Guide to Slack channel templates
Slack templates bundle canvases, lists and workflows together in a channel to get any job done. Instead of creating a channel to manage a process from scratch, choose a template and fill in key details.
How templates work
- You can create a new channel from a template, or add a template to an existing channel. After selecting a template, the canvases, lists and workflows that it includes will be created for you, so anyone can access them from dedicated tabs in the channel header.
- Once your template is set up, some information will be pre-filled (like canvas section headings or placeholder tasks in lists), but you can fill in details and customise them further if you'd like. Workflows included in templates don't require additional configuration, but you can edit them if you'd like.
- If canvases or lists are disabled for your workspace or Enterprise organisation, or you don’t have access to Workflow Builder, you will not be able to use templates.
Choose a template
You can create a channel from a template, or add a template to an existing channel. Once you set up a template, you’ll find its canvases, lists and workflows in the tabs in the channel header.
Create a new channel
- From your desktop, click the plus button in the sidebar.
- Select Channel. If you are on an Enterprise subscription, choose a workspace and then click Next.
- Enter a channel name, then click Next.
- Choose a channel type (public or private), then click Create.
- Choose members to invite, then click Add (or click Skip for now).
- Click the plus icon in the conversation header.
- Below Try a template, choose the template that you'd like to use, or click Explore more templates.
- Choose a template, then click Next.
- If you like, customise your template by deselecting any component you don’t want added, then click Add to channel.
- Slack will post a message to the channel when it’s ready to go. You’ll find the components from your template in the channel header.
Add a template to an existing channel
Channel managers and people with permission to edit channel tabs can add templates to channels.
- From your desktop, open a channel.
- Click the plus icon in the conversation header.
- Select Add template to channel, then choose a template from the list.
- Choose a template, then click Next.
- If you like, customise your template by deselecting any component you don’t want added, then click Add to channel.
- Slack will post a message to the channel when it’s ready to go. You’ll find the components from your template in the channel header.
Template spotlight
Here are more details on a few of the templates that we offer:
Project starter kit
New hire onboarding
Feedback intake
Everything that you need to kick off a new project. This template includes:
Project overview canvas for sharing project briefs, meeting notes, etc.
Task tracker list to organise tasks and deliverables
Workflow that posts automatically when tasks are updated
Simplify the process of bringing new people up to speed with a dedicated onboarding channel and resources. This template includes:
An onboarding guide canvas to centralise company resources and required documents
A first week to-do list to organise and track tasks
A workflow that automatically adds your new employee to all channels that you specify
Streamline and prioritise feedback submissions from your team, customers or partners. This template includes:
A feedback instructions canvas to share submission guidelines
A feedback tracker list to group and prioritise submissions
Workflows to collect feedback submissions and post automatically when submissions are updated
FAQ
I don’t have access to some of the features included in templates. Can I still use them?
In order to use templates, canvases and lists have to be enabled for your workspace or org, and you need permission to create workflows with Workflow Builder. If you can’t access one or more of these features, you won’t see the option to create channels with templates or add templates to existing channels.
Can I add more than one template to a channel?
Yes, you can. If you no longer need the canvas, lists and workflows from a template, you can remove them from the channel, or archive it.
What happens to canvases, lists and workflows created as part of a template if I archive or delete the channel?
When you archive or delete a channel with a template, the canvases and lists will remain available and the workflows will be unpublished. You’ll be prompted to delete them as part of the archive or deletion flow, but you can skip this step if you don’t want to remove them from Slack entirely.
Who can use this feature?
- All members (by default)
- Available on paid subscriptions