Slash inefficiency in half with the Slack Slash
The feature makes using Slack a lot easier as you can greatly optimise your usage of it and ensure slash commands remain visible to only you. Here are a few key features you can use in your workspace:
- /msg @person “message” from any box
Send direct messages to anyone from any channel by using /msg and @ the person you want to talk to.
- /remind
Placing reminders in Slack makes it easier to have a set schedule as you can generate reminders at any stage to keep track of your time.
- /who
This command is very useful when joining a channel for the first time. It allows you to see which co-workers are in your channel, and DM them through that.
By simply typing / in your message bar, you can see all commands and add more using integrations which allows you to easily use those integrations.
Command your workspace with these Slack shortcuts
Slack Commands are quick and easy to use and enable users to spend less time on Slack and more time working.
Some common commands are:
- Ctrl k or command k: This lets you search conversations between channels. You can even search keywords from different channels, allowing you to find those words faster than checking all the channels individually.
- Up and e: You can edit an existing message by pressing “up” and “e” at the same time. If you mistyped something in your sent message, or want to include some more information, use this command. You do this by going on the message bar, then pressing “e” to edit the message. Note that it only works for your messages.
> “message”, actions a quote
Shift alt down for the last unread message is very useful in order to quickly switch between different unread messages.
Ctrl or command ? shows all the keyboard shortcuts so you can see them if you forget or want to know more.
Interact with your essential apps without leaving Slack
Integrations provide the ability to connect and interact with other apps and services, meaning you no longer need to switch between different apps to get things done. Many say this is their favourite Slack feature, it certainly is ours!
Integrations are also an efficient way to connect various apps you use in your workspace into one area, as long as they can be found in the Slack apps directory. Adaptavist uses many integrations from Google Calendar, Zoom, and our own inventions such as Everyday Toolkit and SearchMy.
There are over 2,200 apps that you can use within Slack which can either help you with your work, add some fun, or both!
The essential integrations are Google Calendar and Zoom, allowing you to sync your calendar and meetings, plus join them through Slack.
Here are some handy hacks that you can use to call on your apps from any Slack chat window:
With Zoom, it is very convenient to start a call by typing “/zoom” in Slack, giving a link that lets you start a Zoom call immediately for your Slack channel recipient(s) to join.
With Google Calendar you can view and make changes to your schedule using “/gcal today” or “/gcal tomorrow”.
An everyday app that helps you with your everyday needs
Did we mention that we have created our own apps for Slack? This latest addition is a toolkit that came from our last company Hack Day; Everyday Toolkit.
At the Hack Day, we discovered that people wanted to check the meaning of a word in the chat, couldn’t remember colleague time zones, needed to share Google images with the channel, and wanted to convert a currency or metric. All everyday tasks that required them switching away from Slack, completing the task, then switching back.
So we built a bundle of 12 micro-apps that will allow you to switch less and do more in Slack. According to research from Slack, most of us waste over 30 minutes every day switching between apps. To combat that, we built ‘Everyday Toolkit’ to reduce those numbers. Here’s a quick list of the everyday tools it offers:
🔎 Find
/tools-define Check a word's definition
/tools-synonym Browse synonyms to improve your text
/tools-stockimage Find and share royalty-free images
/tools-googleimage Find and share images
/tools-gif Find and share gifs
/tools-sticker Find and share animated stickers
/tools-text Find and share animated text
🧮 Calculate
/tools-worldtime See the local time for Slack colleagues
/tools-wordcount Count all the words, impress all the people
/tools-convert Convert distance, time, weight and more
/tools-currency Convert global currencies
/tools-percent Calculate percentages quickly
⚙️ Generate
/tools-password Create insanely strong passwords
/tools-random Pick a random number or word
/tools-lorem Create filler text for design drafts
/tools-gif Find and share GIFs with Next/Previous functionality
Whether it’s getting better value out of your daily Slack use, or helping you start an efficient remote working company culture, we hope these Slack hacks will help you go further with Slack.
If your organisation is looking for specialist support with your Slack ecosystem, Adaptavist can help.
