How to Move a Slack Message to Another Channel (Slack Can Only Copy It)

You cannot move a message in Slack. There is no Move item in the message menu, and the API has no move call. The closest thing is two steps: forward the message to the other channel, then delete the original. The forwarded copy keeps the author's name, the original time, the channel it came from and any attached file. It does not bring the thread replies. We tested this on 9 October 2026 in Slack web on the Free plan, from a test channel #w1-thread-test to a new channel #w1-move-dest.

There is no Move option

This is the full menu of one of our own messages in a channel. It has Edit, Mark unread, Add to saved, Add a reminder, Turn off notifications for replies, Copy link, Copy message, Pin to channel, Connect to apps and Delete message. Nothing moves the message:

The hover toolbar has no move button either. Forwarding is the arrow icon in the hover toolbar, next to the reply button.

Forward the message, then delete the original

• Hover the message and click the Forward message arrow.
• Type the channel or person in "Search for channel or person" and pick it.
• Add a note if you want, such as "Moving this here".
• Click Forward.
• Go back to the original and choose Delete message from its menu, if you want it gone from the old channel.

The dialog also has a Copy Link button. A pasted link to a message unfurls into the same kind of preview card, so for one message the two are close. Forwarding lets you add the note in the same step.

What the forwarded copy keeps

We forwarded three things to #w1-move-dest: a thread parent with three replies, a message with a PNG file, and a plain message. Then we read the copies with conversations.history:

In the API the copy is a new message from the person who forwarded it. The original sits inside it as an attachment with is_share: true, is_msg_unfurl: true, the original ts, author_id, channel_id and a from_url back to the source. A thread parent also has is_thread_root_unfurl: true. The replies are not in the attachment, and a reader has to follow the link to see them.

Then we deleted the original "Decision" message in #w1-thread-test. The forwarded copy in #w1-move-dest still showed its full text after a reload:

So forward plus delete works as a move for the text and files, and the thread replies stay behind. To send several messages in one go, see our page on forwarding multiple messages.

Moving a whole thread or many messages

For a thread, forward the parent with a note, then post the important replies again in the new thread, or link to the old thread. Forwarding a parent does not copy any reply. Do not delete the old thread if people need its replies.

For many messages, Slack has no bulk move. You can export the channel's messages and post a summary in the new channel, or forward the few that matter.

If the whole channel should live under a new name, rename it instead of copying it; a rename does not touch the messages. A DM cannot become a channel, so forward the key DM messages into the channel.