Articles on: Support

Axolo is not opening channels

If Axolo does not open Slack channels for your GitHub pull requests or GitLab merge requests, use this checklist to find the most common cause.


The issue is usually one of these:


  • the repository or GitLab group/project is not connected to Axolo,
  • the repository is inactive in Axolo repository settings,
  • the PR/MR author is not onboarded in Axolo,
  • the PR/MR is created by a bot while bots are disabled,
  • Axolo does not receive the GitHub or GitLab event,
  • Slack prevents Axolo from creating or managing channels,
  • the PR/MR was explicitly excluded with _noslackchannel.


First checks


Before checking provider settings, confirm these basics:


  1. The pull request or merge request is open.
  2. The repository is connected to Axolo.
  3. The repository is active in Axolo repository settings.
  4. The PR/MR author is onboarded in Axolo.
  5. Reviewers are onboarded or can be matched between GitHub/GitLab and Slack.
  6. The Slack workspace still has the Axolo app installed.
  7. The PR/MR does not contain _noslackchannel in its body or labels.


If the PR/MR was opened before Axolo was connected, it may need to be refreshed from Axolo.


If some existing PRs/MRs are missing, read:


Some pull requests are missing


If the PR/MR was opened by a bot


By default, Axolo does not open Slack channels when a bot opens a new pull request.


To enable this behavior:


  1. Go to app.axolo.co.
  2. Open General settings.
  3. Find Enable bots in Axolo.
  4. Activate the relevant bot.


Axolo only lists bots that have opened at least one pull request since Axolo was installed. If the bot is not listed yet, create or wait for a bot PR, then check the setting again.


Read:


Managing bots, service accounts, and automated PRs in Axolo


My team is using GitHub


Check GitHub App repository access


If you gave Axolo access to all organization repositories during onboarding, Axolo automatically follows new repositories.


If you selected specific repositories, you need to add new repositories to the Axolo GitHub App installation:


  1. Go to app.axolo.co/home.
  2. Open Settings → Integrations.
  3. Click Update GitHub app.
  4. Click Configure in GitHub.
  5. Select your organization.
  6. In Repository access, select the repositories you want Axolo to access and save.


Related guide:


Add a new repository to Axolo from GitHub


Check GitHub Enterprise or VPN setup


If you use GitHub Enterprise behind a VPN or private network, Axolo must be able to receive events from your GitHub instance.


Read:


GitHub Enterprise with a VPN


My team is using GitLab


Check the GitLab group/project connection


For GitLab Cloud, Axolo installation is less granular than GitHub: you select the GitLab group to integrate with Axolo, then Axolo saves your organization members and project information.


Check that the merge request belongs to the GitLab group/project connected to Axolo.


Check if GitLab sends webhooks to Axolo


Axolo needs GitLab events to know when a merge request is opened, updated, merged, or closed.


If you use GitLab group webhooks, check the webhook from the GitLab group settings.


If you use project-level webhooks, check the webhook from the project settings.


If GitLab shows a failing webhook, use GitLab's Test button and contact support with the webhook error if it continues.


Check GitLab self-hosted setup


For self-hosted GitLab, Axolo needs a GitLab application configured in your instance and enough network access to reach it.


If your self-hosted GitLab is behind a VPN or firewall, contact us so we can share the Axolo server IPs to allowlist.


Read:


GitLab self-hosted installation


Check GitLab pipeline or CI/CD notifications


If channels are created but pipeline notifications are missing, read:


Pipeline and CI/CD GitLab notifications troubleshooting


Check Slack permissions


Slack can prevent Axolo from creating channels or inviting users.


Common Slack causes:


  • workspace admins restricted who can create channels,
  • the Axolo Slack app needs admin approval,
  • private channels are enabled and Axolo does not have the required access,
  • a user is a Slack guest or external member, which Slack limits for apps.


If you see a restricted_action error, read:


Enable Slack to create channels for Axolo. Restricted_action error.


If external or multi-channel guests are involved, read:


Why Can't Multi-Channel Guests // External Members Be Added to Axolo on Slack?


What to send support


If the issue continues, contact us through the chat and include:


  • Git provider: GitHub or GitLab.
  • Repository/project/group name.
  • PR/MR link.
  • Whether the repository is active in Axolo.
  • Whether the PR/MR was created by a human, bot, or service account.
  • Whether this affects all PRs/MRs or only some.
  • Any GitHub/GitLab webhook error shown in your settings.
  • Any Slack error such as restricted_action.


With that information, we can check Axolo logs faster.


Updated on: 11/05/2026

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