Work with external partners in Slack

To cut down on unnecessary back and forth over email with vendors and customers, work together in the same channels using Slack Connect. 

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Organise conversations in channels
• Invite external people
• Work together effectively in Slack

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Create a channel

Channels keep conversations about projects and teams organised in Slack. They’re easy to create, and once they’ve been set up you can add anyone that you’d like:

1. Click the   plus button in the sidebar, then click Channel.
2. Give the channel a name, then click Next.
3. Choose a channel type (public or private), then click Create.
4. Add people from your organisation if you’re ready to, or wait until later.

Invite your partners

1. Open the channel that you’d like to invite people to.
2. Click on the cluster of profile pictures in the top right.
3. Click   Add people.
4. Enter the email address or name of anyone from your partner organisation that you’d like to invite, then click Add.
5. Select An external organisation, then click Next.
6. If you haven’t already given your partner a heads up about working together in Slack, add a note to accompany the email.
7. Click Send invitation.

You’ll receive a notification when your invitation has been accepted. Once at least one member of the other organisation has joined your channel, they’ll be able to add other people from their workspace if permitted. Please note that admins can restrict who can invite external people to channels, so you may need to ask for their help if you can’t see this option.

Note: Slack Connect is available on paid subscriptions. To try it out, upgrade your workspace.

Get to work

Once your partner has accepted your invitation, you’ll have all of the tools for getting work done in Slack at your fingertips:

• Share files and documents
  Upload files directly, or create a canvas to collaborate on documents without leaving Slack.
  
• Talk live on a huddle
  Anyone in the channel can start a huddle to meet live. You can use huddles to meet at a specific time, or start an impromptu one to solve a problem or discuss an urgent issue.
• Mention specific people
  Get someone’s attention by mentioning them. They’ll be notified in Slack or by email (depending on the preferences that they’ve set).
  

Tip: You're not limited to working with only one other company in Slack Connect – up to 250 separate organisations can work together in the same channel.

👏 Nicely done! You’re ready to collaborate with anyone outside your own company, directly in Slack. Have a look at our other tutorials for more details on having meetings and running projects.

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