at the right moments.

• Promote curiosity. The natural language interface makes it easy to explore data, so encourage team members to ask follow-up questions and dig deeper into findings. Iterative queries can lead to more informed decision-making.

Security, Compliance, and Data Governance

When it comes to integrating Slack with business intelligence tools, security is a top priority - especially for US companies handling sensitive information. Querio tackles these challenges head-on with advanced security protocols, industry-standard compliance certifications, and governance controls that align with enterprise needs, all while ensuring a smooth user experience.

Data Security and Read-Only Access

Querio's security framework is built on multiple layers of protection. Data is encrypted using AES-256 while at rest and is transmitted securely through HTTPS/TLS protocols, safeguarding sensitive business information both in storage and during transmission.

To further enhance security, Querio connects to your data warehouses using read-only, encrypted connections. This ensures that queries neither alter nor expose sensitive data. When a team member initiates a query through Slack, Querio’s secure system manages the connection, executes the query, and delivers only the authorized results. These measures create a strong foundation for meeting rigorous compliance and governance requirements.

SOC 2 Compliance and US Standards

Querio adheres to SOC 2 Type II compliance, which guarantees adherence to strict security and availability standards. Regular third-party audits of its security controls provide additional assurance to industries like healthcare and finance, where maintaining secure and reliable access during critical moments is essential.

Controlled Data Access with Context Layer

In addition to its robust security and compliance features, Querio’s context layer adds an extra level of data access control. Data teams can establish business rules, table relationships, and approved metrics just once, ensuring that all Slack-based queries follow standardized definitions. Permission controls integrate seamlessly with Slack’s channel permissions and Querio’s own data access rules. For instance, a user with access to sensitive financial data within a finance-specific Slack channel won’t inadvertently see that data in other, more general channels. This ensures sensitive information stays within the right groups while remaining easily accessible to authorized users within Slack’s interface.

Conclusion: Making Team Conversations Data-Driven

Querio's NLQ in Slack changes how teams interact with business intelligence, making data retrieval as simple as asking, "What were our conversion rates last week?" directly within Slack. The result? Instant, precise answers without leaving your workflow.

Key Points to Remember

Here’s a quick recap of why this integration matters:

• Real-time data access speeds up decisions: Teams can pull up metrics during discussions without hopping between tools. Whether it’s marketing analyzing campaign results, sales verifying numbers, or finance sharing budget updates, decisions become faster and more informed.

• Data for everyone: Non-technical team members can explore insights on their own, freeing up data experts to tackle more advanced tasks. This independence leads to quicker, smarter choices across the board.

• Secure and compliant: Granular permission controls ensure data stays protected while meeting compliance standards, so teams can explore freely without compromising security.

Getting Started with Querio

Getting started is straightforward. Connect your data warehouse, set up the Slack integration, and you’re ready to go. With a Core Platform package starting at $14,000 per year, Querio turns everyday conversations into actionable insights.

Powered by a natural-language agent for SQL translation and a context layer for consistent accuracy, Querio makes data feel as accessible as chatting with a colleague. It’s a game-changer for teams looking to weave data into their daily decision-making.

FAQs

How does Querio keep data secure and ensure compliance when used with Slack?

Querio places a strong emphasis on data security and compliance, adhering to SOC 2 Type II standards. These standards involve stringent security measures and regular audits to protect sensitive information. When connecting to data sources, Querio uses encrypted, read-only links to platforms such as Snowflake, BigQuery, or Postgres. This setup ensures that your data remains within your organization's infrastructure and is never copied or stored outside of it.

By following these practices, Querio meets strict U.S. compliance requirements, giving organizations peace of mind that their data is managed securely and responsibly - while still benefiting from Querio's seamless integration with Slack.

What should I do if Querio isn’t providing the data insights I expect in Slack?

If Querio isn’t providing the insights you expect in Slack, the first step is to check the integration setup. Make sure Querio is authorized within Slack and that both your Slack workspace and Querio account are configured correctly. Also, ensure the data sources Querio uses are active and accessible.

Still having trouble? Take a closer look at your query formatting to confirm it matches the structure of your data. If everything seems in order but the problem persists, refer to Querio’s troubleshooting guides or reach out to their support team. They can help you resolve the issue and get your insights flowing seamlessly again.

Can Querio's NLQ in Slack be tailored to meet specific team needs and comply with data governance policies?

Querio's NLQ in Slack: Tailored for Your Team

Querio's NLQ (Natural Language Query) feature in Slack offers a high degree of customization, making it a perfect fit for the unique needs of various teams - all while staying aligned with your organization's data governance policies.

Teams can adjust data metrics to reflect their specific priorities, ensuring that the information they access is relevant and actionable. Additionally, robust access controls allow organizations to restrict data visibility based on user roles and permissions, keeping sensitive information secure.

With this setup, teams can confidently access the insights they need directly within Slack. This streamlined approach not only speeds up decision-making but also ensures that all actions remain compliant with internal guidelines.

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