What is a Slack group?
Most Slack workspaces are organized in thematic Slack channels that are visible to all employees within the company.
While Slack channels can be organized in many handy ways, covering a range of uses from specific teams to locations, there will be instances when you wish you could talk to groups outside them. That’s where Slack groups come in!
Slack groups let you quickly send a direct message to a bunch of Slack users all at once. It's a super easy way to talk to a specific group of people without setting up a whole new channel.
How to create a Slack group
Creating a Slack group is pretty easy. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Slack, either on your app or through the website.
Step 2: Look for the "+" next to "Direct messages." Click that, and it'll open up a window for messaging.
Step 3: Pick the people you want to add to your group.
Step 4: And that's it, you're all set!
In your Slack group, you can share links, and files, and use integrated apps just like you would in regular channels.
Need to add more people to the group? Just open the group, click on the participant list to bring up the settings menu, and select ‘Add people’. You'll have the option to share your past chat history with the new members if you want.
Slack group chats vs Slack user groups
Talking about Slack group chats and Slack user groups, they're both useful but for different things. Group chats are great for private talks, but sometimes you need to reach specific people in your channels without messaging them all one by one.
That's where Slack user groups come in. You can set up these groups to create a special @tag. This way, you don't have to tag everyone individually in your posts. It's super helpful for reaching out to specific teams, your managers, or folks in the same office.
Slack user groups can also make your life easier when you try bulk-adding users to Slack channels, speeding up onboarding.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Slack groups
1. What’s the difference between a Slack channel, a Slack user group, and a group chat in Slack?
Slack channels are visible to all users within the workspace. While they might be restricted or invite-only; the channel names are searchable, and users can request to join them.
On the other hand, Slack user groups are entirely private and only visible to their participants. These groups are typically used for informal conversations, while Slack channels are usually more formally structured.
But what about group chats in Slack? Unlike user groups, which are collections of individuals with a common theme or role and used only for notifications and tagging, group chats provide a separate space for members to converse.
2. Who can use the Slack group feature?
By default, managing user groups — specifically creating and editing them — is limited to the owners and administrators of a workspace. They can, however, decide to make this feature accessible to every member.
3. Are Slack groups available in the free Slack versions?
While group chats are available to all users regardless of their Slack access, the Slack user group feature is only available for premium Slack users on paid plans.
4. What are some use cases for Slack user groups?
Setting up Slack user groups can be a handy way to contact teams in large organizations. They enable targeted messaging to specific teams or departments, facilitate easier management of permissions and notifications, and enhance collaboration by grouping users with common roles or functions.
Top Features of Slack Groups
Category | Feature | Description | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
Communication & Collaboration | Channels | Organize conversations by topic, project, or team. | Streamline communication, keep everyone informed. |
Direct Messaging | Chat directly with individuals or small groups. | Facilitate quick discussions and personalized support. | |
@mentions | Get someone's attention by mentioning their username. | Ensure relevant people are looped into conversations. | |
Threads | Keep conversations on specific topics organized within channels. | Maintain focus and avoid clutter in channels. | |
Video & Screen Sharing | Facilitate virtual meetings and presentations. | Foster remote collaboration and clear communication. | |
File Sharing | Share documents, images, and other files seamlessly. | Improve information accessibility and streamline workflows. | |
Organization & Productivity | Search | Find past messages, files, and people quickly. | Reduce wasted time searching for information. |
Integrations | Connect Slack with other tools you use (e.g., Google Drive, Trello, Zoom). | Centralize workflows and automate tasks. | |
Reactions | Respond to messages with emojis for quick feedback. | Enhance communication efficiency and provide clear feedback. | |
Starred Items | Bookmark important messages for easy reference later. | Create a personal knowledge base within Slack. | |
Customizable Notifications | Set notification preferences to avoid information overload. | Stay focused and avoid distractions. | |
Channel History | Access past conversations within a channel. | Ensure everyone has access to historical information. | |
Engagement & Culture | Emojis & GIFs | Add personality and humor to your communication. | Create a more enjoyable and engaging work environment. |
Polls & Surveys | Gather team input and feedback. | Improve decision-making and promote team participation. | |
Custom Statuses | Let others know your availability and current tasks. | Enhance transparency and team coordination. | |
Fun & Games | Integrate apps for team building and icebreakers. | Boost morale and promote a positive work culture. | |
Channel Naming & Pinned Messages | Create a clear and organized workspace. | Improve information findability and streamline communication flow. | |
Advanced Features (Paid Plans) | Guest Access | Invite external collaborators to specific channels. | Facilitate seamless collaboration with external partners. |
User Groups | Notify groups of people with shared roles. | Improve communication efficiency for specific teams. | |
Compliance Features | Manage data security and regulatory requirements. | Ensure data privacy and meet industry regulations. | |
Enterprise Grid | Manage large and complex workspaces across organizations. | Scale communication and collaboration for growing businesses. | |
Slack Apps | Extend functionality with custom-built applications. | Automate tasks and tailor Slack to your specific needs. |
What’s next?
Slack groups and Slack user groups are incredibly useful features within your Slack workspace, but there’s certainly more you can do to create your ideal work environment. This is where our award-winning tool, Thena, shines.
Thena is an intelligent ticketing tool built for Slack, designed to enhance customer communication and support. It does so by using AI to detect customer requests in Slack conversations, automatically creating tickets, and routing them to the appropriate team members.
With Thena, you get handy features like request management, analytics, marketing tools, and an internal helpdesk. Moreover, the tool’s email-to-Slack integration enables your team to access customer emails directly within Slack, automatically routing customer emails to relevant Slack channels, alongside AI-powered summaries of the requests.
If your customer-facing and internal Slack channels are becoming too chaotic, Thena is the tool that can put an end to it.
Ready to maximize Slack’s built-in features and create a workspace uniquely designed to fit your organization’s needs? Add Thena to your Slack workspace today.
