Slack is a messaging platform for quick communication between members that aims to replace email and text messages. The service uses an IRC-style environment with chat rooms (channels), which are organized by topic, private groups, and direct messaging. 

Although the communication service was designed specifically for businesses, anyone can use Slack. You start with a free account that includes the features you need to connect and collaborate with a small group people, but to unlock all the benefits, you’ll need a subscription plan.

If you want to get started with Slack to connect with colleagues whether you work from home or the office, friends, or you’re starting an online community, you need to begin with a workspace, which is the primary area of interaction.

Inside the workspace, you can create channels to chat with other people, upload and share files, send direct messages, and you can even use video calls (limited to one-to-one calls for the free version).

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to create and set up a free Slack account.

How to set up an account on Slack

To create and set up Slack account, use these steps:

  • Open Slack website.
  • Click the Create a Slack Workspace button.
  • Create a Slack account option
  • Confirm your email address.
  • Quick tip: You can use any address, but if you’re signing up for a work account, then use your work email.
  • Click the Confirm button.
  • Confirm the six-digit code sent to your email.
  • Slack confirmation code
  • Specify the of your company or team.
  • Create Slack workspace
  • Click the Next button.
  • Specify a name for the first channel. (Usually, you’ll use the name for the group of people that will be joining or the project your team is developing. For example, Accounting or Website Update.)
  • Create Slack channel
  • Click the Next button.
  • Click the skip for now option. However, you can use this option to invite new members immediately.
  • Slack setup invite people option
  • Click the See Your Channel in Slack button.
  • Under the “Wrap it all up” section, click the Finish setup button.
  • Slack after setup steps
  • Confirm your personal information and password.
  • Confirm Slack account password
  • Click the Next button.
  • (Optional) Under the “Slack URL” section, confirm link for the workspace.
  • Set Slack URL for workspace
  • Click the Next button.
  • (Optional) Under the “Email addresses” section, specify the emails of the people you want to invite to the main channel you created during setup.
  • Add more people to Slack during setup
  • Click the Finish button.
  • Click the Start the Conversation button.

Once you complete the steps, the Slack account will be created, and you can start using the service. 

Open Slack website.

Click the Create a Slack Workspace button.

Create a Slack account option

Confirm your email address.

Click the Confirm button.

Confirm the six-digit code sent to your email.

Slack confirmation code

Specify the of your company or team.

Create Slack workspace

Click the Next button.

Specify a name for the first channel. (Usually, you’ll use the name for the group of people that will be joining or the project your team is developing. For example, Accounting or Website Update.)

Create Slack channel

Click the skip for now option. However, you can use this option to invite new members immediately.

Slack setup invite people option

Click the See Your Channel in Slack button.

Under the “Wrap it all up” section, click the Finish setup button.

Slack after setup steps

Confirm your personal information and password.

Confirm Slack account password

(Optional) Under the “Slack URL” section, confirm link for the workspace.

Set Slack URL for workspace

(Optional) Under the “Email addresses” section, specify the emails of the people you want to invite to the main channel you created during setup.

Add more people to Slack during setup

Click the Finish button.

Click the Start the Conversation button.

Also, note that in the “Get Started” section, you’ll see another option to invite people to join the Slack workspace, and you can create a greeting that will appear every time first get to the platform.

If you don’t have the app on your device, you can use these steps to install it on Windows 10.

Unlike other services, when you need to sign in back to your account, you’ll need to specify the workspace link, and then you’ll proceed to confirm your username and password.