Your CRM implementation has been running for years. It houses valuable customer data, tracks sales activities, and supports your team's daily operations. But as your firm grows and client expectations evolve, you're noticing gaps: manual processes that don't scale, missed opportunities, inconsistent follow-up, and difficulty measuring marketing's true impact on revenue.

The November 2025 Slack Admin Update delivers powerful new capabilities across automation, AI, security, and integrations. Whether you're a developer, administrator, or team lead, this guide covers everything you need to know to leverage these updates effectively.

Quick Navigation

• 🚀 What's New
• 🔮 Coming Soon
• ⚠️ Upcoming Deprecations

What's New and Rolling Out

Work Objects for Developers

Available: October 2025 | Plans: All plans with developer access

Transform static content into interactive, dynamic experiences within Slack. Work objects represent the next evolution in app integration, enabling developers to create rich, contextual interactions that reduce context switching by up to 40%.

What You Can Build:

• Interactive elements using unfurl and flexpane components
• Real-time updates with context-aware information
• AI-integrated experiences for enhanced functionality

Getting Started:

• Use Block Kit Builder for interface design
• Access SDKs in Node.js, Python, and Java
• Explore documentation at slack.dev

Real-World Impact:

Initial integrations with Google Drive, OneDrive, Asana, PagerDuty, Box, and Highspot show impressive results:

• 37% faster decision-making
• 30% productivity increase
• Seamless task completion without leaving Slack

Pro Tip: Work objects integrate with Slack's upcoming Real-Time Search API and Model Context Protocol server (both in closed beta, GA early 2026) for secure, permission-based conversational data access.

Learn more →

Flag Profile Content Required for EKM

Available: Now active | Plans: Enterprise with EKM

Profile content review is now mandatory for organizations using Enterprise Key Management, ensuring comprehensive security across all data types—including status messages, profile photos, and display names.

Key Changes:

• Automatic enablement (cannot be disabled)
• All members except guests can flag content
• Content Admins and Org Owners review flagged items
• Customizable notification settings

Implementation Checklist:

✅ Establish clear profile content guidelines
✅ Train Content Admins on review processes
✅ Configure notification preferences
✅ Document flagging decisions for compliance

Learn more →

Nested Branches for Conditional Workflows

Available: Now | Plans: Business+, Enterprise+

Build sophisticated automation logic without code. Create up to five nested branches with multiple conditions each, unlocking powerful workflow possibilities.

Enhanced Capabilities:

• 5 nested branch levels per main branch
• 10 conditions per branch maximum
• 70+ app integrations including Salesforce
• Visual workflow design with color-coding

Use Case Example: Support Request Routing

Primary: Route by issue type
├─ Technical
│  ├─ High priority → Escalate to manager
│  └─ Low priority → Assign to junior staff
├─ Billing
│  ├─ Amount > $10K → Finance team
│  └─ Amount < $10K → Support team
└─ General
   ├─ Response < 24hrs → Immediate queue
   └─ Response > 24hrs → Standard queue

Best Practices:

1. Map workflow logic on paper first
2. Test thoroughly with sample data
3. Use descriptive branch names
4. Document workflows for team reference
5. Break extremely complex flows into multiple automations

Learn more →

AI-Generated Channel Joiner Summaries

Available: Rolling out now | Plans: Business+, Enterprise+ with AI

When team members join via @-mention, Slack AI instantly provides context about the channel's purpose, why they were added, and recent activity highlights.

What Members Get:

• Channel purpose explanation
• Reason for invitation
• Recent discussion highlights
• Important threads and files

Additional AI Features:

• Catch up on missed messages with custom date ranges
• Summarize specific threads instantly
• Generate on-demand channel recaps
• Build AI-assisted onboarding workflows

Benefits:

• Faster onboarding for new channel members
• Fewer "What did I miss?" questions
• Better context = higher engagement
• Reduced time spent catching up

Learn more →

Native Salesforce App in Slack

Available: Now | Plans: Requires Salesforce Enterprise/Unlimited + compatible Slack plans

Bring CRM data directly into your workflow with deep, native Salesforce integration featuring AI-powered collaboration tools.

