Slack Connect allows you to work with people outside your company in channels and direct messages (DMs). By moving conversations out of emails, you can work securely and collaboratively with partners, vendors or customers. Read on for an overview of Slack Connect.

Slack Connect for channels

When you need to work as a group, you can create a channel where teams from up to 250 companies can communicate. Here's what to keep in mind when using channels with Slack Connect:

• To work in channels together, each organisation must be using a paid Slack subscription.
• Like other channels in Slack, people can join a channel or be added to it by another member of their organisation.
• People from different companies working together in channels can send each other DMs. To work in a group DM, everyone in the conversation must be in at least one channel together.

Tip: If you have partners not yet using Slack or using the free version, you can invite them to try Slack Connect for free.

Channel ownership

An organisation either owns a channel or is invited to one. Channels that were created in your workspace or Enterprise Grid org are owned by your organisation. Only the channel owner has permission to do the following in a Slack Connect channel:

• Invite organisations
• Remove other organisations
• Manage posting permissions
• Continue using the channel if it's no longer shared

Using apps and workflows

When using apps and workflows in a channel with people outside your company, here’s what to expect:

• Workflows can be used by anyone in the channel.
• App shortcuts are available to people from other organisations if an app is installed to their workspace. When people take an action from an app shortcut, it will only apply to the account that they've connected to the app. 
• Apps added by another organisation will include that organisation's Slack icon next to the app name. Only people from the organisation that added an app can remove it from a channel.
• People in the channel can see messages from bots and apps. They can also exchange messages with an app’s bot user if it’s been added to the channel.
• Custom apps and slash commands created for your workspace can only be used by members of your organisation.

Slack Connect for DMs

When you don't need to work in a channel with someone outside your company, you can talk one-to-one in a DM instead. On any Slack subscription, you can start a DM by sending someone an invitation or accept an invitation that you've received.

Using Slack Connect

Whether you're using channels or DMs, here's what to expect when working with people from other organisations in Slack.

Security 

Slack Connect provides a secure way for organisations to communicate and collaborate together. Read more about how data management features apply to Slack Connect and Slack's enterprise-grade security.

Identifying Slack Connect conversations

When you hover over a channel name or DM, you'll see if any external organisations are in the conversation. You'll also see a banner with the same information when you view the conversation. By default, all your Slack Connect channels and DMs will be in a dedicated Slack Connect sidebar section.

Managing Slack Connect from your sidebar

Click  Slack Connect at the top of your left sidebar to send and accept invitations, manage your invitations and more. Depending on your role and permissions in Slack, you may find key actions to manage Slack Connect for your workspace or Enterprise Grid organisation. 

Viewing member profiles

Companies using a paid Slack subscription can choose what profile information external organisations can see: either just basic details, like names and profile photos, or additional details like statuses and timezones. Profile photos for external people will be marked with their organisation’s Slack icon in the bottom-right corner. 

Using custom emoji

You can use your workspace’s custom emoji like you would in any other channel or DM. People from other companies can see your workspace’s custom emoji but can’t use them in their messages or as emoji reactions.

Learn more: For an in-depth look at Slack Connect, take our course and test your knowledge to earn a Slack Skills badge.