Slack Saved Items
Saved Items is your personal collection of messages, files, and links that you bookmark for later. Only you can see what you save. It functions like a reading list or personal inbox of things worth returning to — a place where important Slack content never gets buried.
What You Can Save
SAVEABLE ITEMS IN SLACK 💬 Any message → Save a decision or update 📎 Any shared file → Save a document for later 🔗 Any link in a message → Save a URL to read later 📝 Any post or canvas → Save a reference document
How to Save an Item
On Desktop
- Hover over any message.
- Click the bookmark icon (🔖) in the hover toolbar that appears.
- The icon fills in to confirm the save.
On Mobile
- Long-press the message.
- Tap "Save message" from the menu.
You can also save a message from the three-dot menu (⋯) by selecting "Save message" — this works on both desktop and mobile.
How to Access Your Saved Items
Click "Saved" in the left sidebar. The icon looks like a bookmark or a clock depending on your Slack version. All saved items appear in reverse chronological order — most recently saved at the top.
SAVED ITEMS PANEL 🔖 SAVED ITEMS ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ # finance-team · Today at 2:30 PM │ │ Bob: "Final invoice for Acme attached here." │ │ [Jump] [✕] │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ # dev-team · Yesterday at 11:00 AM │ │ Carol: "API key for staging: XXXXX-XXXXX" │ │ [Jump] [✕] │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ # general · Oct 8, 9:15 AM │ │ Admin: "New password policy effective Nov 1." │ │ [Jump] [✕] │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Jumping to the Original Message
Click Jump (or the message preview itself) to go directly to where that message lives in its original channel or DM. Slack highlights the message so you can see it in context with the surrounding conversation.
Removing a Saved Item
Click the X next to any saved item to remove it from your list. You can also click the filled bookmark icon on the original message to toggle it off. Removing a saved item does not delete the message — it just removes it from your personal saved list.
Using Saved Items as a Task Management System
Saved Items works well as a lightweight to-do list when combined with a simple personal rule:
SAVED ITEMS AS A TASK LIST
RULE: Only save messages that need action.
You receive a message: "Can you review slide 5?"
↓
Save it → it joins your Saved Items list
↓
You review slide 5 and reply
↓
Unsave it → removed from your list ✓
Your Saved Items = Your current open tasks
An empty Saved Items = Inbox zero for Slack
Searching Within Saved Items
Use the search bar inside the Saved Items panel to filter your saves by keyword. Type a word related to the message you are looking for and the list narrows instantly. You can also use the main Slack search modifier has:star (legacy) or browse the saved items panel directly.
Saved Items vs Reminders: Choosing the Right Tool
SAVED ITEMS REMINDERS ───────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────── You actively browse them Slackbot pings you at a set time No time-based trigger Time-based trigger Good for "read later" items Good for "act on this by X time" No expiry Expires when triggered You control when to revisit Slack controls the delivery
Save items when you want to collect references. Set reminders when the task has a deadline or time sensitivity.
Organizing Saved Items
Slack does not currently offer folders or tags within Saved Items — everything lives in one chronological list. Keep the list manageable by unsaving items promptly once you have acted on them. Treat Saved Items as a temporary holding area, not a permanent archive.
Key Takeaways
- Click the bookmark icon (🔖) on any message to save it to your personal Saved Items.
- Access all saved items by clicking "Saved" in the left sidebar.
- Click "Jump" on any saved item to return to its original location in the channel or DM.
- Unsave items after acting on them to keep the list clean and useful.
- Use Saved Items for reference material; use Reminders for time-sensitive tasks.