Core Features:

Unified List Views

• Access all Salesforce list views in one location
• Real-time data synchronization
• Quick access to opportunities, leads, cases

Salesforce Flows Integration

• Send notifications to Slack channels
• Automate alerts for record updates
• Bidirectional platform communication

Search and Share

• Use /salesforce command to search records
• Share updates with rich previews
• Collaborate on CRM data in context

AI-Powered Capabilities (2025)

• Agentforce Integration for natural language queries
• Agentforce Sales for pipeline management
• Agentforce IT/HR Service for instant support
• Tableau Integration for embedded analytics

Implementation Checklist:

1. ✅ Install Slack for Salesforce from AppExchange
2. ✅ Install Salesforce for Slack from App Directory
3. ✅ Connect via OAuth authentication
4. ✅ Assign Salesforce permission sets
5. ✅ Configure object-level alerts
6. ✅ Set up Lightning record pages
7. ✅ Build Salesforce Flow automations
8. ✅ Test with pilot group

Reported Benefits:

• 30% productivity increase
• Faster deal closure
• Improved support response times
• Better data accuracy

Learn more →

Salesforce Channel Automations

Available: Now | Plans: Business+, Enterprise+ with Salesforce integration

The new Slack Channel Related Records object unlocks powerful automation for channel lifecycle management tied to Salesforce records.

Automation Capabilities:

• Auto-create channels when records are created/updated
• Dynamic user management based on record ownership
• Workflow triggers in Salesforce Flow and Slack Workflow Builder
• Metadata synchronization between channels and CRM

Example: Opportunity Channel Creation

Trigger: New opportunity > $100K
Actions:
  → Create #opp-[company-name]
  → Add account owner, sales engineer, CSM
  → Post AI summary of opportunity details

Advanced Features:

Channel Lifecycle Management

• Auto-archiving when deals close
• Enforce naming conventions
• Sync Salesforce sharing rules to channel access

AI Integration

• Conversation summaries for stakeholders
• Channel Expert for Q&A using history
• Agentforce mentions for deal recommendations

Best Practices:

1. Start with one record type (e.g., opportunities)
2. Verify Slack connections via Flow before adding users
3. Establish consistent naming conventions
4. Document all active automations
5. Monitor success rates and adjust
6. Train teams on automation behavior

Learn more →

Enhanced Time-Based Triggers

Available: Now | Plans: Business+, Enterprise+

Time-based automation now supports expanded predicates and reference points for sophisticated scheduling.

New Trigger Options:

• "is before" – Execute before a date (e.g., 3 days before expiration)
• "is after" – Execute after a date (e.g., 1 week after start)
• "is within" – Execute during a window (e.g., within 2 days of deadline)

Use Case: Contract Management

90 days before expiration
  → Notify account team for renewal discussions

30 days before expiration
  → Alert VP of Sales, create renewal opportunity

On expiration date
  → Archive customer channel if not renewed

Benefits:

• Proactive issue management
• Consistent follow-up without manual tracking
• Automatic escalation for visibility
• Reduced calendar dependency

Search by Member or Channel ID

Available: Now | Plans: Enterprise

Search the organization dashboard by member ID, channel ID, or email domain for dramatically improved administrative efficiency.

Search Options:

• Member ID – Locate specific users by Slack ID
• Channel ID – Find channels without remembering names
• @domain.com – View all members from an email domain

Administrative Use Cases:

• Quick user lookup for permission changes
• Audit response and investigations
• Troubleshooting API logs or error messages
• Bulk operations by domain
• Security incident response

Pro Tips:

• Bookmark frequently used IDs in reference docs
• Use domain search to manage contractors
• Combine with other dashboard filters
• Maintain ID-to-name mappings
• Leverage with Admin API for automation

Allowlisting for Anomaly Event Response

Available: Now | Plans: Enterprise (Org Admin access required)

Create allowlists to exempt designated users, IDP groups, IP addresses, or ASNs from anomaly event response triggers, enabling nuanced security policies.

