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Discussions is your team’s chat. Each channel holds the talk about one piece of work, such as a website launch, so the decisions stay in one place instead of in email. This guide makes a private channel for a website launch, posts the plan, and answers it in a thread.

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Make a channel

1

Start a new discussion

Click Discussions in the left rail, then the + at the top.
2

Name it and choose who sees it

Type a Title and, if you like, a Description of what the channel is for. Turn on Private so only the people you add can see it; leave it off for a channel the whole team can find. Pick teammates under Members now, or add them later. Then click Create private channel.
New Discussion: Title website-launch, outlined; Description, Getting the new website live: copy, photos and the launch date; and Private, switched on, Only people you add can see it, outlined

A private channel for the website launch

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Post, react and reply

Type your message in the box at the bottom and press Enter. The buttons above the box format the text, such as bold for a date. Type @ and a name to mention a teammate, which notifies them. Point at a message to react to it or answer it. The emoji react in one click; the speech bubble, Reply in thread, starts a conversation about that message without filling the channel.
The message's actions when you point at it: thumbs up, heart, party and eyes reactions and More reactions, outlined, and Reply in thread, outlined, with More actions

Reactions and Reply in thread

Replies show in the Thread panel on the right. In the channel, the message shows the reactions and how many replies it has; click 1 reply to open the thread again.
The website-launch channel with the launch plan message, its thumbs up reaction and 1 reply, Last reply 12:32 PM, outlined; and the Thread panel with the reply Copy approved. I'll swap in the new photos as soon as they land on Thursday, outlined

A reaction and a reply in the thread

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Add people and choose your notifications

Click the gear at the top of the channel to open Discussion settings.
Discussion settings: Private channel; Name and Topic with Save; People (1) with Add people, outlined, and the tip to type /invite @name; Notifications: All messages, Mentions only and Muted, outlined; and Pin discussion, Leave channel and Archive channel

Discussion settings

  • Add people adds teammates. You can also type /invite @name in the message box.
  • Notifications: All messages, Mentions only (only when someone mentions you), or Muted.
  • Pin discussion keeps the channel at the top of your list. Archive channel closes it when the work is done: its messages stay, and members can still find it under Browse channels.

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Good to know