Ever tried finding one important update buried under dozens of chats, emails, and quick pings from different apps? Suddenly, you are scrolling endlessly, asking teammates for the same information again and losing valuable time. That familiar frustration is something most teams experience. That is why teams love Slack because it turns messy communication into smooth teamwork.
In this blog, you will learn what a Slack group is, How to Create a Group Chat in Slack, how to add members, and choose between group chats and channels for better communication. By the end, you will be equipped to organize teamwork more efficiently and reduce communication chaos.
What is a Slack Group?
A Slack group is a collection of team members within Slack who can communicate, collaborate, and share information in one place. It can take the form of a group chat or a channel, depending on whether the conversation is private or open to the team. Slack groups allow you to organize discussions by project, department, or topic, ensuring that important updates and files are easy to find.
How to Create a Group in Slack?
To create a Group in Slack, you need to follow certain steps. These steps are described below:
Step 1: Log in to Slack Account
The first step is to log in to your existing Slack account using your username and password. If you don’t have one, create one, but make sure it is professional-looking and aligned with the business workflow.
After you log in, click on “Create a New Workspace” (top-right corner) by hovering over "Add Workspace.”
Step 2: Click on the “Create a New Workspace” Button
Next, you need to create a dedicated space where your community members can collaborate, communicate and efficiently share files.
After you log in, click on “Create a New Workspace” (top-right corner) by hovering over "Add Workspace.”
Step 3: Enter Your Workspace Name and Email Address
You will be prompted to provide your workspace name and email address. This step is crucial as it differentiates your group from others.
Make sure to add a professional name that aligns with your specific business goal. The email address will act as your unique identifier to prevent any unauthorized access to the group.
Step 4: Customize Your Workspace
After that, you can customize your workplace based on your business preferences and layouts.
The Slack platform offers several features, like cross-apps integration, setting up keyword shortcuts, and creating custom emojis.
Step 5: Invite Members to Your Workspace
The final step is to invite your members to the workspace. This could include your team’s participants, cross-department members, clients, or stakeholders.
By inviting members, you can create a more inclusive and collaboration-driven workplace.
To invite members, you can either send an email invitation, use the Slack user invitation UI, or use the Google Directory and Contacts.
To invite through emails, you can tap “Invite Members” under the dot's icon next to your workspace name. Consequently, enter the invitee's email address and then click on the “Send” button.
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How to Create a Group Chat in Slack?
Creating a Group Chat in Slack implies having a conversation with multiple participants in a single window. Such an approach can be useful if you are looking for a quick discussion with your team members:
Step 1: Go to the “Direct Message” tab
Navigate to the “Direct Message” tab on the left sidebar inside the platform’s interface.
This interface serves as an access to all the channel creation and management features. Here, you will find all the necessary features related to Group Chats access.
Step 2: Click on the “+” Icon
Tap on the “+” icon where you need to enter the name and purpose of your Group Chat on the designated space.
Ensure this name is specific to your Group Chat’s intent. To this, you must highlight the reason behind the Group Chat creation. Try to make it crisp, concise, and relevant by incorporating pointers (if possible).
Step 3: Add Members to Your Group Chat
The final step is to add members to your Group Chat. This can be done by hovering over the profile picture in the top right corner and clicking on “Add People To Channel.”
Search for people you want to add by name, email address, or through user group. Tap on “Add.”
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How to Add Users to a Group?
If you want to include more people in an ongoing Slack Group Chat, you can add them in just a few quick steps. This helps keep everyone involved and updated on important discussions. Here’s how to add users to a Group Chat in Slack:
1) Open the Group Chat Window: Go into the existing conversation where you want to add more members.
2) Tap the Group Name at the Top: Click the title at the top of the chat, which shows the list of current participants.
3) Click on “Add People”: Select the Add people button to start choosing the new members you want to include.
4) Search and Select Users: Type the name of the person you want to add. You can add up to nine people to one group chat.