What Gets Monitored:

Slack's security system detects unusual behaviors like:

• Excessive file downloads
• Unusual IP address access
• Unexpected user agent changes
• High-volume API calls
• Suspicious session patterns
• Tor exit node access

Allowlist Capabilities:

Exempt trusted entities:

• IP addresses and CIDR ranges (offices, VPNs)
• Known ASNs (specific ISPs, cloud providers)
• Designated users (IT admins, service accounts)
• IDP groups (teams with expected unusual behavior)

Implementation Options:

Via Slack UI:

1. Organization Settings → Security → Anomaly Event Response
2. Click "Manage Allowlist"
3. Add IPs, CIDR ranges, ASNs, or user groups
4. Configure notifications
5. Monitor effectiveness

Via API:

• admin.audit.anomaly.allow.updateItem
• admin.audit.anomaly.allow.getItem

Use Cases:

• Remote workers with dynamic IPs
• Automated systems and service accounts
• Security team audit activities
• Executive users with frequent travel

Best Practices:

1. Minimal allowlisting (only necessary entities)
2. Quarterly allowlist reviews
3. Document justifications for each entry
4. Continue monitoring allowlisted activity
5. Integrate with SIEM systems
6. Test rules before production deployment

Learn more →

Share Custom Sidebar Sections

Available: Now | Plans: Pro, Business+, Enterprise Grid

Teams can now share custom sidebar sections through user groups, enabling collaborative organization while maintaining individual flexibility.

How It Works:

1. Create or edit a user group
2. Add default channels
3. Enable "Add group channels as a section in Home"
4. Members receive shared section automatically
5. Users can customize after adding

Use Cases by Team:

Sales – "Active Accounts"

• Customer channels, #sales-pipeline, #sales-leadership

Engineering – "Production Systems"

• #incidents, #deployments, #platform-alerts, service channels

HR – "Employee Support"

• #benefits, #it-help, #facilities, office channels

Projects – "Project Artemis"

• All project channels, stakeholder DMs, vendor channels

Customization Options:

After adding a shared section, users can:

• Reorder channels within the section
• Mute specific channels
• Sort by priority or activity
• Add additional channels
• Remove the section entirely

Current Limitations:

• One section per user group
• No emoji support in shared sections (yet)
• Requires user group management permissions
• Member opt-in (not mandatory)

Best Practices:

1. Create role-based sections
2. Use clear, descriptive names
3. Review and update regularly
4. Gather team feedback
5. Include in onboarding training
6. Document organizational standards

Learn more →

Updates to Data Retention Policies

Available: Now | Plans: Enterprise

Set concurrent organization-level and workspace-level channel retention policies for unprecedented flexibility in data governance.

What Changed:

Previous: Org-level settings overrode workspace policies completely

Now: Org-level and workspace-level policies coexist with:

• Workspace customization within org guidelines
• Separate policies for public vs. private channels
• Greater control over data lifecycle
• Different retention for files vs. messages

Implementation Example:

Org-level: Retain all messages 7 years (regulatory)
├─ Legal Workspace: Retain indefinitely
├─ Sales Workspace: Retain 7 years (standard)
└─ Marketing Workspace: Retain 3 years (business need)

Best Practices:

1. Assess Requirements

• Document applicable regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, FINRA)
• Consult legal counsel on minimum retention
• Consider industry-specific standards

2. Balance Risk and Utility

• Longer retention = higher costs + e-discovery exposure
• Shorter retention = risk of losing critical information
• Find your organization's optimal balance

3. Implement Gradually

• Start with org-level policies
• Pilot workspace customization
• Expand after validation

4. Document and Communicate

• Maintain written data retention policy
• Explain rationale for retention periods
• Review annually
• Notify users of changes

5. Monitor and Audit

• Review audit logs regularly
• Monitor data volume and costs
• Adjust based on usage patterns

Technical Considerations:

• Use API for programmatic policy management
• Integrate with compliance systems
• Ensure legal holds override retention policies
• Export data before expiration if archival needed

Learn more →

Coming Soon

Huddles Just-in-Time Notifications

Reminder notifications in Slack for upcoming huddles scheduled through Google Calendar or Outlook.

