How to search for specific messages in Slack – Easy Steps

One of the many things Slack does really well is search. If you sent or received a message or file through Slack, even if it was months ago, you can find it again. Posts are also indexed and easy to search by user, by channel, or by workspace.

Search for specific messages in Slack

Slack as excellent search tools for both files and messages. If you need to search for a message by date, sender, channel, Slack has filters to cover it all. Unlike Google search parameters where you have to remember the exact syntax. You can click through the different search options to refine your search.

How to search for specific messages in Slack

Slack has a unique search bar at the top that will search the current workspace. This includes all channels and all direct messages.

1. Click inside the search bar.
2. Enter the fragment of the message you are trying to find where a fragment of any part of the message you remember is located.
3. From the options, select the channel you want to search. If you can’t remember which channel the message was sent to, you can skip this step.
4. Select the sender of the message. Again, if you don’t remember who sent the message, you can also skip this step.
5. Select the search option that matches your criteria and the search results will load.
6. Once the search results load, use the filters to further refine the results by sender, channel, date, reaction, and more.

Other search options

If you are trying to find a file that was sent through a particular Slack channel, but you don’t remember the name of the conversation that took place around it, you can check all the files that were shared through a channel or DM .

1. Click on the name of the DM channel or thread.
2. In the window that opens, go to the About tab.
3. Review the list of files and select the one you need.

conclusion

Slack search is not like email search; it does not offer options such as messages with attachments or files of a certain size. That said, it allows users to filter the results by custom date and if there was an attachment. It is important to remember that Slack is a messaging tool and not a replacement for email. Your search parameters work accordingly. Lastly, if you are having trouble finding a message, try searching an entire workspace rather than searching a particular channel. You may be forgetting which channel the message was sent to. You cannot search multiple workspaces at the same time.