Slack Scheduled Messages

Scheduled messages let you compose a message now and have Slack deliver it at a specific time in the future. Write the announcement tonight, send it at 9 AM tomorrow. Draft the Friday recap on Thursday, deliver it at 5 PM Friday. Your words arrive exactly when you want — without you having to be at your keyboard.

Why Schedule a Message

SCENARIO                           WHY SCHEDULE
─────────────────────────────────  ─────────────────────────────────────
Working in a different time zone   Send messages during teammates'
than your team                     working hours, not yours

Announcement ready early but       Deliver at the right moment without
needs to go out at a specific time manually watching the clock

Don't want to forget a weekly      Set it once with the right time
update, reminder, or check-in      every week

Coordinating a product launch      Stage multiple messages across
                                   different channels at precise times

How to Schedule a Message

1. Open a channel or DM.
2. Type your message in the input box.
3. Click the small dropdown arrow next to the Send button (✈️▾).
4. Select "Schedule message".
5. Choose a date and time from the calendar picker, or click a quick option (Tomorrow morning, Next Monday, etc.).
6. Click Schedule Message to confirm.

SEND BUTTON AREA

  [Type your message here...]

  📎  Aa  @  :)   [Send ✈️  ▾]
                           ↑
               Click this dropdown arrow
               → "Schedule message"

What Happens After Scheduling

Slack saves the message but does not send it. A small clock icon appears in the channel or DM to show that a scheduled message is pending. Recipients see nothing until the delivery time arrives.

CHANNEL VIEW WHILE MESSAGE IS PENDING

  # general

  Alice: Last message from yesterday at 6 PM
                               ⏰ 1 scheduled message

Viewing and Managing Scheduled Messages

You can see, edit, and cancel any scheduled message before it sends:

1. In the channel or DM, click the clock icon or look for the "scheduled message" notice.
2. Slack shows the message preview with its scheduled send time.
3. Click Edit to change the message text or delivery time.
4. Click Delete to cancel the scheduled send entirely.

You can also view all your scheduled messages from one place: click your name or profile photo and look for "Scheduled messages" in the options, or use Tools → Scheduled messages.

Editing a Scheduled Message

HOW TO EDIT BEFORE SEND

  Find the scheduled message (clock icon in channel)
          ↓
  Click the message → "Edit message"
          ↓
  Change text or adjust the send time
          ↓
  Click "Save changes"
          ↓
  Message is updated and will send at the new time ✓

Cancelling a Scheduled Message

Open the scheduled message and click "Delete scheduled message". Slack removes it immediately. No message is ever sent. This is useful if plans change and the message is no longer relevant before it goes out.

Time Zone Awareness

Slack schedules messages based on your local time zone (the one set in your Slack preferences). When you pick 9 AM, Slack delivers at 9 AM in your time zone — not the recipient's. Check your time zone setting if you need a message to arrive at a specific time in a different location.

TIME ZONE EXAMPLE

  You are in New York (UTC-5).
  You want your London team to get the message at 9 AM London (UTC+0).

  9 AM London = 4 AM New York

  Schedule the message for 4:00 AM YOUR TIME
  → It arrives at 9:00 AM in London ✓

Scheduled Messages vs Workflow Builder

SCHEDULED MESSAGES          WORKFLOW BUILDER
──────────────────────────  ────────────────────────────────────
One-time message            Recurring automated messages
Set it once per message     Build once, runs indefinitely
Simpler to use              More setup required
Best for specific moments   Best for weekly/daily recurring sends

Use scheduled messages for one-time sends. Use Workflow Builder for recurring messages that repeat on the same schedule every week.

Key Takeaways

• Click the dropdown arrow (▾) next to the Send button to schedule a message.
• Scheduled messages are saved but not sent until the delivery time arrives.
• Edit or cancel any scheduled message before it sends using the clock icon in the channel.
• Slack uses your time zone for scheduling — adjust for recipients in other time zones.
• Use Workflow Builder instead of scheduled messages for recurring weekly or daily sends.