Table of Contents
In Slack, “shortcuts” are more than just key combinations that let you get to something quickly. When communicating, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to talk to you. So, Slack shortcuts are also tools that let users start workflows from obvious places in the app’s user interface. Based on this definition, you can use a keyboard or an entry point to get to a Slack shortcut.
With the right keystroke combinations, you can boost the way your team talks to each other. You can use these to change the way Slack looks, format messages, and find what you need quickly. Use these well-known and useful hotkeys for Windows, Mac, and Linux to become an expert at Slack. If you’ve ever worked on a team, you know how it feels. It can be hard to find all of your emails, messages, and files sometimes. Everyone can stay on track and stay organized with the help of Slack. The easiest way to make Slack more useful and often more fun is to learn some helpful keyboard shortcuts.
Benefits of Using Best Slack Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts in Slack, a famous platform for team collaboration and communication, can help you be more productive, speed up your workflow, and have a better overall experience when talking with your team. When you use keyboard shortcuts in Slack, you can:
- Composing a message quickly: Using keyboard shortcuts, you can write and send messages without leaving the keyboard. This keeps conversation from being interrupted and slows down.
- Thread Navigation: Slack’s threaded conversations are important for keeping talks organized. You can use keyboard shortcuts to move between posts and reply without losing your place in the conversation.
- File and Link Sharing: Shortcuts on the keyboard can make it easier to connect and share files or links in Slack chats.
- Emojis and Reactions: You can quickly add emojis and reactions to messages by using keyboard shortcuts. This makes your communication and emotions better.
Best Slack Keyboard Shortcuts
By employing keyboard shortcuts, rather than clicking through menus or using the mouse, you can perform operations and navigate across Slack much more quickly. This time-saving benefit is especially useful for activities that you carry out on a regular basis.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + K | Open Quick Switcher |
| Ctrl + [/] | Switch between channels or conversations |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Open All Threads view |
| Ctrl + Shift + L | Open All Unreads view |
| Alt + Up/Down | Scroll up/down in the current channel or conversation |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Switch focus between message input field and thread pane |
| Ctrl + F | Search within the current channel or conversation |
| Ctrl + G | Go to a specific date in the channel or conversation history |
Message Formatting:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + B | Bold text |
| Ctrl + I | Italicize text |
| Ctrl + Shift + X | Strikethrough text |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Add inline code formatting |
| Ctrl + Shift + > | Quote selected text |
| Ctrl + Shift + 7 | Create a numbered list |
| Ctrl + Shift + 8 | Create a bulleted list |
| Ctrl + Shift + . | Start a code block |
Message Actions:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Up Arrow | Edit the last message sent |
| Alt + Up Arrow | Edit the message above the current message |
| Esc | Cancel editing a message |
| Ctrl + Enter | Send the message |
| Ctrl + Shift + Enter | Send a message as a line break |
| Ctrl + ↑/↓ | Scroll through the message history |
General Shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + / | Open the Slack shortcuts menu |
| Ctrl + . | Open the emoji picker |
| Ctrl + J | Mark a channel or conversation as read |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Open direct messages |
| Ctrl + Shift + K | Open the list of starred channels |
Best Slack Keyboard Shortcuts for Different Platforms
You can make it much simpler to execute searches within Slack with the use of keyboard shortcuts, which makes it much easier to locate specific messages, files, or information. Slack provides shortcuts for the keyboard that can be used to move through the notification settings, change your preferences, and manage your notifications.
Mac App Shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Command + K | Jump to Conversations |
| Command + Shift + K | Browse Channels |
| Command + 1−91−9 | Switch to Conversations in Sidebar |
| Command + ] / [ | Previous/Next Workspace or Channel |
| Command + Shift + M | Start New Message |
| Up Arrow / Down Arrow | Navigate through Message History |
| Command + Shift + U | Mark All as Read |
| Command + Shift + T | Open Thread |
| Command + Enter | Send Message |
| Command + Shift + D | Start a Call |
| Command + Shift + E | Jump to Recent Mentions |
Web/Desktop App Shortcuts:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + K | Jump to Conversations |
| Ctrl + Shift + K | Browse Channels |
| Ctrl + 1−91−9 | Switch to Conversations in Sidebar |
| Ctrl + ] / [ | Previous/Next Workspace or Channel |
| Ctrl + Shift + M | Start New Message |
| Up Arrow / Down Arrow | Navigate through Message History |
| Ctrl + Shift + U | Mark All as Read |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Open Thread |
| Ctrl + Enter | Send Message |
| Ctrl + Shift + D | Start a Call |
| Ctrl + Shift + E | Jump to Recent Mentions |
Question and Answers
To open the shortcuts menu, tap the slash icon next to the message field or type a forward slash. Find an app, slash command, or workflow by its name and choose the shortcut you want to use from the menu. Add any other text you need to use the command after the shortcut name in the message field.
When you’re writing a message in Slack, you can open a panel for formatting by pressing the Aa button. This works in both the desktop and mobile apps. Select any text you’ve written, then click options like bold, italics, strikethrough, or code format to make messages stand out or give them the right emphasis.
Under “Keyboard Layout”, select your preferred layout to change the Slack shortcuts available to you.