What's new in Kin

October 3–9, 2026

Workflows
New feature

Smarter Slack forms: default answers and fields that appear when they're needed

ImpactShorter, friendlier forms. People only see the questions that apply to them, and many answers are already filled in, so forms get finished faster and with fewer mistakes.
WhatSlack form fields can now start with a default answer: either a fixed value like "Full-time" or data from earlier in the workflow, such as an employee's start date. People can still change it. Fields can also show only for certain earlier answers, for example "Contract end" only for contractors, and they're only required while they're showing. The field editor is clearer too: any field that still needs work is marked in red, and you'll see exactly what's missing before you publish.
WhereWorkflow Builder → a Slack form step → a field's Logic tab.
WhoAnyone who builds workflows that collect information in Slack.
Workflows
Service Desk
Improvement

Claim messages update when a request is closed

ImpactNo more opening a request to claim it, only to find it's already closed.
WhatWhen a request is escalated, the people who can pick it up get a Slack or Teams message with a Claim button. Now, if the request is closed before anyone claims it, that message updates itself to say the request has been closed and the Claim button goes away. Nobody gets a new ping. The existing message just changes.
WhereEscalation messages in Slack and Microsoft Teams.
WhoService desk agents and the teams requests are escalated to.
Service Desk
Improvement

Archive forms you no longer use

ImpactKeep your forms list tidy and only show the forms your team actually uses.
WhatEvery form now has an Archive action, with a quick confirmation first. Archived forms leave the list, and any runbooks already using them keep sending them as normal.
WhereSettings → Runbooks → Forms.
WhoAdmins who manage runbook forms.
Service Desk
Integrations
New feature

Book short absences and cancel time off with UKG Pro WFM

ImpactEmployees can handle more of their time off with Kin, from a quick 15-minute appointment to a change of plans, without going into WFM themselves.
WhatFor organizations on UKG Pro WFM where employees connect their own WFM login, Kin can now book timed absences in 15-minute steps and add an optional note for the manager. That note shows in the manager's Slack or Teams approval. Employees can also ask Kin to cancel a pending or approved request. Kin reports the result WFM confirms, including when the cancellation itself needs approval.
WhereAsk Kin in Slack or Teams.
WhoEmployees and managers at organizations using UKG Pro WFM.
Integrations
Platform
Improvement

Letter templates handle verification letters

🎉 As previewed last week, now live. Try Templates
ImpactBuild employment, mortgage and visa verification letters as templates, with dates in the right format for every country you operate in.
WhatLetters now support UK dates (5 October 2026) and day/month/year dates (05/10/2026), and you can set one date format for the whole letter so every date matches. A line can hide itself when its value is empty, so an "End date" line only shows when there is one. New home-address variables let a letter include an employee's current address. Templates have also moved into Settings.
WhereSettings → Templates.
WhoHR and People Ops teams that send employee letters.
GuideRead more here
Platform

September 26 – October 2, 2026

Workflows
New feature

Assign approval steps to a team

ImpactGot a pool of approvers? Assign the whole team. Anyone on it can approve, so a request is never stuck waiting for one person.
WhatApproval steps can now go to a team as well as to named people. Everyone on the team gets the request, and the first person to respond unlocks the workflow.
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoTeams that own a workflow end to end.
Workflows
Service Desk
Improvement

Clearer status for every knowledge document

ImpactSee at a glance when a document in your knowledge source has changed and been updated, and spot anything you need to fix on your side.
WhatEvery document now shows a clear status, and you can filter by status to find problems fast, including documents inside folders. When Kin can't access a file, it tells you why, for example when its sharing settings need updating.
WhereKnowledge.
WhoAdmins who look after Kin's knowledge base.
Service Desk

👀 Big things coming next week

Letter template builder — Create and edit your own letter templates in seconds with Kin, from employment verification to promotion letters.

Upload a letter you already use and Kin turns it into a first draft. You add the polish.

Multiple signatories are supported, and conditional blocks let one template cover 20 different countries.

Templates can also ask for values your HRIS may not hold. For a business letter, ask for the destination and address, and Kin adds them to the document.

