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Restrict direct messages

This feature is only available to organization owners and administrators.

Organization administrators can configure two types of permissions for direct messages:

  • Who can authorize a direct message conversation. To send a DM, the recipients must include at least one user who can authorize the conversation (the sender or someone else).
  • Who can start a direct message conversation.

These settings are designed so that users can always respond to a direct message they've received (unless organization permissions change). They also provide a lot of flexibility for managing DMs in your organization. For example, you can:

  • Prevent 1:1 DMs between guest users.
  • Allow members to respond to DMs from an admin or moderator, but not to start DM conversations.
  • Disable direct messages altogether.

Regardless of how these settings are configured, users can always send direct messages to bots and to themselves.

When restricting direct messages, consider also restricting who can create private channels.

Configure who can authorize a direct message conversation

  • Instructions for all platforms

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

  2. Select Organization settings.

  3. On the left, click Organization permissions.

  4. Under Direct message permissions, configure Who can authorize a direct message conversation.

  5. Click Save changes.

Configure who can start a direct message conversation

  • Instructions for all platforms

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

  2. Select Organization settings.

  3. On the left, click Organization permissions.

  4. Under Direct message permissions, configure Who can start a direct message conversation.

  5. Click Save changes.

Disable direct messages

  • Instructions for all platforms

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

  2. Select Organization settings.

  3. On the left, click Organization permissions.

  4. Under Direct message permissions, set Who can authorize a direct message conversation to Direct messages disabled.

  5. Click Save changes.

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