diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 45e7ad3a..23975fda 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## Improvements
 - Add a tooltip to the 'confirmation link' label (#436)
+- Update API to allow specifying channels by names (#440)
 
 ## v1.17.0 - 2020-10-14
 
diff --git a/hc/api/tests/test_update_check.py b/hc/api/tests/test_update_check.py
index cd6f5a16..68854a6c 100644
--- a/hc/api/tests/test_update_check.py
+++ b/hc/api/tests/test_update_check.py
@@ -123,6 +123,28 @@ class UpdateCheckTestCase(BaseTestCase):
         self.check.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 1)
 
+    def test_it_sets_channel_by_name(self):
+        channel = Channel.objects.create(project=self.project, name="alerts")
+
+        r = self.post(self.check.code, {"api_key": "X" * 32, "channels": "alerts"})
+
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+
+        self.check.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.first().code, channel.code)
+
+    def test_it_sets_channel_by_name_formatted_as_uuid(self):
+        name = "102eaa82-a274-4b15-a499-c1bb6bbcd7b6"
+        channel = Channel.objects.create(project=self.project, name=name)
+
+        r = self.post(self.check.code, {"api_key": "X" * 32, "channels": name})
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+
+        self.check.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.first().code, channel.code)
+
     def test_it_handles_comma_separated_channel_codes(self):
         c1 = Channel.objects.create(project=self.project)
         c2 = Channel.objects.create(project=self.project)
@@ -187,10 +209,33 @@ class UpdateCheckTestCase(BaseTestCase):
         self.check.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 0)
 
-    def test_it_rejects_non_uuid_channel_code(self):
+    def test_it_handles_channel_lookup_by_name_with_no_results(self):
         r = self.post(self.check.code, {"api_key": "X" * 32, "channels": "foo"})
 
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 400)
+        self.assertEqual(r.json()["error"], "invalid channel identifier: foo")
+
+        self.check.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 0)
+
+    def test_it_handles_channel_lookup_by_name_with_multiple_results(self):
+        Channel.objects.create(project=self.project, name="foo")
+        Channel.objects.create(project=self.project, name="foo")
+
+        r = self.post(self.check.code, {"api_key": "X" * 32, "channels": "foo"})
+
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 400)
+        self.assertEqual(r.json()["error"], "non-unique channel identifier: foo")
+
+        self.check.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 0)
+
+    def test_it_rejects_multiple_empty_channel_names(self):
+        Channel.objects.create(project=self.project, name="")
+
+        r = self.post(self.check.code, {"api_key": "X" * 32, "channels": ","})
+        self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 400)
+        self.assertEqual(r.json()["error"], "empty channel identifier")
 
         self.check.refresh_from_db()
         self.assertEqual(self.check.channel_set.count(), 0)
diff --git a/hc/api/views.py b/hc/api/views.py
index ee52152d..6236c1d5 100644
--- a/hc/api/views.py
+++ b/hc/api/views.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from datetime import timedelta as td
 import time
-import uuid
 
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.db import connection
@@ -71,20 +70,32 @@ def _lookup(project, spec):
 
 
 def _update(check, spec):
-    channels = set()
-    # First, validate the supplied channel codes
-    if "channels" in spec and spec["channels"] not in ("*", ""):
-        q = Channel.objects.filter(project=check.project)
+    # First, validate the supplied channel codes/names
+    if "channels" not in spec:
+        # If the channels key is not present, don't update check's channels
+        new_channels = None
+    elif spec["channels"] == "*":
+        # "*" means "all project's channels"
+        new_channels = Channel.objects.filter(project=check.project)
+    elif spec.get("channels") == "":
+        # "" means "empty list"
+        new_channels = []
+    else:
+        # expect a comma-separated list of channel codes or names
+        new_channels = set()
+        available = list(Channel.objects.filter(project=check.project))
+
         for s in spec["channels"].split(","):
-            try:
-                code = uuid.UUID(s)
-            except ValueError:
-                raise BadChannelException("invalid channel identifier: %s" % s)
+            if s == "":
+                raise BadChannelException("empty channel identifier")
 
-            try:
-                channels.add(q.get(code=code))
-            except Channel.DoesNotExist:
+            matches = [c for c in available if str(c.code) == s or c.name == s]
+            if len(matches) == 0:
                 raise BadChannelException("invalid channel identifier: %s" % s)
+            elif len(matches) > 1:
+                raise BadChannelException("non-unique channel identifier: %s" % s)
+
+            new_channels.add(matches[0])
 
     if "name" in spec:
         check.name = spec["name"]
@@ -119,12 +130,8 @@ def _update(check, spec):
 
