The Slack platform It has a varied group of functions through its side bar. If you are interested in knowing how to customize the Slack tool sidebar and customize the layout of your working platform, continue reading this step by step guide.
Nowadays, Slack has provided its platform with new functions to improve its characteristics. Thanks to this, it is now possible customize the toolbar in workspaces.
The users have the option to organize the bar in their own way, add emojis, group channels and people into sections and much more. Find out how to do it correctly!
Learn step-by-step how to customize the Slack sidebar and add your own touch to the design of the work interface
Organizing the toolbar is a unique feature of paid plans, be it Standard, Plus, or Enterprise Grid. If you have one, learn step by step how to customize the Slack sidebar and add your own touch to the design of the work interface. Keep in mind that the changes can only be seen by you, from your account.
Customizing the sidebar does not affect the content that team members will see in their respective bars. In the case of having an Enterprise Grid account, all workspaces will have the custom sections that have been created. On the other hand, if you only have a free version of Slack, you won’t have access to the custom sections of the tool sidebar. The customization option it is only enabled from the computer.
However, you are allowed to move, remove and view the conversations of the custom sections from any device:
Custom sections
The Slack sections are one of the main customization add-ons. These are applicable to the sidebar of tools.
The steps to follow are:
- Hover over the tab ‘Channels’, then click on the icon with the three dots.
- Press the option ‘Create new section’.
- Enter the name of the new section to create with the keyboard. You can also choose a suggestion.
- Optionally you can press the smiley face icon and select an emoji to accompany the name of the section.
- Press ‘Create’.
Organized conversations
Keep the sidebar clear of tools is a priority for every user of Slack. When you customize this section, you have the option of moving multiple conversations to the same section.
Let’s see:
- Hover over the tab ‘Channels’ and then click on the icon with the three dots.
- Choose ‘Edit sidebar’.
- Along with the conversations some confirmation boxes are located. Check those that correspond to the conversations you want move.
- When you’re done, click ‘Move to’. Then click on a section to complete the transfer.
- If you wish move conversations back to another section, just repeat the steps above.
- Press the button ‘Ready’ to culminate in editing the sidebar.
Edit custom sections
After create a custom section, you may want to rename it, or simply delete it if it is no longer useful.
To do this, you just have to follow these steps:
- In the left sidebar, hover over the name of the custom section and click the icon with the three dots.
- Select the option ‘Rename’ or ‘Remove’ According to the requirements.
View and order conversations
Another customization option available is power choose to show all conversations or only unread ones. These preferences are adjustable and you can do it at any time from the side toolbar.
Likewise, you can also order the conversations:
- Hover over the section name and click on the icon with the three dots.
- Click on ‘To show’. Then select between ‘All conversations’ or ‘Only unread conversations’.
- To sort the conversations, press the icon with the three dots again. Then click ‘Order’.
- Choose an order preference. These can be: Recent Activity, Alphabetically, and Priority.
Other changes to improve the accessibility of Slack and improve your productivity on the platform
Slack not only allows you to customize the sidebar of tools. You can also carry out further adjustments to optimize your workspace.
Here are some other changes to improve the accessibility of Slack and improve your productivity on the platform:
Change the Slack theme
If you have multiple active workspaces, it is advisable to differentiate them by colors so as not to hinder your productivity.
Every time you enter the workspace from any device, it will appear with the color you have selected:
- Head to the upper right corner, where your profile picture is located and click.
- Click the button ‘Preferences’.
- Choose ‘Topics’.
- Locate the option ‘Colors’ and then choose a color.
- You can also click ‘Create a custom theme’ to choose a color from the color palette, or enter a code.
Highlight and hide channels
Hiding and highlighting channels is another change you can make to improve the organization of your workspace. For one thing, you have the option of ‘Highlight’ channels by clicking on the star icon that is located next to the channel name.
On the other hand, you can hide the channels with these steps:
- Login to ‘Preferences’. Then click ‘Advanced Options’.
- Press the button ‘Channel list’.
- Choose ‘Hide channels’ in the drop-down menu. All inactive channels will be archived automatically.
Pin important messages
Messages are a fundamental point in Slack. Through channels or private chats, important information is shared for different projects and jobs.
If you need to keep text in view, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the message of your interest and then press ‘Pin up’.
- If you need quick access to pinned messages, click ‘Channel details’ for your viewing.