Best Practices for Using @channel in Community Discussions

Shannon O. · 2025-10-06T13:43:19.641Z

We had a bit of a tiff in our community this weekend when someone used the @ channel and someone else replied (not admin) telling them to not do that. Sliceable tension lol does anyone have a best practice or guideline about using @ channel for members?

13 comments

· Sorted by Oldest

Joel P.
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Generally, I think it’s best for it to only be allowed for certain people, not your regular member though.
➕3
Shannon O.
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Yeah thinking the same Joel P. can you block it in Slack? Then there’s never an issue/question. We just don’t have an existing guideline against it so IMO the initial member didn’t do anything wrong, though some may see it as breaking a “social contract” lol
Joel P.
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It’s a Slack workspace setting that you’ll see when you go through them, Shannon. I’d just say something like, “This hasn’t come up until now, so it’s not an issue and we’re changing settings in the workspace to allow only certain people to use the feature moving forward.”
No punishment for the member who used it
Update settings and comms on the change to also reflect the growth of the community and folks being more mindful of notifications for thousands of people in the community or something like that 🤷‍♂️
❤️1
Zach H.
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Very much agree with Joel P.. In here none of y'all in here get the here / channel / everyone except for muah.
😆1
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Shannon O.
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Thanks all! Is there anything else like this that I may be missing? Lol
Joel P.
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Create channels, approve members (full and channel guests), add apps to the workspace — and some other “gotcha” items too Zach H. — Lets get the official Slack community settings and setup guide for CMs, please 🙏
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Shannon O.
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Something like “considerations to make” when setting up your slack instance or evolving your slack instance would def be interesting. Very SEOable content Zach H. 😝
1
Joel P.
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SEOable and citationable by AI platforms, too
Cliff J.
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We let our smaller team and project channels use channel notifications if they like, but disable for larger public channels.
Max P.
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This is a good guide too from Scott B. https://benry.net/how-to-build-a-community-on-slack/
❤️1
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Jennifer Y.
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Popping in this thread to say Scott B.’s guide https://benry.net/how-to-build-a-community-on-slack/ is now pinned on my browser, and I had the privilege to speak with him today, and it’s was an incredible, educational conversation that got me thinking in different directions, trying new perspectives for digital third space community architecture. I’m now and so inspired around creating third space that’s usable and desirable. Scott B. I cannot thank you enough! And looking at community as space, and then product, and then gathering, it’s provided so many places I can go listen! 🙌
Arpit C.
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At Clay, we restrict only admins to use @ channel and here.
1
Este L.
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for anyone lurking: https://tightknit-community.slack.com/archives/C06J95VHBLK/p1764125198364159?thread_ts=1764120608.338909&channel=C06J95VHBLK&message_ts=1764125198.364159

Joel P.
·
·
Generally, I think it’s best for it to only be allowed for certain people, not your regular member though.
➕3
Shannon O.
·
·
Yeah thinking the same Joel P. can you block it in Slack? Then there’s never an issue/question. We just don’t have an existing guideline against it so IMO the initial member didn’t do anything wrong, though some may see it as breaking a “social contract” lol
Joel P.
·
·
It’s a Slack workspace setting that you’ll see when you go through them, Shannon. I’d just say something like, “This hasn’t come up until now, so it’s not an issue and we’re changing settings in the workspace to allow only certain people to use the feature moving forward.”
No punishment for the member who used it
Update settings and comms on the change to also reflect the growth of the community and folks being more mindful of notifications for thousands of people in the community or something like that 🤷‍♂️
❤️1
Zach H.
·
·
Very much agree with Joel P.. In here none of y'all in here get the here / channel / everyone except for muah.
😆1
2
Shannon O.
·
·
Thanks all! Is there anything else like this that I may be missing? Lol
Joel P.
·
·
Create channels, approve members (full and channel guests), add apps to the workspace — and some other “gotcha” items too Zach H. — Lets get the official Slack community settings and setup guide for CMs, please 🙏
1
Shannon O.
·
·
Something like “considerations to make” when setting up your slack instance or evolving your slack instance would def be interesting. Very SEOable content Zach H. 😝
1
Joel P.
·
·
SEOable and citationable by AI platforms, too
Cliff J.
·
·
We let our smaller team and project channels use channel notifications if they like, but disable for larger public channels.
Max P.
·
·
This is a good guide too from Scott B. https://benry.net/how-to-build-a-community-on-slack/
❤️1
1
Jennifer Y.
·
·
Popping in this thread to say Scott B.’s guide https://benry.net/how-to-build-a-community-on-slack/ is now pinned on my browser, and I had the privilege to speak with him today, and it’s was an incredible, educational conversation that got me thinking in different directions, trying new perspectives for digital third space community architecture. I’m now and so inspired around creating third space that’s usable and desirable. Scott B. I cannot thank you enough! And looking at community as space, and then product, and then gathering, it’s provided so many places I can go listen! 🙌
Arpit C.
·
·
At Clay, we restrict only admins to use @ channel and here.
1
Este L.
·
·
for anyone lurking: https://tightknit-community.slack.com/archives/C06J95VHBLK/p1764125198364159?thread_ts=1764120608.338909&channel=C06J95VHBLK&message_ts=1764125198.364159