5) Choose Chat History Settings: Select whether the new member can see previous messages and shared files or start with a fresh view.
How to Create a Channel in Slack?
If you have over nine participants in Group Chat, the “Channels” feature could serve as a useful tool. This lets you connect with people easily for long-term projects or for segmenting team members. Here’s how you can create a channel in Slack:
1) Go To The “Channels” Tab: Navigate to the “Channels” tab inside the platform’s interface. This interface acts as an access to the channel creation and management features. Here you will find all the necessary features related to accessing the Slack Channel.
2) Click on the “Add Channel” Button: Tap “Add Channel” under the Channels tab on the left sidebar. You can find this by clicking on the “+” button.
3) Tap on “Create a New Channel”: There you will find “Create a New Channel.” Click on it.
4) Enter the Name and Purpose: Enter the name and purpose of your Group Chat in the designated space. Make sure this name is specific to your Group Chat’s intent and under 80characters (including spaces).
5) Alter the Privacy Settings: Choose the visibility as public (anyone can join) or private (only visible to specified users).
6) Add Members to Your Group Chat: Add members to your Group Chat by hovering over the profile picture in the top right corner and clicking on “Add People.” Skip this step if you are adding everyone simultaneously.
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Benefits of Slack Group Chat or Channel
Slack Group Chat has numerous critical benefits compared to other Cloud-based messaging apps. Here are those benefits listed in detail:
1) Share Files
Using Slack Group Chat or Channel, you can directly share files and documents rather than sending them through emails, a tedious process. This direct file-sharing access is useful during critical instances when the situation demands prompt actions, such as during client meetings or testing a new product or service.
2) Record a Video Clip or Audio Message
Recording a video clip or audio message could be useful when you want to convey your introductions and information but lack sufficient meeting time. You can directly record your message as a video clip or audio message and send it to groups, reducing the time spent holding unnecessary meetings.
3) Start a Huddle
Huddle is the meeting-holding feature that removes the hassles of blending specialized meeting-featured applications like Zoom or Google Meet into Slack. This feature is easily available on Group Chats in your Channel’s settings.
4) Create a Canvas
Canvas is a useful Slack feature that is available only on paid and trial versions. It lets users jot down important notes, pointers, and a to-do list while simultaneously indulging in Chat Groups. This also removes the need for users to use an additional notepad or copy for themselves.
5) Add Topics and Pin Messages
You can easily add topics and pin important messages in Group Chats. This allows you to keep track during meetings. Unlike Canvas, it lets you add the topics directly to the “topic” section under the “About Us” page. By pinning important messages, you are ensuring no pointers are missed during the conversation.
6) Create a Poll
Creating a poll removes the unnecessary threads by group members during the chat. Moreover, it enables the team leaders, managers, and Senior Managers to know the ongoing team’s condition, helping them to make seamless and informed decisions. However, you need to install a separate poll app by consulting your team’s admin and owner.
7) Integrate Apps
One of the key features of Slack is that you can easily install other productivity apps like Trello and Google Drive inside your App workspace. This enhances your working efficiency and meeting understanding through multiple apps' integration.
Slack Group Chats vs Slack User Groups
Slack Group Chats are ideal for quick, private conversations among a few team members. They allow people to collaborate in real time, share files and focus on small tasks or short-term discussions without involving the entire workspace.
Slack User Groups serve a different purpose. Instead of creating a new chat, they allow you to mention multiple people with a single @tag, making it easier to send important updates to departments, managers, or location-based teams. User groups also simplify onboarding by enabling the addition of multiple users to channels at once, saving time and effort.
Conclusion
Teamwork gets easier when everyone stays connected. With the steps on How to Create a Group Chat in Slack, you can bring the right people together, share ideas instantly, and keep projects moving smoothly. Whether it is a small discussion or a growing team, Slack makes collaboration simple, organized, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
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10 Sep 2024
Veronica Davis
