# How to use Slack Connect with clients

> Slack Connect links one channel between your agency and a client's own Slack. Which plans include it, how to set it up, and what to keep out of it.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-06
- **Category**: Slack
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-guides/how-to-use-slack-connect-with-clients

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Slack Connect lets your agency and a client work in one channel while each company stays in its own Slack workspace. You need a paid Slack plan for channels with clients, because the free plan allows Slack Connect only 1:1, and a client on a free plan can usually get a 90-day trial of Pro to join.

## What Slack Connect is

A Slack Connect channel lives in two workspaces at once. Your team sees it in the agency's Slack. The client's team sees it in theirs. Nobody needs a second login. Slack says one channel or DM can include up to 250 organisations (slack.com/intl/en-in/connect, checked 6 Nov 2026). Our [Slack Connect glossary entry](/glossary/slack-connect) explains the term in full.

## Which plans include it

| Your plan | Slack Connect with a client |
|---|---|
| Free | 1:1 only |
| Pro, Business+ | Included. Eligible partners on Slack's free plan get a 90-day free trial of Pro |
| Enterprise+ | Included. Partners on free plans can join without upgrading |

Source: [Slack's Connect page](https://slack.com/intl/en-in/connect) and its India pricing page, checked 6 Nov 2026. Pro costs INR 245.25 per user a month paid yearly. See [Slack pricing in India](/prices/slack-pricing).

## How to set it up

1. **Create the channel in your workspace** with a clear external name, such as #ext-northwind. Our [Slack channel naming conventions](/templates/slack-channel-naming-conventions-for-agencies) use ext- so nobody mistakes it for an internal room.
2. **Invite the client** by email from the channel's settings. Invite one admin on their side first.
3. **The client accepts** and picks which of their workspaces the channel joins. Their admin may need to approve it.
4. **Pin a short welcome note**: who is in the channel, response hours, and what the channel is for.
5. **Add teammates from both sides** once the channel is live.

## What to keep out of a shared channel

A shared channel is a room with the client in it. Anything you post, the client can read and keep.

- **Raw ad alerts.** Check them in your internal channel, then post what you found and what you changed.
- **Lead contact details.** Share lead counts and quality notes, not names and phone numbers, unless the client asks and agrees who sees them.
- **Internal debate** about budgets, mistakes or other clients.
- **Bots meant for your team.** Many ad tools are built for internal channels.

We make Marxx. In a channel shared with another company, people from that company can't use [Marxx in Slack](/features/slack) buttons, and @Marxx does not answer questions there. Keep Marxx in your internal client channels and share a summary in the shared one.

## Common mistakes

- **Starting on the free plan and expecting group channels.** Free allows 1:1 Slack Connect only.
- **Inviting the client into an internal channel by accident.** Create a new ext- channel instead.
- **No owner on your side.** Clients notice an unanswered message faster in Slack than in email.

## FAQ

### Does my client need to pay for Slack to use Slack Connect?

Not always. On Pro and Business+, eligible partners on Slack's free plan get a 90-day free trial of Pro. On Enterprise+, partners on free plans can join without upgrading.

### Can I connect one channel to more than one client?

Slack allows up to 250 organisations in one channel, but do not mix clients. Keep one shared channel per client.

### What if the client has no Slack at all?

Invite their people as guests to one channel in your workspace, or keep talking on email or WhatsApp. See the related comparison of Slack Connect and guest accounts.

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