Finding & Joining Slack Channels

Created by Donny Heidel, Modified on Tue, 7 Apr at 5:14 PM by Donny Heidel

A Guide for quilt-corporate.slack.com

As part of the workspace consolidation, channels from quilt-xbu.slack.com and posnation.slack.com have been migrated into quilt-corporate.slack.com. This guide walks you through how to find, browse, search for, and join the channels you need in the new workspace.

Browsing Channels

The channel browser is the easiest way to explore all available channels in quilt-corporate. It shows every public channel in the workspace, along with a description and member count.

How to Open the Channel Browser

In the Slack sidebar, click the “Channels” heading (or the “+” icon next to it).
Select “Browse channels” from the dropdown.
You’ll see a list of all public channels. Scroll through or use the search bar at the top to narrow results.
Click any channel name to preview it. If you want to join, click “Join Channel.”

? Tip: Sort & Filter

In the channel browser, you can sort channels by most members, newest, oldest, or A–Z. Use these options to quickly find large team channels or recently created ones.

Searching for Channels

If you already know part of a channel name or topic, searching is the fastest way to find it.

Using Slack Search

Click the search bar at the top of Slack (or press Ctrl+K on Windows / Cmd+K on Mac).
Start typing the channel name. Slack will show matching channels, people, and messages as you type.
Look for results under the “Channels” section. Click the channel name to preview or join it.

Using the Channel Browser Search

Open the channel browser (see above).
Type a keyword into the search bar at the top of the browser. This searches channel names and descriptions.
Results update in real time as you type.

? Tip: Migration-Renamed Channels

Some channels may have been renamed with a prefix during the import to avoid naming conflicts (for example, a channel from POS Nation might appear as “posnation-channelname”). If you can’t find a channel by its old name, try searching for keywords from the channel’s topic or description instead.

Joining Public Channels

Public channels are open to everyone in the workspace. You can join them at any time without needing an invitation.

How to Join

Find the channel using the channel browser or search.
Click the channel name to open a preview. You’ll see recent messages and a description.
Click “Join Channel” at the bottom of the preview.
You’re in! The channel will now appear in your sidebar.

You can also join a channel by typing /join #channel-name in the message box of any conversation.

Requesting Access to Private Channels

Private channels are invite-only and won’t appear in the channel browser. You’ll need to be added by someone who is already a member.

How to Request Access

Ask a teammate who is already in the private channel to add you. They can do this by opening the channel, clicking the channel name at the top, selecting “Members,” and then “Add people.”
Alternatively, post a request in #migration-help and the IT team can help connect you with the right channel owner.

? Tip: Private Channels from Your Old Workspace

Private channels from quilt-xbu and posnation are being imported into quilt-corporate. In order for a private channel to be included in the migration, Howie Hong must be added as a member in the old workspace. If you have a private channel that hasn’t been migrated yet, reach out in #migration-help.

Managing Your Sidebar

After joining channels, your sidebar can get crowded. Here are a few ways to keep it organized.

Starring Channels

Right-click any channel in the sidebar and select “Star channel.” Starred channels appear in a pinned section at the top of your sidebar for quick access.

Muting Channels

If a channel is noisy but you still want to stay in it, right-click it and select “Mute channel.” You’ll stay a member but won’t receive notifications. The channel will appear dimmed in your sidebar.

Creating Sidebar Sections

You can organize your sidebar into custom sections (e.g., “My Team,” “Projects,” “General”). Hover over the “Channels” heading in the sidebar, click the three-dot menu, and select “Create a section.” Then drag channels into your sections.

Quick Reference

Action	How To
Browse all channels	Click “Channels” in sidebar → Browse channels
Quick search	Ctrl+K (Windows) / Cmd+K (Mac)
Join a public channel	Browse or search → Click channel → Join Channel
Join via command	Type /join #channel-name in any message box
Request private channel access	Ask a current member to add you, or post in #migration-help
Star a channel	Right-click channel → Star channel
Mute a channel	Right-click channel → Mute channel
Create sidebar sections	Hover “Channels” heading → three-dot menu → Create a section
Leave a channel	Right-click channel → Leave channel

Need Help?

If you can’t find a channel, aren’t sure where to go, or something looks wrong after the migration, post your question in #migration-help and the IT team will get you sorted.

For the full migration FAQ, visit:

https://quiltsoftware.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/151000229347-slack-migration-faq

— Donny, IT Department