I get it – maybe the constant Slack notifications are driving you crazy. Or perhaps you‘ve left the company or team associated with one of your workspaces. Whatever the reason, parting ways with a workspace is inevitable for most Slack users at some point.
But here‘s the catch: Leaving a Slack workspace isn‘t as simple as clicking an "unsubscribe" button. There‘s a specific process you need to follow instead.
Fail to do it right, and you could lose access to valuable data, have your personal info leaked, or end up stuck in workspace limbo!
Luckily, you have me – your friendly Slack expert guide – here to walk you through it step-by-step. Stick with me, and I‘ll help you leave your workspace smoothly and safely. Deal? Deal!
Slack Refresher: Workspaces vs Channels
Before we dive in, let‘s level-set on Slack terminology, since the difference between "channels" and "workspaces" trips many users up.
A workspace is the overarching container for your entire Slack setup. It houses all the individual channels where conversations happen.
Think of it like an apartment building – the building itself is the workspace, and each unit is a channel.
There are usually separate workspaces for each company or team. According to Slack‘s own usage statistics, the average user is part of at least three workspaces.
Channels, on the other hand, are spaces within a workspace dedicated to specific topics, projects, teams, etc. For example, you may have the following channels within your Acme Co. workspace:
| Workspace | Channels |
|---|---|
| Acme Co. Slack | #general |
| #marketing | |
| #development | |
| #social |
Make sense? Great! Now we can jump into the steps for leaving just one workspace while preserving all your channels.
Before You Bounce: What Happens When You Leave?
When you remove yourself from a workspace, it‘s permanent. You can‘t undo it without an admin re-inviting you. So before you go, keep these implications in mind:
Your messages and files are preserved. Unlike deleting a Facebook account, leaving a Slack workspace won‘t erase any of your existing conversations, uploads, comments, etc. They stay in the history.
Your personal info remains too… Name, email address, phone number – whatever details you added to your Slack profile in that workspace will still be visible to other members.
Any shared channels with that workspace will be removed. So if you directly connected other workspaces via a shared channel, those will disappear. Data and history remains, just not the live connection.
Leaving one doesn‘t affect the rest. You can remove yourself from a single workspace without impacting any other workspaces tied to your account. So if you‘re part of 5 workspaces but only want to leave one, the other 4 are safe!
Got all that? Now let‘s get to the good stuff…
Ready to Bounce? Here‘s How to Leave a Slack Workspace in 5 Simple Steps
Leaving a workspace takes less than a minute if you know the steps. Let‘s get your Slack count down by one, shall we?
Step 1: Select the Workspace to Leave
First things first – log into slack.com and choose the workspace you want to leave from the left sidebar.
Click its name to open it up. If you don‘t see the workspace listed, click "All workspaces" at the top to see ones you‘ve been invited to but haven‘t yet joined.
Once you‘re in the actual workspace, continue to the next step.
Step 2: Access Account Settings
Up in the top right corner, click your profile picture then select Account Settings.
This will open a page with all your Slack settings.
Step 3: Choose "Deactivate Account"
On the left sidebar of Account Settings, click Deactivate Account.
This is buried all the way at the bottom under "Danger Zone." I know, kind of drastic naming on Slack‘s part…
Don‘t worry, no actual danger here! Just the option to leave.
Step 4: Confirm Deactivation
Slack will very seriously ask if you definitively want to deactivate your account in this workspace. Click Yes, deactivate my account to confirm.
It will prompt you again to double check. Verify you meant it, and click Deactivate.
Step 5: Kiss That Workspace Goodbye! 👋
Congrats, you‘re now no longer part of that Slack workspace! You‘ll get a message confirming your account has been deactivated.
And just like that – you‘ve left the building! Well, workspace. If only moving apartments were that easy…
Now that you‘ve mastered the process, let‘s get into some pro tips for leaving gracefully.
Expert Tips for Parting Ways with Your Workspace
Bouncing from a workspace correctly takes finesse. As a seasoned Slacker, I have additional advice for leaving without bridges burned.
Transfer Ownership First If You‘re the Boss
If you‘re the primary owner or admin of your Slack workspace, you can‘t just peace out at will.
Before deactivating your own account, you must:
✅ Transfer workspace ownership to someone else first
✅ Make them a full admin with equal permissions
Until the torch has been passed, you‘re stuck there!
Clean Out Your Cloud Files
When you leave a workspace, any files you‘ve shared to Slack‘s cloud storage don‘t disappear.
So before deactivating your account, copy or download files you may need later.
Keep Your Friends and Channels
Sad to lose touch with your fave Slack peeps because you‘re switching companies? I‘ve got good news:
You can invite individual teammates into new channels within other workspaces. The only thing you‘ll lose when leaving is the overarching workspace itself.
So rally the crew for happy hour in your personal workspace instead! 🍻 No reason friendships and communities can‘t continue.
Always Rejoin via Invite
If you deactivate but then have second thoughts, you‘ll need that workspace‘s admin to re-invite you back in. And they may just tell you "bye for good!" So be 💯 sure before taking the leap.
Hopefully these pro moves help you leave your workspace confidently and permanently, without regrets or repercussions.
Let‘s wrap up with some common questions from ex-Slackers like you.
FAQs: Your Pressing Slack Separation Questions, Answered!
I get lots of questions from readers about the intricacies of leaving workspaces, so here are some popular ones with my real-world answers:
Can I delete my Slack account permanently?
Nope! No account self-destruct option exists. The best you can do is remove yourself workspace by workspace. Slack wants to preserve your data history.
If I rejoin a workspace, will my old messages/channels be there?
Generally, yes – your Slack activity and artifacts will still be present if you rejoin down the road. But admins can clear history or restrict access if they choose.
Do I have to leave Slack desktop app to quit a workspace?
Nah, the desktop app is connected to your account, not any one workspace. You can stay logged into the app and simply deactivate access to certain workspaces as needed.
What if I‘m the ONLY admin and can‘t leave?
If you made yourself supreme ruler instead of designating co-admins, you‘ll need to invite another user and upgrade their permissions so you can safely resign.
Hopefully these answers help alleviate any outstanding concerns! Now you know the ins and outs of exiting your workspace like a pro.
So long, farewell, Slack well! Don‘t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions.