Expected Impact: Reduced no-shows and better meeting attendance

Admin Advisor for Non-Enterprise Plans

New dashboard page highlighting recommended security settings for Free, Pro, and Business+ plans.

Expected Impact: Democratized security best practices across all tiers

Legal Holds for Slack Connect

Plans: Enterprise

Messages and files in Slack Connect channels will be preservable under legal holds—addressing a critical compliance gap.

Why This Matters:

Currently, legal holds do not apply to Slack Connect channels, creating compliance risks. The update will:

• Preserve external communications under legal hold
• Prevent data gaps during litigation
• Ensure legal preservation compliance
• Protect against spoliation claims

Current Limitations:

• Slack Connect messages follow sending org's retention policy
• Legal holds can't control shared channel data
• Third-party e-discovery tools required for capture

Preparation Steps:

1. Audit Slack Connect channel usage
2. Review legal hold procedures
3. Train legal teams on new capability
4. Update legal hold policy documentation
5. Evaluate additional e-discovery tool needs

Learn more →

Analytics for AI in Canvas

Plans: Enterprise+ with AI features

Canvas analytics dashboard will include AI usage metrics:

• Feature usage frequency
• Most common AI-assisted tasks
• User adoption rates
• Time saved through AI assistance

Share AI Search Answers

Plans: Business+ V2, Enterprise+

Share AI-generated search answers directly in channels and DMs for faster knowledge dissemination.

Use Cases:

• Share FAQ answers instantly
• Distribute policy clarifications
• Provide responses to common questions
• Build organizational knowledge organically

Upcoming Deprecations

Files.upload API Retirement

Deadline: November 12, 2025
Affected: Developers using files.upload API method

What's Changing

Legacy files.upload is being replaced with a reliable, asynchronous two-step process:

1. files.getUploadURLExternal – Obtain upload URL
2. files.completeUploadExternal – Finalize upload

Why the Change

• Better reliability for large files
• Asynchronous processing for modern patterns
• Improved infrastructure alignment
• Enhanced error handling and retry

Migration Timeline

• ✅ May 16, 2024 – Deprecation began
• ✅ June 2024 - Feb 2025 – Email reminders sent
• ⚠️ November 12, 2025 – Final retirement (files.upload stops working)

Migration Steps

1. Audit code for files.upload references
2. Review Uploading Files guide
3. Update to two-step upload process
4. Use SDK convenience methods:
   • Node.js: client.uploadV2()
   • Python: client.files_upload_v2()
   • Java: client.files_upload_v2()
5. Test thoroughly
6. Deploy before deadline

Code Migration Example (Python)

Before:

client.files_upload(
    channels="#general",
    file="report.pdf",
    title="Monthly Report"
)

After:

# Step 1: Get upload URL
upload_url = client.files_getUploadURLExternal(
    filename="report.pdf",
    length=file_size
)

# Step 2: Upload file
requests.post(upload_url['upload_url'], data=file_content)

# Step 3: Complete upload
client.files_completeUploadExternal(
    files=[{"id": upload_url['file_id'], "title": "Monthly Report"}],
    channel_id="C1234567890"
)

Learn more →

OS, App, and Browser End of Support

Deadline: November 15 & 24, 2025
Affected: Users on outdated systems

Desktop App Versions (Nov 24, 2025)

• Version 4.40 and below

Mobile App Versions (Nov 24, 2025)

• iOS and Android version 24.08.40 and below

Browser Versions (Nov 24, 2025)

• Chrome 129 and below
• Firefox 130 and below
• Edge 128 and below
• Safari (already ended March 15, 2025)

Action Items for Administrators

1. Audit Your Environment

• Identify users on outdated software
• Check app version distribution in analytics
• Survey OS usage