September 19–25, 2026

Workflows
New feature

Tell Kin what to do when a workflow fails

ImpactSometimes a downstream system fails, or a workflow doesn't go as planned. Now you can guide Kin on how to handle it, so employees are never left blocked.
WhatWrite what Kin should tell the employee and what they can do next when the workflow fails. If you leave it empty, Kin uses the workflow's own instructions.
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoAnyone building workflows.
Workflows
Improvement

Branch on a list of values with "is one of"

ImpactOne Condition step can now cover several values, so you need fewer steps and simpler workflows.
WhatThe Condition step has two new operators: "is one of" and "is not one of". Type the values separated by commas, for example "UK, Ireland, Netherlands".
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoAnyone building workflows with branches.
Workflows
Service Desk
Improvement

Skipped runbook events no longer look like errors

ImpactA red progress bar now means something actually needs your attention.
WhatSkipping an event is often correct, for example when catch-up logic skips a message added after someone's send date. Skipped events now have their own neutral segment on an assignee's progress bar. Only failed and overdue events show in red.
WhereRunbooks.
WhoAnyone running onboarding, offboarding or other runbooks.
Service Desk
Integrations
New feature

Managers can ask Kin who on their team is off (UKG Pro WFM)

ImpactPlanning the week gets easier: managers get a live answer without opening another system.
WhatManagers on UKG Pro WFM can ask Kin things like "is anyone on my team off on Friday?". Kin checks approved and pending time off for their reports, and leaves out sick leave and other sensitive types. Slack approval cards now also show the employee's current time-off balance, so managers decide with the numbers in front of them.
WhereAsk Kin in Slack or Teams.
WhoManagers at organizations using UKG Pro WFM.
Integrations
Platform
Improvement

A cleaner, more consistent Kinfolk

ImpactAs the product evolves, it was time for an autumn refresh.
WhatThe whole app has a new look, with warmer and more consistent colours.
WhereEverywhere in Kinfolk.
WhoEveryone who uses the Kinfolk app.
Platform

September 11–18, 2026

Workflows
New feature

One workflow can have multiple outcomes based on conditions

ImpactBuild one workflow that handles multiple outcomes on its own, branching automatically based on responses and information collected earlier in the same workflow — instead of building separate workflows for each outcome, or relying on a person to decide what happens next.
WhatA new Condition step compares a value (like a field or an answer) and sends the workflow down a true or false path on its own. For example: "if country is US, send the US letter, otherwise the UK one."
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoAnyone building multi-path workflows.
Workflows
Improvement

Write formatted messages right inside a workflow

ImpactBuild polished messages with links, lists and emphasis — no hand-written HTML required.
WhatSend email, Send message, Reply in thread, and Send channel message steps now use the same rich text editor as Runbook messages, so you can bold, link and list as you type.
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoAnyone writing workflow messages with more than a line of plain text.
Workflows
Improvement

An action library organized around what you're doing

ImpactFind the right building block faster instead of hunting through a list organized by mechanics.
WhatThe workflow builder's action library is now grouped by outcome — Collect input, Control flow, Communicate, Look up data, Update systems — instead of by how each tool works under the hood.
WhereWorkflow Builder.
WhoAnyone building or editing workflows.
Workflows
New feature

Target a specific Kinfolk team in any filter

ImpactRestrict a workflow, or anything else that uses Kin's filters, to one team, without a workaround. Test a new workflow end-to-end on a single team before rolling it out to the whole business.
WhatFilters gained a new option to match people by the Kinfolk team they belong to, wherever filters show up across the product.
WhereAny filter or condition builder.
WhoAdmins scoping automations to a specific team.
Workflows
Service Desk
New feature

Send a one-off message to exactly the people who need it

🎉 As previewed last week — now live. Try Broadcasts
ImpactGet an announcement to a specific group, individual, or pre-set filter group — without repurposing a Runbook just to send something once. Perfect for the addition of new knowledge, the introduction of a workflow, or simply a reminder of Kin's capabilities.
WhatBroadcasts lets you write a message and send it once, straight from Kin, as a direct message to a saved group of employees or a list you choose. Think a payroll reminder to one team, a policy update to everyone, or a birthday shoutout.
WhereNew Broadcasts section in your sidebar.
WhoPeople/HR admins who need to reach a specific group fast.
GuideRead more →
Service Desk
Integrations
New feature

Pull a member's latest HRIS data whenever you need it

ImpactFix a stale employee record right away instead of waiting for the next automatic sync.
WhatA "Sync from HRIS" action on a member's row pulls their current data straight from your HRIS on the spot — handy when a webhook was missed or a detail just changed.
WhereSettings → Members → row actions.
WhoHR/People admins troubleshooting an out-of-date record.
Integrations
Improvement

More accurate time off for Workday customers

ImpactTime-off numbers and rules in Kin now match what Workday itself shows and enforces — including approval steps your org configured there.
WhatKin now books and reads time off through Workday's newer API and reports the balances Workday calculates, instead of estimating them itself.
WhereTime-off requests and balances, for Workday-connected organizations.
WhoEmployees and managers at Workday customers.
Integrations
Platform
Improvement

Kin shows it's thinking in Microsoft Teams

ImpactTeams users get the same reassurance Slack users already have.
WhatWhen you message Kin in Microsoft Teams, it now reacts to show it's working on your message, and clears the reaction once it replies.
WhereAny Kin conversation in Microsoft Teams.
WhoEvery Teams user talking to Kin.
Platform

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Kinfolk Change Log · updated weekly