Slack Direct Messages
Direct messages (DMs) are private conversations between you and one or more specific people. No one outside the conversation can read them. DMs work best for quick questions, personal updates, and conversations that do not belong in a shared channel.
One-on-One vs Group DMs
ONE-ON-ONE DM GROUP DM
────────────────────── ──────────────────────────
You ↔ Alice You + Alice + Bob + Carol
Only two people Up to 9 people total
Fully private Private to the group
Best for personal topics Best for small team chats
without a formal channel
Group DMs work well for short-lived collaborations. When a group DM becomes a recurring space for the same topic, convert it to a proper private channel instead.
How to Start a Direct Message
Method 1: Click the Compose Icon
- Click the compose/pencil icon near the top of the sidebar.
- In the "To:" field, type a person's name.
- Select them from the suggestions list.
- Click Open or press Enter.
- Type your message and send.
Method 2: Click Their Name in a Message
When you see someone's message in a channel, click their name or profile photo. A popup card appears. Click "Message" to open a DM directly with them.
Method 3: Use the DMs Section in the Sidebar
Click "DMs" in the left sidebar. You see a list of your recent DM conversations. Click "New message" at the top to start a fresh conversation.
Starting a Group Direct Message
- Click the compose icon.
- In the "To:" field, type the first person's name and select them.
- Type another name and select them — repeat for up to 8 additional people.
- Press Enter to open the group conversation.
Group DMs accept up to 9 participants total (including you). The DM appears in your sidebar with all participants' photos as a combined icon.
What DMs Look Like in Your Sidebar
DIRECT MESSAGES SECTION 👤 Alice Chen ← one-on-one DM 👤 Bob Smith • ← unread (dot indicator) 👥 Alice, Bob, Carol ← group DM (3 people) 🤖 Slackbot ← bot messages + New message
Sending Files in a DM
Click the paperclip icon in the message input box to attach a file. DMs support the same file types as channels: images, PDFs, documents, spreadsheets, and more. Files shared in a DM are visible only to the DM participants — not to the wider workspace.
DM Notifications
DMs always generate notifications unless you specifically silence them. This makes DMs the right choice when you need someone's attention quickly. If someone sends you a DM and you are in Do Not Disturb mode, they see a message telling them you are unavailable and asking if they want to send a notification anyway.
Searching Your DM History
All your DM history is searchable using the top search bar. Type a keyword or someone's name and filter results to DMs. On the free plan, you can search up to 90 days of history. Paid plans provide full history search.
Adding Someone to an Existing Group DM
You can add people to a group DM, but there is a limitation: when you add a new person, they see all previous messages in the conversation. If your conversation contains sensitive content, create a new group DM instead of adding people to the existing one.
ADD PERSON TO GROUP DM
Open the group DM
↓
Click the member count at the top (e.g., "3 members")
↓
Click "Add people"
↓
Search and select a person
↓
They join and can see all prior messages
DMs vs Channels: When to Use Which
USE A DM WHEN... USE A CHANNEL WHEN... ────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────── Conversation is personal Other team members benefit Only 2-9 people need to know Topic recurs regularly Quick back-and-forth Decision needs to be documented Sensitive or private topic Multiple teams are involved
Key Takeaways
- DMs are private conversations only visible to the participants.
- Start a DM with the compose icon, by clicking someone's name, or from the DMs section.
- Group DMs hold up to 9 people and work well for short-lived small-team collaboration.
- DMs always generate notifications, making them reliable for urgent messages.
- When a group DM topic becomes recurring, move it to a private channel for better organization.