Slack Workspace Settings

Workspace settings control how your entire Slack environment behaves — who can join, what members can do, how data is stored, and how the workspace looks. Workspace owners and admins manage these settings. Understanding them ensures your workspace runs securely and consistently for everyone.

How to Access Workspace Settings

Click your workspace name at the top of the left sidebar.
Select "Settings & administration".
Choose "Workspace settings".

This opens the settings dashboard in your web browser, even if you are using the desktop app. Most settings only appear for workspace owners and admins.

Settings Overview by Category

WORKSPACE SETTINGS CATEGORIES

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ SETTINGS DASHBOARD                               │
  ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
  │ ▸ Settings          General workspace info       │
  │ ▸ Permissions       What members can do          │
  │ ▸ Invitations       Who can invite new members   │
  │ ▸ Authentication    Login methods (SSO, 2FA)     │
  │ ▸ Retention         How long messages/files kept │
  │ ▸ App Management    Which apps members can use   │
  │ ▸ Stats             Usage data and analytics     │
  │ ▸ Billing           Plan and payment details     │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

General Workspace Settings

The Settings tab covers basic workspace identity:

Workspace name: The name shown at the top of every member's sidebar.
Workspace icon: Upload a logo or image that represents your workspace.
Workspace URL: Your workspace's Slack address (e.g., yourcompany.slack.com). Changing it sends all members to the new URL automatically.
Default channels: Channels that every new member joins automatically when they are added to the workspace.
Message display: Control how messages show — compact mode vs. cozy mode.

Permissions Settings

Permissions control what regular members can and cannot do. Admins can restrict or open each of these independently:

PERMISSION CONTROLS

  Channel creation:    All members  /  Admins only
  Channel deletion:    All members  /  Admins only
  Invite members:      All members  /  Admins only
  Post in #general:    All members  /  Admins only
  Edit messages:       Within 5 min / 1 hour / Any time / Never
  Delete messages:     All members  /  Admins only
  App installation:    All members  /  Admins only
  Custom emoji:        All members  /  Admins only
  Export data:         Owners only  /  Admins too

Locking down channel creation and app installation is common in larger workspaces to maintain order. Small teams typically leave most permissions open for flexibility.

Invitation Settings

Control who can invite people to the workspace:

Open to all with company email: Anyone with your company domain (e.g., @yourcompany.com) can join without an invitation.
Invitation required: New members must receive a personal email invitation from an existing member or admin.
Admin approval: All invitations require admin review and approval before the new member gains access.

Default Channels for New Members

Set which channels every new member joins automatically. Without default channels, new members land in a mostly empty workspace and have to find channels manually.

RECOMMENDED DEFAULT CHANNELS

  #general          Company-wide announcements
  #welcome          Introductions and greetings
  #team-[their team] Department channel (set by group)
  #random           Casual conversation

Keep the default channel list short. Too many auto-joined channels overwhelm new members before they understand the workspace structure.

Customizing the Workspace

The Customize section lets you personalize the workspace experience:

Custom emoji: Upload branded emoji for your workspace.
Slackbot responses: Program Slackbot to respond to specific keywords with custom messages — useful for FAQs.
Loading messages: The short message that appears when Slack loads. Customize it with company culture or fun facts.

SLACKBOT CUSTOM RESPONSE EXAMPLE

  When someone types: "wifi password"
  Slackbot replies: "The office WiFi password is:
                    GuestNetwork2024! 📶"

  → Saves admins from answering the same question
    dozens of times

Workspace Statistics

The Stats section shows how actively your workspace is used:

Total messages sent per day/week/month
Active members count
Most active channels
File storage usage
App usage data

These stats help admins understand which channels drive engagement and whether members are actually using Slack or avoiding it.

Key Takeaways

Access workspace settings by clicking your workspace name → Settings & administration → Workspace settings.
Permissions settings control what regular members can create, edit, delete, and install.
Set default channels so every new member joins the most important channels automatically.
Use Slackbot custom responses to answer common questions without admin intervention.
Review workspace statistics regularly to understand how your team uses Slack.

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