     # This needs to be done after saving the check, because of
     # the M2M relation between checks and channels:
-    if spec.get("channels") == "*":
-        check.assign_all_channels()
-    elif spec.get("channels") == "":
-        check.channel_set.clear()
-    elif channels:
-        check.channel_set.set(channels)
+    if new_channels is not None:
+        check.channel_set.set(new_channels)
 
     return check
 
diff --git a/templates/docs/api.html b/templates/docs/api.html
index 30e9192f..b38e071e 100644
--- a/templates/docs/api.html
+++ b/templates/docs/api.html
@@ -347,10 +347,20 @@ and POST requests.</p>
 <p>By default, this API call assigns no integrations to the newly created
 check.</p>
 <p>Set this field to a special value "*" to automatically assign all existing
-integrations.</p>
+integrations. Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels": "*"}</pre></p>
 <p>To assign specific integrations, use a comma-separated list of integration
-identifiers. Use the <a href="#list-channels">Get a List of Existing Integrations</a>
-API call to look up the available integration identifiers.</p>
+UUIDs. You can look up integration UUIDs using the
+<a href="#list-channels">Get a List of Existing Integrations</a> API call.</p>
+<p>Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels":
+ "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre></p>
+<p>Alternatively, if you have named your integrations in SITE_NAME dashboard,
+you can specify integrations by their names. For this to work, your integrations
+need non-empty and unique names, and they must not contain commas. The names
+must match exactly, whitespace is significant.</p>
+<p>Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels": "Email to Alice,SMS to Alice"}</pre></p>
 </dd>
 <dt>unique</dt>
 <dd>
@@ -496,13 +506,23 @@ and POST requests.</p>
 <dd>
 <p>string, optional.</p>
 <p>Set this field to a special value "*" to automatically assign all existing
-notification channels.</p>
+integrations. Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels": "*"}</pre></p>
 <p>Set this field to a special value "" (empty string) to automatically <em>unassign</em>
-all notification channels.</p>
-<p>Set this field to a comma-separated list of channel identifiers to assign
-specific notification channels.</p>
+all existing integrations. Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels": ""}</pre></p>
+<p>To assign specific integrations, use a comma-separated list of integration
+UUIDs. You can look up integration UUIDs using the
+<a href="#list-channels">Get a List of Existing Integrations</a> API call.</p>
+<p>Example:</p>
+<p><pre>{"channels":
+ "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre></p>
+<p>Alternatively, if you have named your integrations in SITE_NAME dashboard,
+you can specify integrations by their names. For this to work, your integrations
+need non-empty and unique names, and they must not contain commas. The names
+must match exactly, whitespace is significant.</p>
 <p>Example:</p>
-<p><pre>{"channels": "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre></p>
+<p><pre>{"channels": "Email to Alice,SMS to Alice"}</pre></p>
 </dd>
 </dl>
 <h3>Response Codes</h3>
diff --git a/templates/docs/api.md b/templates/docs/api.md
index 850e7f72..07516cc0 100644
--- a/templates/docs/api.md
+++ b/templates/docs/api.md
@@ -360,11 +360,27 @@ channels
     check.
 
     Set this field to a special value "*" to automatically assign all existing
-    integrations.
+    integrations. Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels": "*"}</pre>
 
     To assign specific integrations, use a comma-separated list of integration
-    identifiers. Use the [Get a List of Existing Integrations](#list-channels)
-    API call to look up the available integration identifiers.
+    UUIDs. You can look up integration UUIDs using the
+    [Get a List of Existing Integrations](#list-channels) API call.
+
+    Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels":
+     "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre>
+
+    Alternatively, if you have named your integrations in SITE_NAME dashboard,
+    you can specify integrations by their names. For this to work, your integrations
+    need non-empty and unique names, and they must not contain commas. The names
+    must match exactly, whitespace is significant.
+
+    Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels": "Email to Alice,SMS to Alice"}</pre>
 
 unique
 :   array of string values, optional, default value: [].
@@ -540,17 +556,32 @@ channels
 :   string, optional.
 
     Set this field to a special value "*" to automatically assign all existing
-    notification channels.
+    integrations. Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels": "*"}</pre>
 
     Set this field to a special value "" (empty string) to automatically *unassign*
-    all notification channels.
+    all existing integrations. Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels": ""}</pre>
+
+    To assign specific integrations, use a comma-separated list of integration
+    UUIDs. You can look up integration UUIDs using the
+    [Get a List of Existing Integrations](#list-channels) API call.
+
+    Example:
+
+    <pre>{"channels":
+     "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre>
 
-    Set this field to a comma-separated list of channel identifiers to assign
-    specific notification channels.
+    Alternatively, if you have named your integrations in SITE_NAME dashboard,
+    you can specify integrations by their names. For this to work, your integrations
+    need non-empty and unique names, and they must not contain commas. The names
+    must match exactly, whitespace is significant.
 
     Example:
 
-    <pre>{"channels": "4ec5a071-2d08-4baa-898a-eb4eb3cd6941,746a083e-f542-4554-be1a-707ce16d3acc"}</pre>
+    <pre>{"channels": "Email to Alice,SMS to Alice"}</pre>
 
 
 ### Response Codes