Proactive Updates

What Viktor does on his own (check-ins, automation ideas, out-of-office cover, usage reports) and how to pause it.

Besides answering when asked, Viktor does some work on his own. He runs a few system tasks that he installs in every workspace, and admins can turn on extra behavior such as covering for teammates who are out of office. This page explains each one and how to turn it off.

Regular check-ins (Heartbeat)

The Heartbeat system task runs twice a day, around 9:00 and 15:00 in your workspace's time zone. Its description on the Tasks page reads: "Viktor periodically checks recent workspace activity for useful ways to help, follow up on blockers, and keep its workspace context fresh."

A check-in is skipped when no new message that Viktor can see has arrived since the previous one.

Automation ideas (Workflow Discovery)

The Workflow Discovery system task looks for repetitive work in your team and suggests ways Viktor could help. Its description reads: "Viktor periodically looks for repetitive team workflows and proposes automation ideas where it can provide clear, immediate help."

The first run is about two business days after Viktor is installed.
In a run, Viktor may DM up to 5 teammates with ideas that fit their work, and post a few ideas in one channel.
Once he has made proposals to enough people and channels, he runs less often.
When you accept an idea, Viktor asks clarifying questions before he builds anything.

Pause or resume proactive tasks

Open Tasks and choose System tasks.
Open Heartbeat or Workflow Discovery.
Open the ⋯ menu and select Pause. Select Resume to turn it back on.

System tasks can be paused and resumed, but not edited or deleted. Their instructions are not shown; the page shows the short description instead. There is no single switch that turns off all proactive behavior at once: pause each system task you don't want.

When a workspace goes quiet

Viktor backs off by himself when nobody is talking to him:

Small Slack workspaces. In a Slack workspace with 2 members or fewer, installed at least 4 days ago, with no human activity for 3 days, Heartbeat and Workflow Discovery are paused. Resume them from System tasks when you want them back.
Free workspaces, 21 days. When nobody has messaged Viktor for 21 days, his system task runs are skipped. The first new message lets the next scheduled run go ahead.
Free workspaces, 84 days. When nobody has messaged Viktor for 84 days, Heartbeat and Workflow Discovery are paused. They resume by themselves on the next message to Viktor. A task you paused yourself stays paused.

Workspaces on a paid plan or an enterprise agreement are not affected by the 21-day and 84-day rules. Viktor always answers messages sent to him, whatever the rules above.

Out-of-office cover

When this is on, and someone asks a question aimed at a teammate who is out of office, Viktor answers it from workspace knowledge. His answer carries a "covering while they're out" label, cited sources and a disclaimer. When the teammate is back, Viktor sends them a recap. He does not cover approvals or anything that needs the absent person's own judgment.

To turn it on:

Open Team settings.
Find Cover for out-of-office teammates and switch it on. The card then reads Cover is on.

It is off by default. Only workspace admins can change it; members see "Ask a team admin to let Viktor cover questions aimed at out-of-office teammates."

Usage report

Viktor writes a usage report for your workspace that shows the time and money he saved you and where the biggest wins were. Admins find it in Usage → Reports.

The tab shows the latest report only, not a history.
While a new report is being written, you see "A new usage report is being generated — this may take a few minutes."
Before the first report, you see "No report yet." Viktor prepares one as your team's usage grows.

The Usage page is for workspace admins only.

Limits by plan and permission

Only workspace admins can turn out-of-office cover on or off, and only admins can open the usage report.
Heartbeat and Workflow Discovery can be paused, not edited or deleted.
The 21-day and 84-day quiet rules apply to free workspaces only.

Common problems

Viktor messages people you'd rather he didn't. Pause Workflow Discovery, Heartbeat, or both, from System tasks.
Check-ins stopped. Your workspace may have gone quiet (see above). Send Viktor a message, or resume the task from System tasks if it shows Paused.
The out-of-office switch is greyed out. Only workspace admins can change it.
You can't open Usage. The Usage page is for admins only.

Documentation