How to Pin a Message in Slack Channels and DMs (2026)

Every busy Slack channel has that one message people keep asking for: the client's brand guidelines, the login instructions for a shared tool, the agreed launch date. Pinning it puts it in one spot at the top of the channel, so nobody has to scroll back through weeks of chat or ask you again.

Slack has moved the pin option around over time, and where you'll find it depends on your workspace. Here's what Slack's own help centre says, how to find your pins afterwards, and how I'd use them in a small business or client workspace.

Pinning a message in a Slack channel on desktop

Slack's help gives this route for the desktop app and Slack in a browser:

1. Find the message you want to pin.
2. Hover over it until the message actions appear.
3. Click the three dots icon.
4. Select Pin to channel.

In some workspaces, Slack tucks the option one level deeper. If you don't see Pin to channel straight away, Slack's help says to hover over Organize in the same menu, then choose Pin to channel from there.

Pinning a message in a Slack direct message

Pins work in DMs too, which is handy for a one-to-one with a freelancer or your accountant. The steps are the same, but Slack's wording changes: hover over the message, click the three dots icon (and Organize, if you see it), then select Pin to this conversation.

Where pinned messages show up in Slack

According to Slack, pinned messages appear in the Pins tab of that channel or DM. The tabs sit along the top of the conversation, so anyone in the channel can open Pins and see everything that's been pinned there.

That's the real value. A new team member can join a channel, open the Pins tab and get up to speed in a couple of minutes instead of reading the whole history.

Unpinning a message in Slack

Pins go stale. When a deadline passes or a document gets replaced, take the old one down. Slack's steps:

1. Open the Pins tab in the channel or DM.
2. Hover over the message you want to remove.
3. Click the three dots icon.
4. Select Un-pin from channel.

Unpinning doesn't delete the message. It just stays in the conversation like any other.

Organising Slack pins with tabs and folders

Slack's help covers more than single pins. You can create folders in a channel to group links and files, and drag and drop tabs, including pinned messages, into and out of folders. You add a link with the plus sign and then Link, or a file with the plus sign and then File.

Slack lists two limits worth knowing:

What Slack's help says	Limit
Tabs per channel or DM	Up to 15
Items or folders a folder can hold per channel	Up to 100

Slack's help doesn't say whether the Pins tab counts towards that tab limit, so I wouldn't plan around it either way. In practice, few channels need anywhere near that many.

Pinning messages on the Slack mobile app

Slack's pinning article covers desktop only, and menus vary by app version. If you're on your phone and can't find a pin option in a message's menu, the simplest fix is to pin it next time you're at your computer. Your pins show for everyone in the channel on every device once they're set.

What I'd pin in a business Slack channel

Pins work best when there are only a few of them. A Pins tab with forty items is just another place to scroll. For a client or project channel, I'd stick to:

• The project brief or scope, so everyone works from the same version.
• Key dates: launch, review and handover.
• Brand guidelines or the shared folder link.
• Who to contact for what, especially if several people are involved.
• House rules for the channel, like where files should go.

For a community or customer Slack, a pinned welcome message with the rules and the most useful links does the same job as a pinned post on social media. It's the same idea as pinning a comment on Instagram: you choose what people see first.

Pinned messages vs other ways to find things in Slack

Pinning is for things the whole channel needs. If a message only matters to you, pinning it clutters the tab for everyone else, so keep a personal reminder elsewhere. And if you're comparing apps, pinning a person rather than a message is a different feature altogether, as my guide to pinning someone on Snapchat shows.

If you can't pin a message in Slack

1. Hover over the message and look for Organize in the three dots menu. Pin may be inside it.
2. Switch from the mobile app to desktop or a browser.
3. Check the Pins tab to see if it's already pinned.
4. Update the Slack app and reload it.
5. If the option is still missing, ask your workspace owner or admin, as workspaces can be set up differently.

Frequently asked questions

How do I pin a message in Slack?

Hover over the message, click the three dots icon and select Pin to channel. If you don't see it, hover over Organize first, then choose Pin to channel.

Where do I find pinned messages in Slack?

Slack says pinned messages appear in the Pins tab at the top of the channel or DM.

Can I pin a message in a Slack DM?

Yes. Use the same steps and select Pin to this conversation instead of Pin to channel.

How do I unpin a message in Slack?

Open the Pins tab, hover over the message, click the three dots icon and select Un-pin from channel. The message stays in the conversation.

Can I pin messages on the Slack mobile app?

Slack's pinning help covers desktop, and mobile menus vary by app version. If you can't find the option on your phone, pin it from the desktop app or a browser.