How to Search in Slack Like a Pro (Modifiers and Shortcuts)

Slack quietly becomes your company's memory: decisions, files, links and that one message where someone explained how the booking system works. Finding it again is easy once you know a handful of search tricks. Most people type a word, scroll, give up and ask a colleague. Here's how to search like someone who never has to ask.

Run a basic search

1. Click the search field at the top of Slack, or press Cmd+G on a Mac or Ctrl+G on Windows.
2. Type what you're looking for. Slack may suggest recent searches.
3. Press Enter to see all results, or pick a suggestion.
4. Click Filters to narrow things down.

On an iPhone, tap the Search bar at the top of the screen; on Android, tap the Search icon at the bottom. Both have a More filters option once you've searched.

The search modifiers worth memorising

Type this	To find	Example from Slack
"exact phrase"	That precise wording	"marketing report"
-word	Results without that word	marketing -report
in:	Results in one channel or conversation	marketing report in:#team-marketing
from:	Messages from one person	marketing report from:@Sara
during:	Results in a month or year	marketing report during:august
before: or after:	Results before or after a date	Add a date after the colon
is:thread	Results inside threads	marketing report is:thread
has:pin or is:saved	Pinned or saved items	marketing report is:saved

You can combine them. Slack's own example, marketing report in:#team-marketing from:@Sara, finds that phrase only in that channel and only from Sara, which turns hundreds of results into a handful.

More modifiers for specific jobs

• with:@name searches threads and direct messages with a particular person.
• has: plus an emoji code finds messages with that reaction; hasmy: finds ones you reacted to.
• creator:@name finds canvases created by someone.
• Put a dash before in: or from: to exclude a channel or person, for example -in:#random.

Search inside one conversation

When you're already in the right channel or direct message, press Cmd+F on a Mac or Ctrl+F on Windows to search only that conversation. It's the fastest way to find something you know was said in a particular place.

Can't remember the exact word?

Use an asterisk. Type at least three letters followed by *, and Slack shows results that start with those letters. Slack's example: rep* may show results for 'reply' or 'report'. It's handy for names you can't spell or words with several endings, like book, booked and booking.

Filter the results

After searching on desktop, switch between Messages, Files, People, Channels and Canvases in the sidebar, then use Filters to narrow further. On mobile you can also switch between result types, including Workflows, and use the Sort options. If you're looking for a document someone shared, jump straight to Files: it saves scrolling through every message that mentions it.

Three searches I'd try first

• from:@yourmanager during: plus a month's name, to find every instruction you were given in that month.
• "next steps" in:#client-channel, to find the summaries people post after calls.
• has:pin in:#project, to see everything the team decided was worth pinning.

Swap in your own names and channels, and you'll start to see patterns in how your team writes things down. If nothing turns up, that's useful too: it usually means the decision was made in a call or a direct message, and it's worth posting it somewhere searchable now so nobody has to hunt for it again.

Find a search you ran before

Click the search bar, then the clock icon to show your previous searches. If you keep looking up the same things, such as a project channel's files or a client's name, this saves retyping your clever combination of modifiers.

Searching with AI

Slack also offers AI features that let you ask questions in your own words and get answers drawn from what's already in Slack, and can add relevant filters to your searches automatically. Availability depends on your workspace. If it's switched on, a question like 'what did we decide about the spring launch?' can work better than guessing keywords.

Make your workspace easier to search

• Name channels clearly so in: searches are obvious.
• Post decisions in the main channel, not buried in direct messages.
• Pin important messages so has:pin finds them.
• Use the same words for the same things: if half the team says 'proposal' and half says 'quote', searches miss things.

Good search habits go hand in hand with a tidy workspace. When old project channels are cluttering results, archive them. For a quick comparison with another app, my guide to searching messages on Messenger shows how basic most other chat search is.

My verdict

Press Cmd or Ctrl+G, type your phrase, then add in:, from: and during: until the results fit on one screen. Use Cmd or Ctrl+F inside a conversation, an asterisk when you're unsure of a word, and the clock icon to rerun past searches. Ten minutes learning these saves hours of scrolling.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search in Slack?

Click the search bar at the top or press Cmd+G on a Mac or Ctrl+G on Windows, type your search and press Enter.

How do I search a specific Slack channel?

Add in: and the channel name, such as in:#team-marketing, or press Cmd+F or Ctrl+F while you're in the channel.

How do I find messages from one person in Slack?

Add from: and their display name, such as from:@Sara, to your search.

How do I search Slack by date?

Use before:, after: or on: with a date, or during: with a month or year, such as during:august.

Can I search for part of a word in Slack?

Yes. Type at least three letters followed by an asterisk, such as rep*, to find words starting with those letters.