How to Make a Slack Channel Private

You have two options when it comes to creating a private Slack channel: You can either convert an existing one, or you can create a brand new one. Here, we’ll walk you through both of those options as we teach you how to make a Slack channel private.

It makes the most sense to start with how to create a new, private Slack channel as that’s what most people will be doing. This is as straightforward a clicking a button when creating it. The rest of the process is identical to creating a public channel.

How to Create a Private Channel on Slack

Start by following the steps you’d usually take when creating a new Slack channel, pausing after you’ve entered the channel name and description. Notice that little toggle beneath the description box? Click that to make the Slack channel private.

How to Make a Slack Channel Private

But what do you do when you need to shut off access to a public channel except for a select few. For starters, you’ll need to make sure you’re an admin of the channel, then head into its settings by right-clicking it and selecting Open Channel Details.

From there, select Settings, followed by Change to a Private Channel, and confirm the decision by clicking Change to Private. The channel will then be locked. Those with access before will still be able to jump in, but new members will need to be added.

Private Slack Channels Aren’t in the Channel Browser

It’s worth mentioning that private Slack channels do not show up in the Channel Browser, so you’ll need to manually invite users — they have no way of knowing the channel exists, or requesting access, unless someone reaches out to them.