Slack is the most widely used team messaging application and requires no introduction. Most offices and businesses these days rely on Slack for internal communication. Slack offers many useful features like file sharing, app integration, and so much more on its free plan, making it the top choice for most entrepreneurs. 

If you haven’t used slack before or want to improve your slack skills to impress your teammates, this guide will provide you with the best tips and tricks. 

We divided the post into 2 sections, basic tips for people getting started and an advanced section for experienced users. There is something for everyone, so buckle up; we have a lot to cover.

Basic Slack tricks to get started

Create chat channels

One of Slack’s main features is to organize chats into different channels. Channels are completely customizable to your needs and preferences. You can create a channel and invite people from different teams (or companies) and collaborate on a project together. For example, if you freelance a part of the project, you can invite the freelancer to your slack channel, and all team members can easily communicate with them. Channels are useful because they let people from different teams collaborate without getting overwhelmed or using other applications. 

To create a Channels follow the steps below:

Step 1: From your sidebar, click the ➕ (plus icon) next to Channels and select Create a channel.

Step 2: Give the channel a name.

Step 3: Add a description, choose a channel type (public or private), or check the box to share the channel outside of your company.

Step 4: Click Create to add people to the channel, or Skip for now.

Set Do Not Disturb

Depending on the size of the tour team, you may constantly get notifications from other members, which can hamper your productivity. Losing focus is one of the drawbacks of instant messaging, and with the “Do not Disturb” feature turned on, you can easily avoid it. 

I particularly use this feature when conducting meetings as it can create some embarrassing situations, especially if you have your screen shared turned on. 

Another perk of using “Do not disturb” is that it lets your team member know that you have this feature turned on. So, they will know that you are busy or do not wish to be notified.

To turn “Do not disturb” on, follow the steps below:

Step 1: From your desktop, click your workspace name in the top left.

Step 2: Select Settings & administration from the menu, then click Workspace settings.

Step 3: Scroll down to Do Not Disturb and click Expand.

Step 4: Select the default hours when you do not wish to receive notifications.

Step 5: Click Save.

Integrate apps

Integrating apps is another useful feature in Slack that allows you to use your favorite apps without having to leave slack. You can share google drive links, Schedule meetings on calendly or join a video conference using zoom, all without having to leave slack. Integrating Gmail with Slack also allows you to keep track of your office emails seamlessly, reducing your chances of missing notifications. 

You can use app integration to connect your calendar with Slack so that all team members can receive notifications like when you are busy or out of the office.

Here is how to integrate Apps in Slack:

Step 1: Click Apps at the top of the left sidebar from your desktop. 

Step 2: Search for the app, then click Add. You’ll be taken to the Slack App Directory.

Step 3: Click Add to Slack.

Step 4: Follow the prompts to install the app. 

Using multiple apps may require a paid Slack subscription. But Slack does offer up to 10 apps to be used for free, which is more than enough for most people.

Learn Your @’s

By default, a slack message will notify everyone in the group. But if you want to target specific people, you can use @[name] to notify them individually. This can be specific groups, channels, or even individual people, making connecting easier. 

In a professional setup, you should not be disturbing others with unnecessary notifications, so maskering the use of targeted messages is essential. 

Use threads 

Threads help you create organized discussions around specific messages. They let you discuss a topic in more detail without adding clutter to a channel or direct message (DM) conversation. For example, you can comment on specific messages using threads which is so much easier to have a meaningful conversation when you have multiple recipients. 

For beginners, the most common mistake in Slack is not understanding the use of threads and replying to the main body. This can create some confusion and also give away that you are newly using Slack. So always keep threads in mind when replying. 

Threads are simple. To get started, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Hover over the message you’d like to reply to; you will see a small thread icon here.

Step 2: Click the Reply in the thread icon.

Step 3: Type your reply.

Step 4: If you’d like to send your reply back to the channel or DM’s main view, check the box below your message.

Step 5: Send your message.

You can also press on a message, and on the left-hand side thread option will pop up. 

Advanced tips in Slack 

Now that we have looked at what Slack’s basic features offer, let’s shift our attention to some advanced features. 

The Slack Bot

Slack bots are designed to automate many of your repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow. You can use slack bots for a variety of purposes, like reminding you of daily standup meetings, changing the office playlist, or even monitoring your website uptime. 

I personally use slack to notify everyone about team meetings and send a meeting link, so everyone knows how to join the call. Bots are also useful as reminders or sending scheduled messages to team members. 

Setting up a Slack bot is simple. You can either download bots or create a new bot of your own. You can learn more about the setup process by clicking on the link below. 

Use custom emoji 

Want to make an emoji by your name? Slack lets you create custom emojis which you can later use to send among colleagues. This is a fun feature and can be a great conversation starter. Just be careful it is visible systemwide, so using a picture of your Boss and naming it devil may create some trouble which I had to learn the hard way. 

You can set custom emoji by following the steps below:

Step 1: From your desktop, click the smiley face icon in the message field to open the emoji menu. 

Step 2: Click Add Emoji.

Step 3: Then upload the image and select a file.

Step 4: Give it a name, enter a name for your emoji, then click Save.

Convert a channel to private

By default, a channel is set to public, and anyone in your workspace can join the channel. But if you have certain information you do not want to share with all your teammates, you can turn the channel to private. This restricts other team members from joining the channel. 

To change a channel from public to private, follow the steps below:

Step 1: From your desktop, open the channel you’d like to make private.

Step 2: Click the channel name in the conversation header.

Step 3: Select the Settings tab.

Step 4: Scroll down and click Change to a private channel. 

Step 5: Click change to private to confirm. 

Set highlight words

By default, Slack notifies you anytime your name and username are mentioned. But there are instances when you may want to be notified for other keywords as well. For example, if you are a web developer, you would want to be notified when the site is down. So you can set the keyword “Site down” and will be notified.

This feature is particularly useful in large companies where it may not be possible to inform everyone individually.

Turn highlight words on by:

Step1: Opening Preferences

Step 2: Click the Notifications tab

Step 3: Find “My keywords” and enter words and phrases you’d like to be notified of in the text box

Use Slack Commands 

You can not become a pro-Slack user without using some of the ​​built-in slash commands. These commands allow you to perform various tasks like reminding you of meetings or quickly managing RSS subscriptions. 

To get started with slack commands, simply press on the /[command]. 

Many Slack commands are added every day; click here to see the full list.  

Bonus Tips 

Here is a bonus tip that I personally love using. Using Slack, you can send a text message to yourself, which can be used as a handy reminder. I use it to keep meeting links which is convenient as I do not need to leave slack or use any other applications. You can test yourself by searching your name and then sending a message. 

Final words 

There you have it, top 10 Slack tricks that you would actually use. Let us know which one is your favorite, and subscribe to our newsletter for productivity tips like this.