Slack native slash commands (also known as built in shortcuts) are one of the  many ways Slack enables users to do their best work in Slack. We previously covered the magic of the `/giphy` command, but there are more that come built in with Slack. Here are some of my favorites:

Add someone to a channel – `/invite [@someone][#channel]`

When I discover someone isn’t in a channel relevant to their needs or interests, I use this command to quickly add them. This is a great way to quickly onboard a mentee or a new colleague. It always feels nice to be invited without asking, so `/invite` folks to the cat themed channels so they don’t miss anything important. 

To make things easier, you don’t need to add [#channel] if you’re already in the channel. Just `/invite and [@them]` and you’re good to go!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ – `/shrug`

Not quite sure how to respond? Add a shrug to your conversation!

Start a huddle – `/huddle`

If I need to get on a quick call with someone, this command is my go-to. Huddles are a great way to pair, share your screen, troubleshoot and more. They also have great music while I’m waiting for folks to join and they give me compliments (try mousing over your image the next time you’re in one), 

View your mentions and reactions – `/mentions`

I use the mentions and reactions section to make sure that I haven’t missed anything I need to react or reply to. It also helps me see at a glance whether folks have reacted to a message I’ve sent. 

For example, reacting with 👀 lets me know you’re looking at my work. That way I don’t have to bother you about it and it saves everyone time. This command doesn’t work on the Slack mobile apps, but I still think it’s pretty cool.

View all Slack keyboard shortcuts – `/shortcuts`

This one is great if your cat is sitting on your mouse, which happens to me a non-zero amount of times in a day. Lacking a cat with that hobby or if you prefer using your keyboard, we got you covered. It’s also a good way to explore all the things you can do with Slack. For example, I didn’t know that you can use the control key to navigate between the home/dms/etc part of the sidebar. I love it when I can learn a thing writing these.

This list is by no means exhaustive of all the slash commands available to use right now. Check out this help article for a list of the ones we’ve built in . And if you want to get into building your own, check out the developer documentation here. 

(caption: This is Norman. He “helped” write this post)