1. Slack Help Center
  2. Using Slack
  3. Work in channels
    4. Create a channel

Create a channel

Whether you're kicking off a new project or your team needs a place to discuss ongoing topics, channels are where collaboration happens. When you need to create a new one, follow the steps below.

Who can create channels?

By default, the following roles can create channels:

  • Public channels: All members of a workspace, but not guests
  • Private channels: All members, including Multi-Channel Guests

Workspace Owners can change default permissions and limit who can create channels in their workspace. If you don't have permission to create a channel, ask a Workspace Owner for help.


Create channels

Desktop

iOS

Android 

  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the top left.
  2. Select Create a channel.
  3. Enter a channel name. If you see the option to choose a channel prefix, you can select one from the drop-down menu. Channel names must be lowercase, without spaces or periods, and shorter than 80 characters.
  4. Add a description to let others know what the channel is about. 
  5. If you’d like to make the channel private, click the toggle next to Make private.
  6. When you’re ready, click Create.
  7. Add people to the channel by typing names to select from the dropdown menu, or click Skip for now.
  1. Tap the  Home tab at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the  plus icon next to Channels.
  3. Tap Create in the top-right corner.
  4. If you'd like, tap the toggle to make the channel private.
  5. Enter a channel name. Names must be lowercase, without spaces or periods, and shorter than 80 characters.
  6. Add a description to let others know what the channel is about.
  7. Tap Create in the top-right corner to finish.
  1. Tap the  Home tab at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the  plus icon next to Channels.
  3. Tap the  plus icon in the bottom-right corner.
  4. If you'd like, tap the toggle to make the channel private.
  5. Enter a channel name. Names must be lowercase, without spaces or periods, and shorter than 80 characters.
  6. If you’d like, add members to the channel.
  7. Add a description to let others know what the channel is about.
  8. Tap Create in the top-right corner to finish.


Reserved channel names

Some words in Slack are reserved and can't be used as channel names, regardless of the locale you're using. See the list, by language, below.

  • Brazilian Portuguese: aquí, canais, canal, eu, geral, grupo, mí, todos
  • English: archive, archived, archives, all, channel, channels, create, delete, deleted-channel, edit, everyone, group, groups, here, me, ms, slack, slackbot, today, you
  • French: chaîne/chaine, canal, groupe, ici, moi, tous
  • German: alle, allgemein, Channel/channel, hier, Gruppe/gruppe, mir
  • Japanese: チャンネル, ここ, 全員, 自分, グループ
  • Spanish: aquí, canal, grupo, mí, todos
Who can use this feature?
  • Members and sometimes guests (default) 
  • Free, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Grid

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