Channels

Channels

Channels are collaboration spaces for team communication. Unlike simple chat rooms, each channel is a container with customizable tabs that can hold files, folders, message threads, and live sessions.

Channel Types

• Public — Open to all workspace members. Anyone can join, view history, and participate.
• Private — Invite-only. Only members can see the channel exists and access its contents.

Tabs

Every channel has customizable tabs that organize content:

• Messages — The default conversation thread
• Files — Embed any file directly in the channel
• Folders — Link to drive folders for shared resources
• Custom tabs — Add any file type as a tab (docs, sheets, boards, etc.)

Tabs can be reordered and configured per channel. A design channel might have tabs for: Messages, Brand Assets (folder), Design System (file), Meeting Notes (doc).

Availability

Channels are available in team workspaces only. Personal workspaces use DMs for direct messaging.

Auto-Created Channels

When you create a team workspace, a #general channel is automatically created. All workspace members are added to #general by default.

Channel Features

• Slugs — Clean URLs like /channels/engineering
• Topics — Set a topic to describe the channel's purpose
• Descriptions — Long-form description visible in channel info
• Archiving — Archive inactive channels (recoverable later)
• Member management — Add/remove members (private channels only)
• Notifications — Mute channels or get notified on mentions

Permissions

• Public channels — Any workspace member can join and read history
• Private channels — Only invited members can access
• Leaving — Members can leave any channel (except they're the last member)
• Archiving — Only workspace admins can archive channels

Integration with Files

Channels and files are deeply connected:

• Share files in messages with automatic unfurls
• Pin important messages to the channel header
• Create files directly from a channel
• Link to files with [[filename]] syntax

Kairo in Channels

@kairo in any channel to get AI assistance with full context:

• "Summarize what I missed this week"
• "Find decisions made in this channel"
• "Draft a response to the latest message"