Slack Emoji for Announcements, Updates and Reminders
The standard Slack emoji for an announcement is ๐ฃ :mega: or ๐ข :loudspeaker: at the start of the post. Use ๐จ :rotating_light: only for real emergencies, ๐ :new: for updates, โฐ :alarm_clock: for reminders, and ask readers to react with โ :white_check_mark: once they have read it. Templates and a custom emoji idea.
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The usual Slack emoji for an announcement is ๐ฃ :mega: or ๐ข :loudspeaker: at the very start of the post, so it stands out as people scroll. Use ๐ :new: for product updates, ๐ :date: for meetings, โฐ :alarm_clock: for reminders, and keep ๐จ :rotating_light: for real emergencies such as an outage. End the post by asking people to react with โ :white_check_mark: once they have read it; the reactions show you who saw it.
For a team-branded announcement emoji, use the free Slack emoji maker.
Slack emoji for announcements and updates
| Emoji | Code | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| ๐ฃ | :mega: | Announcements |
| ๐ข | :loudspeaker: | Announcements, public notices |
| ๐จ | :rotating_light: | Outages and emergencies only |
| ๐ | :pushpin: | Important, pinned |
| ๐ | :new: | New feature or process |
| ๐ | :rocket: | Launches and releases |
| โฐ | :alarm_clock: | Deadline reminders |
| ๐ | :date: | Meetings and events |
| โ | :white_check_mark: | "Read it" or "done" |
Type the code at the start of the message, or search "mega" or "announce" in the emoji picker.
Which emoji for which post
- โข Team or company news: ๐ฃ or ๐ข, then a bold first line with the news itself.
- โข Updates and releases: ๐ or ๐, with a link to the details.
- โข Meeting reminders: ๐ , the time, and the link to join.
- โข Deadlines: โฐ and the date in the first line.
- โข Outages and incidents: ๐จ. If every post gets ๐จ, people stop reading it.
- โข Keep-handy info: ๐, and pin the message in the channel too.
For your own time off rather than a team post, see Slack emoji for OOO and PTO.
A Slack announcement template
๐ฃ *New expense tool starts Monday 6 October*
What changes: expenses go through [tool] instead of email.
What you need to do: log in once before Friday with your work account.
Where to ask: this thread, or #finance-help.
Please react with โ
once you've read this.
Put the news in the first line in bold; many people read only that line in the channel. Use @channel or @here only when everyone needs to see it now. When to use each is in Slack @here vs @channel vs @everyone. To preview the formatting before you post, paste it into the Markdown to Slack converter.
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Emoji that track who read it
Ask for one reaction and you get a list of who saw the announcement: hover over the โ under the post to see names. Slack has no read receipts, so reactions are the closest thing; see does Slack have read receipts. Common pairings:
Some workspaces also have an announcement-only channel where only admins can post, so news does not get buried.
Make a custom announcement emoji
A team emoji, such as your logo with a megaphone or the word "PSA", makes company news easy to spot. Open the Slack emoji maker, use Text to emoji for a word like "PSA" or "NEW", or drop in your logo, then add it with Add Emoji in Slack. Name it something short, such as :psa:. More ideas are in Slack emoji ideas.
FAQ
What is the Slack emoji for announcement?
๐ฃ :mega: or ๐ข :loudspeaker:.
What emoji should I use for an update in Slack?
๐ :new: for something new, ๐ :rocket: for a launch.
What emoji means urgent in Slack?
๐จ :rotating_light:. Save it for real emergencies.
How do I see who read my Slack announcement? Ask people to react with โ and hover over the reaction to see names.
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