Creating a Text Channel
Creating a text channel gives your team a dedicated space for a specific topic, project, or department. Any workspace member with the appropriate permissions can create a channel in just a few steps.
Opening the Create Channel Dialog
There are two ways to open the channel creation dialog:
- From the sidebar --- In the Communicate section, hover over the Chat Channels heading and click the + button that appears on the right side.
- From a category --- If your workspace uses categories to group channels, right-click on a category name and select Create Channel. The new channel will be placed inside that category automatically.
Step-by-Step Channel Creation
1. Name Your Channel
Enter a descriptive name for your channel in the Channel Name field. Good channel names are short, lowercase, and clearly describe the channel's purpose.
Naming tips:
- Use hyphens to separate words (e.g.,
marketing-campaigns,engineering-standup). - Keep names concise so they are easy to read in the sidebar.
- Prefix related channels with a common term (e.g.,
proj-website,proj-mobile) to keep them grouped visually.
You can also add an optional emoji icon next to the channel name by clicking the emoji picker. This makes the channel easier to identify at a glance.
2. Add Members
Use the member selector to search for and add workspace members or teams to the channel. You can add:
- Individual users --- Search by name and click to add them.
- Teams --- Add an entire team at once so all current team members gain access.
Each member you add is assigned a default Member role. You can change a participant's role to Admin or Viewer using the role dropdown next to their name.
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Admin | Full control --- can send messages, manage members, edit channel settings, and delete the channel |
| Member | Can send messages, reply in threads, react, and share files |
| Viewer | Can read messages but cannot send or reply |
3. Configure Message Settings
For text channels, you can control who is allowed to perform key actions:
- Who can view --- Choose whether all members or only specific roles can see the channel's messages.
- Who can send messages --- Restrict message sending to admins only, or allow all members to participate.
- Who can reply --- Control whether replies and threads are open to everyone or restricted.
These settings are useful for announcement channels where only admins should post, while everyone else reads.
4. Create the Channel
Once you have configured the name, members, and settings, click the Create Channel button at the bottom of the dialog. You will be navigated to the new channel automatically, ready to send the first message.
Assigning a Channel to a Category
Categories help organize your channels into logical groups in the sidebar (e.g., "Engineering", "Marketing", "General"). If you opened the create dialog from within a category, the channel is automatically placed there.
To move a channel to a different category later, right-click the channel name in the sidebar and select Move to Category, then choose the target category.
Editing a Channel After Creation
You can update a channel's name, description, members, and settings at any time:
- Open the channel by clicking on it in the sidebar.
- Click the channel name or the settings icon in the channel header to open the Channel Overview dialog.
- Navigate between tabs to edit the name, manage members, adjust permissions, view shared media, or access advanced settings.
If you are creating a channel that only a small group should see, remember to limit the membership list. Only members explicitly added to the channel can see it in their sidebar.