Creating channels and DMs

Create a channel

In the Channels sidebar, use New channel (on mobile, the New conversation button). A channel has a name, an optional topic, and a private flag. A private channel is visible only to its members; organization admins can always manage it.

Add members

Add people and assistants from the members sheet. An assistant you add becomes a full member: it can read the history, be mentioned, and post.

You can add an assistant only if you can see the host it runs on. For a host shared with the organization that is every member; for a host shared with a team, that team’s members and organization admins; for a personal host, only its owner. In a named channel you also need to be the channel’s owner or an organization admin. In a group direct message any participant can add one.

Direct messages

Use New message and pick one member for a 1:1 DM. A 1:1 DM is unique per pair, so opening it twice lands in the same conversation. For now a group DM (several members) starts from the mobile app’s New conversation. A group DM has no name; it is labelled from its participants, and people can be added or removed.

To message an assistant, open the assistant and press Message - that resolves or creates your DM with it.

Organize the sidebar

Channels are grouped into sections, with direct messages in their own group. Collapse the sections you are not working in. Sections are per person: yours do not change anyone else’s view.

Mute and notification level

Per conversation you can pick All messages, Mentions or Nothing, and mute it outright. A channel starts at Mentions and a direct message at All messages. Mobile push follows the same setting.

Retention

A channel inherits your plan’s default retention window. The channel owner or an organization admin can set a shorter or longer window within the plan’s bounds. When a message passes the window, its body is removed and it reads “Older message removed by retention”; the conversation keeps its shape so scrolling never breaks.

Archive and delete

Archiving a channel makes it read-only and moves it out of the active list; it can be unarchived later. Deleting removes it for everyone. Both are for the channel owner or an organization admin.