How to set up a Slack account

Now that we’re spending more time indoors, we’re finding new platforms and new ways to use old platforms to stay in touch, whether for work or friends. This is the case for Slack, an instant messaging platform that operates somewhere in the gap between email and text messages. Designed for quick communication, Slack has become an essential tool for many workplaces long before everyone started working from home. But you can use it for just about anything: friends, group events, clubs or online communities.

Slack has a free version and offers several paid plans. You start by setting up a workspace (which is your main area of ​​operation and includes your network) in Slack. You create channels in your workspace, such as chat rooms or group chats. In these channels, you and your friends/family/team members can text chat, exchange files, integrate with other apps like Google Docs and Office 365, and even have voice or video chats (if you’re using the free version, you can only video chat one-on-one).

Slack takes some getting used to if you’re not already familiar with it. Here we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you get started – we use the web-based version, but using the desktop app is a similar experience. Note that the instructions below may vary depending on whether you are using a free or paid version.

Create a new account and workspace

As we just said, when you use Slack, you will start with a main workspace and then create various sub-domains (known as channels) for your conversations. You can belong to more than one workspace, but you must create a separate account for each workspace.

We’ll cover how to join an existing workspace a little later. Let’s start by looking at how to create a new workspace.

• go slack.com and select “Try for free”.
• Enter your e-mail. (If you’re using a personal email address, you may be prompted to use a work email. Don’t worry, just enter your regular email address.)

• Slack will ask you to verify your email with a code. Go to your email account, get the code, return to the Slack registration page and enter the code.
• You will then be invited to create a workspace. Slack may also suggest an existing workspace you can join (assuming someone has already invited you somewhere).

• Click “Create a Workspace”. Slack will ask for the name of your company or team; what it really wants is a name for your workspace. Type a name and click “Next”.

• Slack will ask you to type a name for a project you’re working on. Enter it and click “Next”.

• On the next screen, you can enter the names and email addresses of the people you want to add to your Slack workspace and Slack will send them invitations. You can also use a shareable invite link. If you are not ready to invite anyone yet, you can skip this page. (If you click “skip this step”, you may get a pop-up window inviting you to add members now. Don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to add people later.
• You may have noticed that your Slack workspace is built to the left. Your channels are listed here, while “Direct messages” lists the people you’ve privately messaged.

• This much! You can now open Slack in your browser. If you use Slack regularly, it might be a good idea to download the desktop app. for Mac or Windows so you can use the app separately from any online business you do. There are also apps for iOS and Android.

The first time you open Slack in a browser or as an app, you’ll likely get an automatic review showing some features – it’s worth taking a minute or two to see what’s what. A few things to get started:

• Select “Add teammate” from the side column to invite people to your workspace.
• Hover your cursor over the word “Channels” on the left until you see the plus sign and then click on it to add a new channel.

Join an existing workspace

To join an existing Slack workspace, you need permission from the person who manages that workspace. Usually they’ll send you an email invitation that you can use to join, but there may be other options. Some businesses allow anyone with an email address from a certain domain to join, and in some cases, you can authenticate your account using your organization’s single sign-on program (like G Suite or Okta).

If you received an email invitation:

• Click “Join Now” in the email.
• You can sign in with an existing Google or Apple account or type in your email address. If you choose the e-mail route, you will be prompted to enter a name and create a password.
• After you create the account, you will be taken to that Slack workspace.

To join without an email invitation:

• go slack.com/get-started
• Type your e-mail address and click “Continue”.
• To get the confirmation code, go to the email Slack sent you and enter it in the appropriate fields.

• Slack opens a window that lets you create a new workspace and shows you which workspaces you’re part of and are invited to.

While most Slack workspaces are limited to people invited to them, there are some public workspaces around. You can find lists of them by following interest groups or browsing resources such as: r/SlackHangouts and slofile.

January 28, 2022, 9:30am PT update: This article was originally published on March 30, 2020 and has been updated to account for changes to the Slack interface.