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+ plans, and Org Owners and Org Admins on the Enterprise Grid plan 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 organizations
• Adjust channel conversion permissions

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

Enable or disable Slack Connect DMs

Free, Pro, and Business+ plans

Enterprise Grid plan

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. Check or uncheck the box next to Enable Slack Connect for direct messages.
6. Click 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 organization name in the sidebar.
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organization 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. Check or uncheck the toggle next to Enable.
7. Click Save Setting.

Choose who can send and accept DM invitations

Free, Pro, and Business+ plans

Enterprise Grid plan

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 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 organization name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organization 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 organization?, select an option.
7. Click Save Setting.

Allow or restrict DM invitations from unverified organizations

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

Pro and Business+ plans

Enterprise Grid plan

By default, members can accept DM invitations from any organization. Workspace Owners and Workspace Admins can restrict this permission if they'd like, and only allow members to accept invitations from verified organizations.

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 organizations, check or uncheck the box next to Enable for Slack Connect.
6. Click Save.

By default, members can only accept DM invitations from verified organizations. Org Owners and Org Admins can change this permission if they'd like, and allow members to accept invitations from any organization.

1. From the   Home tab, click your organization name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organization 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 organizations, click Edit.
6. Check or uncheck 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 organizations.

Adjust channel conversion permissions

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

Pro and Business+ plans

Enterprise Grid plan

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 organization

Manage group DM to private channel conversion

1. From the   Home tab, click your organization name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organization 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 organization

1. From the   Home tab, click your organization name in the sidebar.
   
2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organization settings.
3. Click  Slack Connect in the left sidebar, then select Connections.
4. Next to the organization you’d like to customize, click the
     three dots icon, then select Direct messages.
5. Select Customize for [organization 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 plans