How to pin important messages on Slack

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

To pin important messages on Slack, hover over the message you want to pin and click the three dots menu, then select 'Pin to channel' or 'Pin to conversation'. Pinned messages appear in a dedicated pinned items panel accessible from the channel header.

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Prerequisites

Active Slack workspace membership
Access to the channel or direct message thread
Permission to pin messages in the channel
Slack desktop app or web browser access

Step-by-Step Instructions

Locate the message you want to pin

Navigate to the channel or direct message conversation containing the important message. Scroll through the message history to find the specific message you want to make easily accessible to all channel members.

Use Slack's search function with keywords if you're having trouble finding an older message

Hover over the target message

Move your cursor over the message you want to pin. You'll see a toolbar appear on the right side of the message with various action buttons including reactions, replies, and a three dots menu.

On mobile devices, long-press the message instead of hovering to access the action menu

Click the three dots menu

Click on the three dots (⋯) icon in the message toolbar. This will open a dropdown menu with additional message actions and options.

Select the pin option

From the dropdown menu, click Pin to channel (for public channels) or Pin to conversation (for direct messages and private channels). The message will immediately be added to the pinned items for that conversation.

The exact wording may vary slightly depending on whether you're in a channel, group DM, or one-on-one conversation

Confirm the message is pinned

Look for a small pin icon (📌) that now appears next to the timestamp of the pinned message. This visual indicator confirms the message has been successfully pinned to the channel or conversation.

Access pinned messages panel

To view all pinned messages, click the channel name or conversation name at the top of the Slack interface. In the details panel that opens, click Pinned to see all pinned messages in chronological order.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) to quickly open pinned messages

Manage pinned messages

From the pinned messages panel, you can unpin messages by clicking the three dots menu next to any pinned message and selecting Unpin from channel. You can also click on any pinned message to jump directly to it in the conversation timeline.

Keep pinned messages relevant and up-to-date by regularly reviewing and unpinning outdated information

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Pin to channel option is not available

Check your channel permissions. Only members with posting permissions can pin messages. Contact your workspace admin if you need pinning privileges for the channel.

Pinned messages panel appears empty

Ensure you're looking in the correct channel or conversation. Pinned messages are conversation-specific and don't carry over between different channels or DMs.

Cannot find the three dots menu on mobile

Long-press the message on mobile devices instead of hovering. This will bring up the action menu with pinning options.

Pin icon not appearing after pinning

Refresh your Slack app or browser page. If the issue persists, try signing out and back in to sync the latest changes to pinned messages.

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