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Remind service owners to update their catalog data

This guide helps you set up a verification workflow that notifies service owners to update and verify their service details every three months, ensuring that data stays reliable and current.

Common use cases​

  • Remind service owners to confirm or update ownership and metadata every quarter.
  • Ensure service records remain accurate for audits, incident response, and reporting.

Prerequisites​

This guide assumes the following:

Set up data model​

Follow the steps below to update the Service blueprint:

  1. Navigate to the Service blueprint in your Port Builder.

  2. Hover over it, click on the ... button on the right, and select Edit JSON.

  3. Add the verification status property:

    Is Verified property (Click to expand)
     "is_verified": {
         "type": "boolean",
         "title": "Is Verified",
         "description": "Whether the service data has been verified by the owner team"
     },

  4. Add the verification TTL to leave properties:

    Verification TTL property (Click to expand)
     "verification_ttl": {
         "type": "string",
         "title": "Verification TTL",
         "format": "timer"
     }

  5. Click Save to update the blueprint.

Set up self-service action​

Follow these steps to create the self-service action that verifies the service and sets the verification timer to expire in 3 months:

  1. Head to the self-service page.

  2. Click on the + New Action button.

  3. Click on the {...} Edit JSON button.

  4. Copy and paste the following JSON configuration into the editor.

    Verify Service (Click to expand)
    {
    "identifier": "verify_service",
    "title": "Verify Service",
    "description": "A self service action to verify a service entity",
    "trigger": {
        "type": "self-service",
        "operation": "DAY-2",
        "userInputs": {
        "properties": {},
        "required": [],
        "order": []
        },
        "blueprintIdentifier": "service"
    },
    "invocationMethod": {
        "type": "UPSERT_ENTITY",
        "blueprintIdentifier": "service",
        "mapping": {
        "identifier": "{{ .entity.identifier }}",
        "title": "{{ .entity.title }}",
        "properties": {
            "is_verified": true,
            "verification_ttl": "{{ (90 * 86400 + now | strftime(\"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S\") + \".000Z\") }}"
        }
        }
    },
    "requiredApproval": false
    }

  5. Click Save.

Now you should see the Verify Service action in the self-service page. 🎉

Create an automation to update your catalog​

We’ll now set up two automations:

  • One to clear and set the verification status when the timer expires.
  • One to notify the service owner to re-verify the service.

Automation to update service verification status​

When the verification timer property expires, this automation sets is_verified property as false. Follow the steps below to create this automation:

  1. Head to the automation page.

  2. Click on the + Automation button.

  3. Copy and paste the following JSON configuration into the editor.

    Update service verification status in Port automation (Click to expand)
    {
    "identifier": "clear_service_verification",
    "title": "Clear Service Verification Status",
    "description": "When the verification timer property on the service blueprint expires, run this automation to update the verification status of the service to false",
    "trigger": {
        "type": "automation",
        "event": {
        "type": "TIMER_PROPERTY_EXPIRED",
        "blueprintIdentifier": "service",
        "propertyIdentifier": "verification_ttl"
        }
    },
    "invocationMethod": {
        "type": "UPSERT_ENTITY",
        "blueprintIdentifier": "service",
        "mapping": {
        "identifier": "{{ .event.context.entityIdentifier }}",
        "properties": {
            "is_verified": false
        }
        }
    },
    "publish": true
    }

  4. Click Save.

Now when the verification timer (Verification TTL) of a service entity expires, the entity's Verification Status property in Port will be automatically updated.

Automation to notify service owners​

When is_verified changes from true to false, this automation sends a Slack message to the service owners. Follow the steps below to create this automation:

  1. Head to the automation page.

  2. Click on the + Automation button.

  3. Copy and paste the following JSON configuration into the editor.

    Notify service owners automation (Click to expand)

    :::tip[Slack Webhook Url]
    Replace the `<SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL>` placeholder with your actual incoming webhook URL from Slack.
    :::

    {
    "identifier": "notify_on_expired_verification",
    "title": "Notify On Expired Verification",
    "description": "When the verification timer property on the service blueprint expires, run this automation to send a slack message to the service owners",
    "trigger": {
        "type": "automation",
        "event": {
        "type": "ENTITY_UPDATED",
        "blueprintIdentifier": "service"
        },
        "condition": {
        "type": "JQ",
        "expressions": [
            ".diff.before.properties.is_verified == true",
            ".diff.after.properties.is_verified == false"
        ],
        "combinator": "and"
        }
    },
    "invocationMethod": {
        "type": "WEBHOOK",
        "url": "<SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL>",
        "agent": false,
        "synchronized": true,
        "method": "POST",
        "headers": {},
        "body": {
        "text": "\n :warning: *Attention - Verification Required* :warning: \n\nThe verification for the service `{{ .event.context.entityIdentifier }}` has expired.\n\nPlease <https://app.getport.io/{{ .event.context.blueprintIdentifier }}Entity?identifier={{ .event.context.entityIdentifier }}|click here> to verify it."
        }
    },
    "publish": true
    }

  4. Click Save.

Let's test it!​

  1. Observe a service entity whose verification timer has expired. The Slack message may look like this:

  2. Follow the link in the Slack message to access the entity page.

  3. Click the Actions button on the page.

  4. Choose the Verify Service action.

  5. Click on Execute.

  6. Done! Wait for the service entity to be verified again.