RespondNow
RespondNow is a free, open-source incident management framework for operations teams and developers coordinating incidents through Slack.
What RespondNow is
RespondNow is a free, open-source incident management framework for operations teams and developers coordinating incidents through Slack. It combines an incident server, Slack app, and incident dashboard. Teams can start incidents with Slack’s /start shortcut or the app’s Start New Incident button. Each incident receives a dedicated triage channel using an rn-{timestamp}-{incident-name} naming pattern. Users can list open or closed incidents and update summaries, severity, status, assigned roles, and comments. Comments may link bug reports, tickets, pull requests, or RCA documents. A portal presents incident timelines and comments in one view. Slack is the primary interface, so the app must be installed and allowed to join workspace channels. RespondNow is self-hosted with Docker images and Helm charts on Kubernetes. Deployment requires Kubernetes 1.22 or later, Helm 3, and at least 5 GB of persistent storage. The project uses Apache License 2.0, and Harness Inc. is identified as copyright holder.
Good
- Free and open-source framework
- Slack shortcuts create and track incidents
- Dedicated triage channels support war rooms
- Portal shows timelines and comments
- Artifacts can be linked in comments
Watch out
- Requires self-hosted Kubernetes deployment
- Needs Kubernetes 1.22 or later
- Requires at least 5 GB persistent storage
- Slack app installation is required
Who it suits
It suits operations teams and developers that manage organizational incidents through Slack and can operate Kubernetes-based self-hosted software.
Verdict
RespondNow provides Slack-centered incident creation, triage, tracking, and updates with a companion portal. Its free Apache-licensed framework is intended for teams prepared to manage Kubernetes deployment.
The facts
Each one read from RespondNow's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Community
- The project directs users to join the RespondNow community channel in the CNCF Slack workspace.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Components
- The framework includes an incident management server, a Slack app, and an incident dashboard for monitoring and managing ongoing incidents.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- RespondNow is deployed on Kubernetes, and its prerequisites include Kubernetes 1.22+, Helm 3, and a persistent volume of at least 5 GB.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Hosting
- The maker documents Docker images and Helm charts for deployment on Kubernetes clusters.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Incident creation
- Users can start an incident with the Slack `/start` command or the Start New Incident button in the Slack app.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Incident fields
- Incident creation supports a name, summary, severity, role, and incident channel.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Incident tracking
- Users can list open or closed incidents with Slack shortcuts and view incident metadata and details.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Incident updates
- Users can update incident summaries, severity, status, assigned roles, and comments, including comments linking artifacts such as bug reports, tickets, pull requests, and RCAs.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Incident workflows
- Teams can create, list, and update incidents, set up triage channels, and attach artifacts such as bug reports, tickets, and RCA documents.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Integration
- Slack is the documented integration and primary user interface; setup requires creating and installing a Slack app in the workspace.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker positions RespondNow for operations teams and developers managing organizational incidents.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The documentation and website identify Harness Inc. as the copyright holder.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The RespondNow GitHub repository says the project is licensed under Apache License 2.0.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Packaging
- Release 0.1.0 documents Docker images hosted on GitHub Container Registry and Helm charts for Kubernetes deployment.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Portal
- The RespondNow portal provides a consolidated incident view with event timelines and comments.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Pricing
- The maker describes RespondNow as free and provides no paid plan prices on the pages reviewed.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- RespondNow is an open-source incident management framework for creating, managing, and responding to organizational incidents through Slack.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- RespondNow is a free, open-source incident management framework for managing organizational incidents through Slack.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The opened maker pages describe Kubernetes deployment and Slack tokens but do not state a security certification or compliance standard.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Slack setup
- The Slack app must be locally installed and allowed to join workspace channels; server setup uses Slack app and bot tokens.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Triage channels
- When an incident is created, RespondNow creates a Slack channel named using the `rn-{timestamp}-{incident-name}` convention for response discussions.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The site footer identifies Harness Inc. as the copyright holder.checked 9 Oct 2026
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