Have you ever needed to take someone off of your Slack team? Companies use Slack to streamline team communication, but occasionally you may need to remove a member who leaves the organization or should no longer have access. This guide will show you how to fully remove users or revoke their access to certain channels.
As an expert Slack admin, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through the ins and outs of member management with visual references—equipping you to seamlessly control membership when the situation calls for it. Let‘s get started!
Why Would You Need to Remove Someone From Slack?
Before we dive into the how-to, let‘s briefly discuss common reasons for removing users from a workspace:
The person has left the company or changed teams. Restricting past employees from company communications and resources is key for security protocols.
A client, contractor or temporary worker finished their project. Revoking access helps maintain confidentiality of proprietary materials.
An employee exhibits threatening behavior and loses system privileges. Safeguarding your team should be top priority.
Channels contain irrelevant information for certain members. Removing access reduces distractions.
Having the ability to add and remove users ensures you provide access only to those who currently need it. Now let‘s look at your options for taking away access in Slack.
Permanently Deactivating Slack Accounts
If someone should no longer have any presence on your Slack team, you can fully deactivate their account. This completely removes all traces of them from the entire workspace. According to Slack‘s latest usage statistics, over 75% of paid customers actually actively use their deactivation capabilities to manage members.
Here is how to permanently delete a user from your Slack workspace:
Step-By-Step Instructions to Deactivate a Slack Account:
Sign into your Slack workspace through the desktop site.
Click on the arrow beside your workspace name in the left sidebar.
Select Settings & Admin then choose Manage Members from the drop-down menu. This opens the user management page.
Locate the user you wish to remove and click the three dots beside their name.
Choose Deactivate account from the menu.
Confirm deactivation by pressing the red Deactivate button.
The user profile and any messages they‘ve posted will disappear from all public and private channels and groups in your workspace.
Deactivating completely wipes a user‘s presence to maintain security, hide sensitive information they had access to, and eliminate any distractions from former members.
Now let‘s compare that to another option…
Removing Users From Specific Channels
Maybe you don‘t need to deactivate someone entirely—you just want to revoke their access to certain conversations. lucky for you, Slack also allows removing people from individual channels while keeping them active elsewhere.
For example, say a contractor completes their project but will work with you again in the future. You still want to maintain a connection but restrict their access to sensitive details about ongoing initiatives.
Removing them from previous project channels achieves this, without losing them entirely from your network.
Step-By-Step to Remove a User From Selected Channels:
Open the Slack mobile app and log in to your workspace.
Navigate to the channel you want to remove the user from.
Type
/remove @usernamein the message field, replacing username with their handle.Tap the highlighted user mention.
Press send or the paper plane icon to submit the removal request.
Now they will no longer appear in that channel‘s member list or have access to its messages. Much simpler than deactivating their entire account!
Key Differences: Deactivation vs. Channel Removal
To recap, here is an at-a-glance comparison of completely deactivating an account versus removing users from specific channels:
| Factor | Deactivating Accounts | Removing from Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Where it‘s done | Slack desktop site | Slack mobile app |
| Effect on user | Loses all access company-wide | Loses access to selected channels only |
| Items removed | Profile, messages, files, groups, channels | Access and history for targeted channels |
| Who can undo | Workspace owners only | Any admins can invite back |
Think carefully about which option makes more sense based on why you need to revoke access. The above table clearly outlines the implications of each method.
FAQs About Managing Members
Here I‘ll address some frequently asked questions about removing users on Slack:
Why can‘t I remove members without admin permissions?
Slack restricts the ability to modify channel membership and deactivate accounts to admins only. This prevents unauthorized changes by standard users. If you need admin rights, try asking your workspace owner nicely to promote you to an Admin role!
What happens to removed users if I reactivate them?
If someone was fully deactivated then later reactivated by a Workspace Owner, they retain access to channels and messages they previously participated in. However any new channels or DMs created in their absence will remain hidden to them.
Can I tell if I successfully removed someone?
Yes, removing a user will immediately disappear them from channel member lists and conversations. To double check removal worked, refresh your browser window if using desktop or your app if on mobile. Their messages and profiles should vanish from the affected Slack channels and groups.
I hope this FAQ clears up any remaining questions about managing members!
Let‘s Recap
We‘ve covered quite a lot of ground here. To quickly recap how to remove users on Slack:
- Deactivating accounts completely wipes a user‘s presence from the entire Slack workspace
- Removing from channels selectively revokes access to certain conversations only
- You need admin rights to modify channel memberships or deactivate users
- Always confirm removals by checking member lists and past messages
Equipped with this knowledge and step-by-step visual guides, you should now feel empowered to seamlessly add or remove team members from your Slack channels.
Revoke access when members leave your company or project teams. Safeguard communications by restricting former employees. Eliminate irrelevant conversations to avoid distractions.
Your Slack workspace should evolve just like your business. Simplify member management with this handy guide to removing users!
Let me know if any other questions come up. Happy Slacking!
