Slack Emoji for Condolences: What to React With, and 5 to Download

The Slack emoji for condolences are the ones nobody can misread: ❤️ :heart:, 🙏 :pray:, 🫂 :people_hugging:, 💐 :bouquet:, 🕯️ :candle: and 🕊️ :dove_of_peace:. Avoid 👍, ✅ and 👀 on sad news, because at work they mean "noted" or "done". A reaction is a kind first step in a busy channel. A few words in the thread or a short DM mean more.

If your workspace has no gentle custom emoji yet, five are below, free to download and add.

Five condolence emoji you can download

Each file is a 128 x 128 PNG under 9 KB, well inside Slack's 128 KB limit. Open a link, save the image, then add it in Slack with Add Emoji at the bottom of the emoji picker.

Upload steps and who is allowed to add emoji are in how to add custom emoji to Slack. We made these with the free Slack emoji maker, so you can change the words or the colour there.

How they look in a real message

We added all five to a test workspace on 29 September 2026 and used them on a sample message. The name is blacked out.

What the test showed:

• • One or two words read best. "hugs" and "take care" stay clear at reaction size. "thinking of you" shrinks to very small type, so use it inline in a message, where it is a little larger, or pick "hugs".
• • Soft colours stay calm. Muted blue, green and mauve sit quietly next to a ❤️. Bright red or party effects would not.
• • One reaction per person is enough. A row of different emoji from the same person looks busy on sad news.

After the test we deleted the message and removed the five emoji from the workspace.

Standard Slack emoji for sympathy

Every workspace has these. We added each one as a reaction in Slack on 29 September 2026 to check the name works.

Emoji	Code	Reads as
❤️	:heart:	Care, support
💙	:blue_heart:	Calm support, softer than red
🤍	:white_heart:	Remembrance
🙏	:pray:	Sympathy, "thinking of you"
🫂	:people_hugging:	A hug
🤗	:hugging_face:	A warm hug, a little lighter in tone
💐	:bouquet:	Flowers, condolences
🕯️	:candle:	Remembrance
🕊️	:dove_of_peace:	Peace
🌻	:sunflower:	Get well soon, warmth

Type the code in the message field, or search the word in the reaction picker. To react, hover over the message and click the smiley face with a plus.

Emoji to avoid on sad news

• • 👍, ✅ and 👀. At work these mean "seen", "done" or "on it", which reads as cold under news of a death or an illness. What 👀 means at work is in what does the eyes emoji mean in Slack.
• • 😂, 🎉, 🔥 and anything playful. A misclick happens, so check your reaction before you leave the message.
• • 😢 and 💔. Fine from a close teammate, heavy from someone who barely knows the person. A heart is safer.

What to write instead of only an emoji

Keep it short and do not ask for details. "No need to reply" helps, because people on leave often feel they must answer every message.

I'm so sorry for your loss, [name]. Thinking of you and your family.
So sorry to hear this. Take all the time you need, we have things covered.
Sending you and your family love. No need to reply.
I'm sorry, [name]. If there is anything I can take off your plate, just say.

For someone who is ill:

Get well soon, [name]. We will keep things moving here.
Sorry you're unwell. Rest up, no need to reply.

When a coworker is on bereavement leave

• • Share the news in the team channel only if the person agreed to it.
• • Send work questions to whoever is covering, not to them.
• • If their status says they are on leave, wait until it clears before you write about work. Short statuses for the person taking leave are in Slack status for bereavement.
• • A card or flowers outside Slack often mean more than any reaction.

FAQ

Is an emoji reaction enough for condolences in Slack? In a large channel it is a kind start. Add a short line in the thread or a DM if you know the person.

Can I add these emoji if I am not an admin? In most workspaces, yes. Admins can limit who adds emoji; if Add Emoji is missing, ask an admin to add the file for the team.