With Slack Connect, you can share channels with external organizations to work together in a secure and productive way. Sharing a channel lets you communicate with members across different organizations in one centralized place, without leaving your own workspace. 

Note: To share a channel, every participating organization must be using one of Slack’s paid plans. If you're using the free version of Slack, learn how to upgrade your workspace.

What to expect

• Sharing a channel allows external organizations access to only that channel in your workspace.
• You and members from external organizations can send and read each other's messages in the channels you're sharing.
• You can send direct messages to members from external organizations, as long as you’re sharing at least one channel together.
• Members from external organizations can join a shared channel from their workspace, or be added by another member of their workspace who's already in the channel.
• You can’t share the #general channel, multi-workspace channels, or org-wide channels.

How to share a channel

There are three steps to sharing a channel:

• An organization can send an invitation to share one of its channels with other organizations (up to 19).
• Invited organizations can accept or decline the invitation.
• If accepted, the invitation must be approved by someone from the organization that owns the channel, and possibly someone from the invited organization.

Working in shared channels

Working in a channel shared with external organizations is similar to using other channels in Slack. You can identify a shared channel by the   diamond icon next to the name in your channel list. Here are some other things to expect when working in channels you’re sharing.

View a member's profile 

When a member from an external organization sends a message in a shared channel, you'll see their profile photo, and certain fields in their profile with their organization's Slack icon in the bottom right corner. You can view their profile, but you won't be able to see any status they've set in their workspace.

Use custom emoji

Members from external organizations can only see your workspace’s custom emoji when they’re added as emoji reactions. External organizations won’t be able to see your workspace’s custom emoji when they’re included in messages, or from their emoji menu.

Use apps and workflows

You can use apps and integrations in channels you’re sharing with external organizations. All members can see messages from bots and apps, and even message another workspace’s bot user if it’s been added to the channel. Keep in mind that your workspace’s custom slash commands and shortcuts for third-party apps won’t work for members from external organizations.

By default, a member from any organization can create workflows for anyone in the channel to use.

Send direct messages

You can send direct messages to members from an external organization if you’re in the same shared channel. To create a group direct message with members from multiple external organizations, you must share at least one channel with every member you’re adding to the conversation.

Shared channels and Enterprise Key Management

If you're an Enterprise Key Management customer, you can share channels with external organizations, but messages and files sent in those channels are not currently encryptable using your own keys.

Messages and files in all other channels in Slack will still be encrypted using your keys. Once EKM is available for channels shared with external organizations, it will retroactively apply to all your messages and files in those channels.

Tip: We've taken added precautions to keep your workspace secure when sharing channels with external organizations. Visit Security and data policies for shared channels to learn more.