How to Create a Slack Channel
Anyone in a workspace can create a channel, but owners and administrators have greater control over who can join. To make a new channel:
Hover over Channels in the sidebar and click the plus sign (+) that appears. Alternatively, select Add channels in the sidebar. Select Create a channel. Set the channel name, give it a description, then select Create. You can also select the Make private toggle switch to restrict access to invite-only. Establish naming conventions for channels. For example, use prefixes like “project” or “team” so co-workers can quickly identify the channel’s purpose. Enter names or email addresses of the members you want to add, or choose Add all members, then select Done. Administrators have the option to select Automatically add anyone who joins.
How to Join a Channel in Slack
You can join any public channel by typing /join followed by the channel name in the chat box. To open the channel browser, select the plus (+) next to Channels, then choose Browse Channels. From here, you can sort, filter, and search through all of the channels you can join in your workspace.
How to Invite Someone to a Slack Channel
You can invite co-workers to join any public or private channel you are part of. To send someone a link to a Slack Channel:
Open the channel and select Details in the top-right corner of Slack. In some versions of Slack, you may see a cog icon instead. Select Add. If the channel is private, Slack will ask if you’d rather create a new channel instead. Select Continue to proceed. Enter names or email addresses of the members you want to add, then select Done.
How to Make a Channel Private in Slack
In some cases, a private channel is necessary to keep sensitive conversations contained. To change a public channel to invite-only:
Open the channel and select Details (or the cog icon) in the top-right corner of Slack. Select More > Additional options. Select Change to a Private Channel. This setting cannot be undone.
Archive or Delete Slack Channels
You can archive or delete channels by accessing the Additional options menu and following the steps above. Archiving a channel will close the channel to new members, but all conversations will still be saved. Archive channels that are no longer in use to declutter your workspace.
If you choose to delete a channel, any saved conversations and resources will be lost.
Channel Topics in Slack
Select Add a topic under the channel name to set the topic. Channel topics help keep everyone on track and up to date on the current conversation. Administrators can change the topic at any time. It’s a good idea to add a descriptive topic to every channel.
How to Mute Channel Notifications
Slack sends notifications whenever there’s new activity in your channels, which can get overwhelming. If you want to disable notifications for channels in Slack:
Open the channel and select Details (or the cog icon) in the top-right corner of Slack. Select More > Mute.
How to Manage Channel Permissions
Workspace owners and administrators control who can change topics and edit other channel settings. To manage these permissions:
Select your workspace name in the top-left corner of Slack. Select Settings & administration > Workspace settings. The Slack admin settings web page will open in your default web browser. Select the Permissions tab. Select Expand next to Channel Management. Choose who can manage channel settings, then select Save.
What Is a Slack Channel, Anyway?
Slack channels are essentially chat rooms within a workspace where co-workers can discuss specific topics or projects. There’s no limit to the number of channels you can have; however, if someone is using the free version of Slack, then they can only see the most recent 10,000 messages sent in a workspace.
Every workspace has a #general channel that is public by default. Other channels can be made private by administrators. Once a channel is marked as private, it cannot be made public again.
Keep as many channels public as possible to encourage transparency. Likewise, make sure important conversations take place in public channels so that everyone has access to them.
