Slack messages are a convenient and fast way to communicate any type of information to your teams and customers, covering anything from daily check-ins to casual chat, request management, and organizational announcements.
You can make your messages more precise and effective with the help of Slack markdown. Markdown is a basic computing language that helps users format Slack messages within their Slack desktop app's conversational window quickly. It enables users to add different formatting styles and elements such as bold, italic, bullet points, and more to create more engaging content on Slack.
Utilizing Slack markdown can significantly speed up formatting processes within Slack, increasing productivity and saving precious time. In this article, you’ll learn how to use Slack message formatting to achieve the best results. Let's begin!
The first thing to note when discussing Slack markdown is that you can only use this functionality when you are on Slack's desktop interface. The basic markdown feature is enabled when the formatting options are visible within the text box.
Slack formatting can be achieved by inserting special characters before and/or after your selected text. We created a handy Slack markdown cheat sheet below for your convenience.
So now you've got the basics sorted. Are you ready to level up? Setting up markup as your default Slack message formatting preference allows you to explore even more comprehensive Slack markdown options to make your content pop.
You can do this by following the steps below:
Step 1: Click on your workspace name and select ‘Preferences' from the dropdown menu.
Step 2: Scroll down to access ‘Advanced’ on the left sidebar, where you can find the ‘Format messages with markup’ option. With a simple tick, you will disable your formatting toolbar and open up a new world of Slack formatting.
Now, don’t get scared. Just because you stepped up to the next stage, it doesn’t mean it will get highly complicated! Slack markdown is a relatively straightforward language, and with a bit of practice, you will whizz through Slack message formatting like a pro.
It is important to note that as the formatting bar has been removed from your text box, Slack message formatting will only be visible once you press enter. So don’t panic; you haven’t done it wrong! In addition to the shortcuts mentioned above, you can also use some other added options:
Add headings: Headings can come especially handy when writing a longer text or a significant announcement with many different parts to highlight. You can achieve level-one and level-two headings by adding a single-pound sign (#) and a space in front of your text for a level-one heading or a two-pound sign (##) and a space for level-two headings. This will be one good-looking message!
There are a bunch of scenarios where you can use Slack markdown in your organization. For instance:
Announcements: Emphasize key points with bold or italics, e.g., Deadline: March 30th or Mandatory meeting on Friday.
Employee onboarding: Use numbered lists for procedural steps:
Client onboarding messages: Outline services or project phases with bullet points:
Meeting agendas: Organize topics in a clear, numbered format for easy follow-up.
Training materials: Use block quotes to highlight important instructions or tips.
In essence, any time you want parts of your message to pop, use Slack markdown.
Slack markdown simplifies text formatting, boosting your team's info-sharing game. Check out these 20 savvy ways to spice up your Slack chats:
By effectively using markdown formatting, you can significantly enhance the readability, organization, and overall professionalism of your B2B communication within Slack.
Slack markdown lets you polish your canned responses, making them clearer and more professional. Here's your quick guide to using markdown in your pre-crafted messages:
Formatting for Clarity:
Welcome Message:
# Welcome to [Company Name], [Customer Name]!
We're happy to assist you. What can we help you with today?
* Browse our Help Center: [link to Help Center]
* Search our Knowledge Base: [link to Knowledge Base]
* Chat with a support agent (during business hours): [link to chat support]
Order Confirmation:
## Thanks for your order, [Customer Name]!
Your order # [order number] has been confirmed.
You'll receive a shipping notification with tracking details shortly to [email address].
In the meantime, you can view your order details here: [link to order details]
Troubleshooting Steps:
## Having trouble with [issue]?
Here are a few steps you can try:
1. **[Step 1]:** *This step uses bold for emphasis*
2. **[Step 2]:** - This step uses a bullet point
3. **[Step 3]:** If the issue persists, please refer to our troubleshooting guide: [link to guide]
If you're still facing issues, feel free to reply to this message for further assistance.
Creating a clear and compelling message is the cornerstone of successful communication. By leveraging Slack markdown, you can format Slack messages faster and more effectively, writing more persuasive content so your audience can understand your content better.
Thena can help you bring out the most of your Slack communication strategy by utilizing intelligent workflows and a conversational ticketing system so your teams can focus on what really matters. Our award-winning solution enhances Slack’s functionality by bringing order to the chaos with intelligent tagging and grouping to tame chaos across your outstanding customer tickets.
Thena can help customer communication teams create a unified hub for pending tickets across different channels like emails and Slack messages. With automation processes, you can remove the monotonous tasks, creating a more efficient operation and more time to focus on the important stuff.
Our solution can help you assign tickets automatically based on specialty or service teams, sending instant request acknowledgment messages to end-users and AI-powered responses from the integrated knowledge base so you can look after your customers around the clock.
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