Channels
Channel types, joining and creating channels, the channel header, and announcement channels.
A channel is a shared conversation space inside a workspace, usually organized around a team or topic.
Channel types
| Type | Icon | Rule (as shown in the create dialog) |
|---|---|---|
| Public | # | "Anyone in the workspace can join and read messages." |
| Private | lock | "Only invited members can see this channel." |
| Announcement | megaphone | "Only admins can post; everyone can read." |
Every workspace also has a built-in system channel (for example Announcements) that is created automatically and cannot be archived.
Joining and reading channels
Public and announcement channels appear in your sidebar and are open to read. For a public channel you have not formally joined, simply posting your first message joins you automatically. Private channels are invisible until a channel owner or admin invites you.
Creating a channel
Enter a Channel name. It is lowercased automatically and spaces become
hyphens (for example "Site Reports" becomes site-reports). Optionally add
a Description.
For a private channel, click Next: Add members; a second step lets you pick workspace members to invite, then Done. Public and announcement channels finish in one step with Create channel.
The channel header
At the top of a channel you will find its type icon, name, and description, plus:
- Pinned: opens the list of pinned messages; click one to jump to it in the feed.
- Notification bell: choose how this channel notifies you (see Channel notification settings).
- Member count: channel owners and admins can click it to open Manage Channel Members (see Workspace & Channel Administration).
Announcement channels
In an announcement channel, only channel owners and admins can post. Everyone else sees a read-only notice: "Only channel owners/admins can post in this announcement channel."
Posts in announcement channels are composed with a rich-text editor and
render with formatting (headings, lists, emphasis), unlike the plain-text
composer in regular channels. In the rich-text editor, Enter starts
a new line or paragraph; click the send button to post. The @ mention list
does not pop up there.
"Announcement" appears in two places in EOMIS: this Messenger channel type, and a Communications announcement thread. They are different features; see the glossary in the Appendices.