Manage settings and permissions for Slack Connect direct messages

Slack Connect lets you work with people from other companies in direct messages (DMs). Workspace owners on the Free, Pro and Business+ subscriptions, and org owners and org admins on the Enterprise Grid subscription can adjust the following settings and permissions: 

• Enable or disable Slack Connect DMs
• Choose who can send and accept DM invitations
• Allow or restrict DM invitations from unverified organisations
• Adjust channel conversion permissions

Note: These settings and permissions won't impact members' ability to send DMs to people that they're already working with in channels.

Enable or disable Slack Connect DMs

Free, Pro and Business+ subscriptions

Enterprise Grid subscription

By default, members can start DMs with people from other companies . Workspace owners can enable or disable this option:

1. From the   Home tab, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
3. Click the Permissions tab.
4. Next to Slack Connect for direct messages, click Expand.
5. Tick or untick the box next to Enable Slack Connect for direct messages.
6. Click on Save.

By default, members can start DMs with people from other companies .
Org owners and org admins can enable or disable this option:

1. From the   Home tab, click your organisation name in the sidebar.
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
3. Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Settings.
4. Select the Direct messages tab.  
5. Next to Sending direct message invitations, click Edit.
6. Tick or untick the toggle next to Enable.
7. Click Save setting.

Choose who can send and accept DM invitations

Free, Pro and Business+ subscriptions

Enterprise Grid subscription

By default, members can send and accept invitations to DMs with people from other companies. Workspace owners can change who has this permission:

1. From the   Home tab, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
3. Click the Permissions tab.
4. Next to Slack Connect for direct messages, click Expand.
5. Below Who can send and accept DM invitations?, select an option.
6. Click on Save.

By default, members can send and accept invitations to DMs with people from other companies. Org owners and org admins can change who has this permission:

1. From the   Home tab, click your organisation name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
3. Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Settings.
4. Select the Direct messages tab.
5. Next to Direct messages invitations, click Edit.
6. Below Who can send and accept invitations to direct message people outside your organisation?, select an option.
7. Click Save setting.

Allow or restrict DM invitations from unverified organisations

If you're using a paid subscription and Slack has verified your organisation, you can choose to restrict or allow DM invitations from unverified organisations.

Pro and Business+ subscriptions

Enterprise Grid subscription

By default, members can accept DM invitations from any organisation. Workspace owners and workspace admins can restrict this permission if they like, and only allow members to accept invitations from verified organisations.

1. From the   Home tab, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
3. Click the Permissions tab.
4. Next to Slack Connect for direct messages, click Expand.
5. Below Allow direct message invitations from unverified organisations, tick or uncheck the box next to Enable for Slack Connect.
6. Click on Save.

By default, members can only accept DM invitations from verified organisations . Org owners and org admins can change this permission if they like, and allow members to accept invitations from any organisation.

1. From the   Home tab, click your organisation name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
3.  Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Settings.
4. Select the Direct messages tab.
5. Next to Let members accept DM invitations from unverified organisations, click Edit.
6. Tick or untick the box next to Enable.
7. Click Save setting.

Note: Keep in mind that adjusting this permission won't impact members' ability to send DM invitations to unverified organisations.

Adjust channel conversion permissions

If you're using a paid subscription, you can manage your members' ability to convert a Slack Connect group DM to a private channel. 

Pro and Business+ subscriptions

Enterprise Grid subscription

Workspace Owners can manage their members' ability to convert Slack Connect group DMs to private channels. 

1. From the   Home tab, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
3. Click the Permissions tab.
4. Next to Slack Connect MPDM change to private channels, click Expand.
5. Choose an option from the drop-down menu and select Save.

Org owners and org admins can manage the ability to convert Slack Connect Group DMs to channels for their organisation.

Manage Group DM to private channel conversion

1. From the   Home tab, click your organisation name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
3. Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Settings.
4. Select the Direct messages tab. 
5. Next to Enable MPDM to private channel changes, click Edit.
6. Choose an option from each drop-down menu, then click Save.

Manage Group DM to private channel conversion per external organisation

1. From the   Home tab, click your organisation name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
3. Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Connections.
4. Next to the organisation that you’d like to customise, click the
     three-dots icon, then select Direct Messages.
5. Select Customise for [organisation name].
6. Choose an option from the drop-down menu, then select a workspace.
7. Click Save change.

Who can use this feature?

• Workspace owners (Free, Pro and Business+), org owners/org admins (Enterprise Grid)
• Available on all subscriptions