---
title: Actions
description: A row of interactive elements, buttons, selects, date pickers, and more.
---

`actions` lays out a row of interactive elements: buttons, select menus, checkboxes, radio
buttons, date and time pickers, and overflow menus. Reach for it whenever you need controls that
aren't tied to a specific piece of text, the way a [section](/blocks/section) accessory is.

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "button",
            action_id: "approve",
            text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Approve", emoji: true },
            style: "primary",
            value: "approve",
          },
          {
            type: "button",
            action_id: "deny",
            text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Deny", emoji: true },
            style: "danger",
            value: "deny",
          },
          {
            type: "overflow",
            action_id: "more_menu",
            options: [
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Edit" }, value: "edit" },
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Archive" }, value: "archive" },
            ],
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

## Fields

| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| `type` | `string` | - | Always `actions`. |
| `elements` | `ActionsBlockElement[]` | - | The row's elements, in order. Slack allows up to 25. |
| `block_id?` | `string` | - | A unique identifier for this block. Auto-generated if omitted. Maximum length is 255 characters. |

`elements` accepts buttons, all five select menu types, checkboxes, radio buttons, a date picker,
a time picker, a combined date-time picker, an overflow menu, a workflow button, and a rich text
input. Checkboxes, radio buttons, and the date-time picker each take their own full-width row
instead of sitting side by side with the others, matching Slack's own layout.

## Examples

### Buttons

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "button",
            action_id: "actionId-0",
            text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Click Me", emoji: true },
            value: "click_me_123",
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

### Select menus

Static, users, and conversations selects side by side. See [select menus](/elements/select-menus)
for the other types, including multi-select and external selects.

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "conversations_select",
            action_id: "actionId-0",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Select a conversation", emoji: true },
          },
          {
            type: "users_select",
            action_id: "actionId-1",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Select a user", emoji: true },
          },
          {
            type: "static_select",
            action_id: "actionId-2",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Select an item", emoji: true },
            options: [
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Apple", emoji: true }, value: "apple" },
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Banana", emoji: true }, value: "banana" },
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Cherry", emoji: true }, value: "cherry" },
            ],
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

:::tip
A `conversations_select`'s `filter` field narrows it to a subset of conversation types, e.g.
`{ include: ["private"] }` for private channels only. See [select menus](/elements/select-menus).
:::

### Checkboxes and radio buttons

Both take their own full-width row:

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "checkboxes",
            action_id: "actionId-0",
            options: [
              { text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "*Notify me by email*" }, value: "email" },
              { text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "*Notify me by SMS*" }, value: "sms" },
            ],
          },
          {
            type: "radio_buttons",
            action_id: "actionId-1",
            options: [
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Low" }, value: "low" },
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Medium" }, value: "medium" },
              { text: { type: "plain_text", text: "High" }, value: "high" },
            ],
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

### Date and time pickers

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "datepicker",
            action_id: "actionId-0",
            initial_date: "1990-04-28",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Select a date", emoji: true },
          },
          {
            type: "timepicker",
            action_id: "actionId-1",
            initial_time: "13:37",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Select time", emoji: true },
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

:::tip
Workflow buttons (`workflow_button`) are also supported, rendered like a regular button with a
small lightning-bolt glyph. Clicking one dispatches a `workflow_button` action carrying the
workflow's trigger metadata, without actually invoking a trigger URL.
:::

## Interactivity

<Preview
  payload={{
    blocks: [
      {
        type: "actions",
        block_id: "more",
        elements: [
          {
            type: "button",
            action_id: "delete",
            text: { type: "plain_text", text: "Delete" },
            style: "danger",
            confirm: {
              title: { type: "plain_text", text: "Are you sure?" },
              text: { type: "mrkdwn", text: "This can't be undone." },
              confirm: { type: "plain_text", text: "Delete" },
              deny: { type: "plain_text", text: "Cancel" },
              style: "danger",
            },
          },
          {
            type: "channels_select",
            action_id: "channels",
            placeholder: { type: "plain_text", text: "Pick a channel" },
          },
        ],
      },
    ],
  }}
  actions
/>

Each element type dispatches a different shape of `onAction` payload, all sharing `type`,
`action_id`, `block_id`, and `action_ts`:

- **`button`**: `value` (if set), plus `url` and `style` when present.
- **`static_select` / `external_select`**: `selected_option: { text, value }`.
- **`multi_static_select` / `multi_external_select`**: `selected_options: [...]`.
- **`users_select`**: `selected_user: "U0ADA"`; **`multi_users_select`**: `selected_users: [...]`.
- **`conversations_select`**: `selected_conversation: "C0GENERAL"`; **`multi_conversations_select`**: `selected_conversations: [...]`.
- **`channels_select`**: `selected_channel: "C0GENERAL"`; **`multi_channels_select`**: `selected_channels: [...]`.
- **`checkboxes`**: `selected_options: [...]` (every checked option, not just the one clicked).
- **`radio_buttons`**: `selected_option: { text, value }`.
- **`datepicker`**: `selected_date: "1990-04-28"` (or `null` when cleared).
- **`timepicker`**: `selected_time: "13:37"`.
- **`overflow`**: `selected_option: { text, value, url? }`, and opens `url` in a new tab if set.
- **`workflow_button`**: `text`, `workflow`, and `style` (if set).

For example, picking an option from the static select above dispatches:

```json
{
  "type": "static_select",
  "action_id": "actionId-2",
  "block_id": "b1",
  "action_ts": "1706000000.000100",
  "selected_option": {
    "text": { "type": "plain_text", "text": "Apple", "emoji": true },
    "value": "apple"
  }
}
```

Selects, checkboxes, radio buttons, and pickers also write their value to `state.values[block_id][action_id]`,
so a later action (like a modal submit) can read every element's current value; buttons, overflow,
and workflow buttons don't, since they're one-shot actions.

## Related

**[Section](/blocks/section)**

Attach a single button or select as an accessory next to text, instead of a full row.

**[Input](/blocks/input)**

The modal-only counterpart for collecting a labeled, validated value.

**[Context actions](/blocks/context-actions)**

A compact row limited to feedback and icon buttons, for AI-generated messages.