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Create channels

Channels organize conversations based on who needs to see them. For example, it's common to have a channel for each team in an organization. Because Zulip further organizes messages into conversations labeled with topics, there is generally no need to create dedicated channels for specific projects.

We recommend setting up some channels before inviting other users to join Zulip, so that you can automatically subscribe everyone to the right set of channels.

If you later create additional channels, no worries! You can always add a group of users or all the members of another channel to a new channel.

Add clear descriptions to your channels, especially public channels.

How to create a channel

  • Desktop/Web
  • Mobile

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Channel settings.

  3. Click Create channel on the right, or click the plus () icon in the upper right.

  4. Fill out the requested information.

  5. (optional) Click on Advanced configurations to review and update additional channel settings.

  6. Click Continue to add subscribers.

  7. Add users who will be subscribed to the channel, and click Create.

Note: You will only see the Create channel button if you have permission to create channels.

  1. Tap the Channels (hash) tab at the bottom of the app.

  2. Scroll down to the bottom, and tap ALL CHANNELS.

  3. Tap the Create new channel button at the top of the app.

  4. Fill out the requested info, and tap Create.

Note: You will only see the Create new channel button if you have permission to create channels.

Tips for creating channels

  • It's often best to start with just a few channels, and add more as needed. For small teams, you can start with the default channels and go from there.

  • For large organizations, we recommend using a consistent naming scheme, like #marketing/<name> or #mk/<name> for all channels pertaining to the marketing team, #help/<team name> for <team name>'s internal support channel, etc.

  • For open source projects or other volunteer organizations, consider adding default channels like #announce for announcements, #new members for new members to introduce themselves and be welcomed, and #help so that there's a clear place users stopping by with just a single question can post.

Don't see an answer to your question? Contact this Zulip server's administrators for support.