How to summarize a Slack channel or thread with AI
Came back to hundreds of unread messages? Here is how to turn a Slack channel, thread or DM into a short summary of decisions, deadlines and action items.
Last updated
Short answer
Add Catch Up to the channel and mention @catchup. You get an AI summary of the last day that only you can see. Use @catchup 7 for the last week, or mention @catchup inside a thread to summarize the whole thread.
Summarize a Slack channel with Catch Up
- 1
Install Catch Up. Install the Catch Up app to your Slack workspace and pick a plan.
- 2
Add Catch Up to the channel. Invite Catch Up to the channel you want to summarize.
- 3
Mention @catchup. Type @catchup in the channel to get a summary of the last day that only you can see.
- 4
Choose the period. Add a number of days, for example @catchup 7 for the last 7 days. Any value from 1 to 60 works.
- 5
Share it if you want. Add public, for example @catchup 5 public, to post the summary for everyone in the channel.
| Command | What you get |
|---|---|
@catchup | Last day, only you can see it |
@catchup 3 | Last 3 days, only you can see it |
@catchup public | Last day, everyone in the channel can see it |
@catchup 5 public | Last 5 days, everyone in the channel can see it |
Summarize a Slack thread
Mention @catchupinside the thread. Catch Up summarizes the entire thread, so you don't need to add a number of days (it is ignored in threads). Use @catchup public to share the summary with everyone in the thread.
Summarize several channels at once
Run @catchup configure to pick the channels you follow and your default period. Then send @catchup in a direct message with the bot to get one summary of all of them, or @catchup 5 for the last 5 days.
Tell the AI what to focus on
On the Pro and Advanced plans you can add your own instructions after the command for a one-off summary:
@catchup 3 focus on action items and deadlines@catchup explain the technical decisions made@catchup public summarize the key outcomes
The same plans can include files shared in the conversation, such as PDFs, images, CSV and text files. Turn it on with @catchup configure. Including files makes summaries slower and uses more credits.
How many summaries can I make?
Each summary uses one credit from your workspace's monthly allowance: 16 on Basic ($10/month), 32 on Pro ($15/month), 128 on Advanced ($25/month). Check what's left at any time with @catchup status.
Can Slack summarize a channel on its own?
Yes, if your Slack plan includes it. Slack's AI conversation summaries are included in the Pro, Business+ and Enterprise+ plans. On desktop you can summarize unread messages, the last seven days or a custom date range, and threads have a Summarize button at the top.
Catch Up is an option if you want per-workspace pricing instead of per-seat plans, custom instructions on each summary, or periods of up to 60 days. Compare Slack AI and Catch Up.
Source: Slack Help Center, Guide to AI features in Slack.
Summarize your first Slack channel
Mention @catchup in any channel, thread or DM and get a summary of what you missed. Per-workspace pricing from $10/month, no per-seat fees.
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