2. Communicate with Users

• Send org-wide notifications
• Provide platform-specific upgrade instructions
• Highlight deadlines

3. Provide Support

• Offer IT assistance for upgrades
• Create help documentation
• Set up support channel

4. Monitor Compliance

• Track upgrade adoption
• Follow up with users approaching deadline
• Plan alternative access if needed

5. Update Policies

• Require supported versions
• Implement automated updates where possible
• Consider MDM for corporate devices

Check Your Version

• Desktop: Workspace name → Help → About Slack
• iOS: Settings → General → About
• Android: Settings → About this app
• Browser: Help → About

Security Implications

Unsupported versions create risks:

• No security patches or bug fixes
• Compatibility issues
• Known vulnerability exposure
• Potential data breach risks

Learn more →

Audit Log Retention Policy Change

Effective: April 30, 2026
Affected: All organizations using Audit Logs

What's Changing

Starting April 30, 2026, Slack implements a two-year retention policy for Audit Logs. Logs older than two years will be automatically deleted.

Important Note

This affects only:

• Audit Log feature data
• Audit Log API responses

This does not affect:

• Message retention settings
• File retention policies
• Channel or DM data

Action Items

1. Export Historical Data Now

• Use Audit Log API to export
• Save to secure, long-term storage
• Consider automated scheduled exports

2. Implement Ongoing Archival

• Set up automated monthly/quarterly exports
• Integrate with SIEM or log management platforms
• Store per regulatory requirements

3. Review Compliance Requirements

• Consult legal counsel on retention obligations
• Ensure archival meets regulatory needs (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR)
• Document audit log retention procedures

4. Update Incident Response

• Revise security playbooks for limited historical data
• Plan for older event investigations
• Establish escalation paths for historical requests

Export Methods

Via Slack UI: Organization Settings → Security → Audit Logs → Apply filters → Export

Via API (Recommended):

import requests

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer xoxp-your-token"}

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.slack.com/audit/v1/logs",
    headers=headers,
    params={"oldest": "1609459200", "limit": "1000"}
)

logs = response.json()
# Save to archival system

Third-Party Solutions

Consider SIEM platforms for automatic ingestion and indefinite retention:

• Datadog
• Splunk
• Azure Sentinel
• Sumo Logic

Best Practices

1. Export now (don't wait until 2026)
2. Automate exports (avoid manual errors)
3. Verify export completeness regularly
4. Secure storage with encryption
5. Document archival procedures
6. Conduct regular integrity audits

Learn more →

Conclusion

The November 2025 updates transform Slack into a more intelligent, automated, and secure platform. From AI-powered collaboration to sophisticated workflow automation, these enhancements position Slack as the central operating system for modern work.

Key Takeaways

Developers:

• Explore work objects for richer app experiences
• Migrate from files.upload before November 12, 2025
• Prepare for AI integration with RTS API and MCP server

Administrators:

• Review security configs (especially EKM flagging)
• Implement allowlisting to reduce false positives
• Plan data retention with new flexible policies
• Prepare for OS/app/browser end-of-support (Nov 15/24, 2025)
• Export audit logs before April 30, 2026 policy change

Sales & Service Teams:

• Leverage native Salesforce for streamlined CRM workflows
• Automate channel management with Salesforce Channel automations
• Use AI-powered summaries for better collaboration

Everyone:

• Share custom sidebar sections for team organization
• Benefit from AI channel joiner summaries
• Build sophisticated workflows with nested branches

Looking Ahead

With legal holds for Slack Connect and AI analytics for canvas coming soon, Slack continues evolving as a comprehensive work operating system where AI agents, human teams, and enterprise systems collaborate seamlessly.

Stay informed, plan migrations carefully, and leverage new features to maximize productivity and security. The future of work is collaborative, intelligent, and increasingly automated—and Slack is building the infrastructure to support it.

Additional Resources

• Slack Help Center
• Slack Developer Platform
• Admin Resources
• API Documentation
• Community Forums