# How to hide lead contact details in Slack

> Keep phone numbers and emails out of Slack lead alerts: the pointer message, the Include name and contact details switch, who can see a channel, and safe habits.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-06
- **Category**: Slack
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-hide-lead-contact-details-in-slack

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To keep lead contact details out of Slack, post a pointer to the lead instead of a copy: the form, the ad and a link, with no name, phone or email. In Marxx that is the default, and it stays that way as long as you leave **Include name and contact details** switched off.

This page covers settings and habits, not law. If you need to know what India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act asks of your business, ask a lawyer.

## What each setting shows

| | Switch off (default) | Switch on |
|---|---|---|
| Client, form, ad, campaign, time | Shown | Shown |
| Name | Hidden | Shown |
| Email and phone | Hidden | Shown |
| Answers to form questions | Hidden | Shown |
| Line at the bottom | "Contact details are hidden in Slack" | None |
| How the caller gets the number | **Open lead in Marxx** | Straight from the message |

The switch is in Marxx's Slack settings, under **Settings -> Integrations -> Slack -> Manage**. Each client's settings are its own, so a client with a small, private sales channel can have it on while the rest stay off.

## Who can see a Slack channel

Everything in a lead message is visible to everyone in that channel. Before you switch contact details on, check who that is:

- **Public channels.** Anyone in your Slack workspace can open them and scroll back.
- **Private channels.** Only members can see them. People added later can usually read older messages too.
- **Slack Connect channels.** People from another company are in the room. See [Slack Connect](/glossary/slack-connect) for how these shared channels work.
- **Guests.** Freelancers and contractors on guest accounts see the channels they are added to.

Say `#wanderlast-leads` is a private channel with 4 members today. Next month a new caller joins, and so does a freelance designer by mistake. Both can now scroll back through every lead posted with contact details. With the pointer message, they see only form names and ad names.

## Habits that keep details out of Slack

1. **Keep the default.** Leave **Include name and contact details** off unless the channel is small, private and only holds the people who call.
2. **Never switch it on in a shared channel.** In a Slack Connect channel, people from other companies would see every phone number.
3. **Use Add note, not thread replies.** A note added with **Add note** is saved on the lead in Marxx. The thread only says "Note added by Priya Shah", not the note itself.
4. **Do not paste numbers into threads.** If someone asks "what's the number?", reply with "Open lead in Marxx".
5. **Review channel members monthly.** Remove people who no longer work on that client.
6. **Check your automations too.** If you also use Zapier or Make, leave the phone and email fields out of the Slack message.

We make Marxx, and the pointer message is built so a lead alert can sit in a busy channel safely. More on the [Leads feature](/features/leads) and [Marxx in Slack](/features/slack).

## When showing details makes sense

Some teams call from their phones and cannot open Marxx between calls. If that is you, switch details on only for a private leads channel whose members are the callers, and keep alerts and digests in a separate channel. The [per-client setup](/guides/how-to-get-facebook-lead-notifications-in-slack) shows how to send leads to their own channel.

## FAQ

### Are contact details hidden in Slack by default?

Yes. Marxx's lead message shows the client, form, ad, campaign and time, with **Open lead in Marxx**. Contact details appear only if you switch on **Include name and contact details**.

### Can I hide details for one client and show them for another?

Yes. Each client's Slack settings are separate, so set the switch per client.

### Does turning the switch off remove details already posted?

Plan for it not to. Scroll back through the channel and delete by hand any older messages that still show details you no longer want there.

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- [More Slack articles](https://marxx.ai/library-guides/category/slack)
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