Channels
Channels are where team conversations happen. They can be organized by project, topic, team, or anything else.
Public vs Private Channels
| Type | Visibility | Joining |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Visible to all workspace members | Anyone can join |
| Private | Visible only to members | Must be added by a member |
Channel type can be changed between public and private by channel admins or workspace admins/owners. See Administration for details.
Creating a Channel
By default, members, admins, and owners can create channels. This is configurable by workspace admins via the who can create channels permission setting. To create a channel:
- Open the command palette (Cmd+K) and type "Create channel", or click the + next to "Channels" in the sidebar.
- Enter a channel name — lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only (e.g.,
project-alpha,design-reviews). - Choose Public or Private.
- Optionally add a description.
Joining and Leaving
- Public channels — Click any public channel in the sidebar to join it. You can also be added by another member.
- Private channels — You must be invited by an existing member.
- Leaving — Right-click a channel in the sidebar or use channel settings to leave. You cannot leave the #general channel.
The #general Channel
Every workspace has a #general channel with special rules:
- All new members are automatically added when they join the workspace.
- It cannot be archived, deleted, or made private.
Starring Channels
Star a channel to pin it to the top of your sidebar. Click the star icon in the channel header or right-click the channel in the sidebar. Starred channels appear in a separate "Starred" section.
Channel Roles
Within a channel, members can have different roles:
| Role | Can post | Can manage channel |
|---|---|---|
| Admin | yes | yes |
| Poster | yes | |
| Viewer |
Channel roles are independent of workspace roles. A workspace member can be a viewer in one channel and an admin in another. See Permissions & Roles for details.
Archiving Channels
Workspace owners and admins can archive channels to make them read-only. Archived channels preserve their message history but no new messages can be sent. The #general channel and DM channels cannot be archived.
Mark as Read
Right-click a channel in the sidebar to mark all messages as read. You can also mark all channels in the workspace as read at once from the sidebar menu.