Useful Slack Commands: Shortcuts for Everyday Work

Useful Slack commands let you manage conversations, find messages, set reminders, and change your availability without leaving the message box. Type a slash command such as /remind into a message field, then follow Slack’s prompt or enter the requested details; the commands available to you can vary by workspace and installed apps.

How Slack slash commands work

Slash commands begin with a forward slash and are entered in a conversation’s message field. As you type, Slack may show matching commands and prompts. Choose a suggestion when one appears, complete any required details, and submit it. Some commands act immediately; others open a dialog or ask you to pick a channel, person, or time.

A command is not necessarily a message sent to everyone in the conversation. For example, a reminder command creates a reminder, while a search command helps locate messages. Commands supplied by apps may behave differently and may send information to that app. If a command is unavailable, Slack may not recognize it, your workspace may not have the relevant app, or the feature may be restricted.

Useful built-in Slack commands

/help — Opens help or guidance about Slack commands and features. The exact response can depend on the workspace and current Slack interface.
/remind — Creates a reminder for yourself or, where supported, another person or a channel. For example, /remind me to review the draft tomorrow starts a reminder flow. Include a clear task and time; Slack may ask you to confirm or clarify them.
/search — Starts a search from the message field. For example, /search project update looks for matching messages. You can also use Slack’s search box directly and add filters such as a person or channel.
/status — Sets or changes your status message. Depending on the prompt, you can add text and choose an emoji, and may be able to set when the status clears.
/away — Toggles your availability indicator between active and away. This changes presence, not your account’s access or notification settings.
/mute — Mutes the current conversation when the command is supported in that context. Muting generally reduces notifications; it does not leave the channel or remove its messages.
/collapse and /expand — Collapse or expand file previews in a conversation, where supported. These affect how content is displayed rather than changing the original files.
/invite — Starts the process of inviting someone to a channel, subject to workspace permissions and channel rules. Slack may ask you to select a person or confirm the action.
/leave — Leaves the current channel where permitted. Be careful to distinguish this from muting: leaving changes channel membership, while muting changes notifications.
/msg or /dm — Starts a direct message to a person in workspaces where these shortcuts are available. Slack may suggest a recipient as you type.

Command names and behavior can change, and a workspace may have settings that affect availability. Treat suggestions shown by Slack as the best guide for commands enabled in your account.

Finding and organizing conversations

For many common tasks, search syntax is more useful than memorizing a slash command. Enter a term in Slack search and narrow the results with filters. Common examples include in:project-team to look in a channel, from:alex to look for messages from a person, and before:2026-01-01 or after:2026-01-01 to limit dates. Use the actual channel name or person identity recognized by your workspace.

Search operators can be combined. For instance, in:project-team from:alex launch looks for messages containing “launch” in that channel from that person. Search is not the same as a slash command: type the query into Slack’s search interface, or use /search to start searching from the message field. Results depend on your access to the relevant conversations.

Pinning, saving, and marking a message unread are also useful ways to keep track of work, but they are usually performed through message menus or keyboard and interface controls rather than a universal slash command. Check the message’s More actions menu instead of assuming a command exists.

App and workspace-specific commands

Slack apps can add their own slash commands for tasks such as creating a ticket, checking a deployment, or starting a poll. These are not universal Slack commands: they only work if the relevant app is installed and available to you. An app command may open a form, post a message, or send data to the app’s service.

To discover app commands, type / in the message field and review the suggestions, or check your workspace’s app directory and internal help documentation. If a teammate shares a command, ask which app provides it and what it does before using it in a public channel. Workspace owners or administrators may control which apps and commands are permitted.

Choosing the right shortcut and fixing problems

Use a slash command when Slack offers a direct action, such as setting a reminder or status.
Use search filters when you need to retrieve a particular message or narrow a large set of results.
Use a message menu for actions tied to one specific message, such as saving or copying a link.
Check the suggested command list and read any confirmation prompt before submitting an action.

If a command does not work, first check that you typed the slash and command name in the message field, rather than in the search box or a document. Look for a suggestion as you type; if none appears, the command may be misspelled, unavailable, or supplied by an app that is not installed. For reminders, make the time and recipient explicit and follow any follow-up prompt. For channel actions, confirm that you are in the intended channel and have permission to perform the action.

A common misconception is that every command beginning with / is built into Slack. In fact, some belong to apps, and availability may differ between workspaces. Another is that /away or /mute makes someone invisible; these shortcuts affect presence or notifications, not whether other people can access messages or whether your account is active.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most useful Slack command?
/remind is useful for turning a task into a time-based reminder. For finding older messages, search filters such as in: and from: are often more helpful.

How do I see which Slack commands are available?
Type / in a message field and review the suggestions. You can also try /help or consult your workspace’s documentation for app-specific commands.

How do I set a reminder in Slack?
Type /remind followed by the task and a time, such as /remind me to send the notes tomorrow. Follow Slack’s prompt to confirm or clarify the reminder.

Can I use the same slash commands in every workspace?
No. Built-in features may vary by context or workspace settings, and app commands require the relevant app to be available. A command shown in one workspace may not work in another.

Does /away turn off Slack notifications?
No. It changes your availability indicator. Notification preferences are managed separately, and muting a conversation affects that conversation’s notifications rather than your presence.

Why is a Slack slash command not working?
Check its spelling and where you entered it, then look for an autocomplete suggestion. The command may be app-specific, unavailable in your workspace, or restricted by permissions.

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