Slack

Slack releases continuously evolve workplace communication, with Slack Technologies shipping platform updates that affect collaboration workflows for millions of organizations worldwide. This complete Slack release history tracks every major platform update, documenting feature additions, API changes, security enhancements, and enterprise capabilities that matter to IT administrators, app developers, and team leads managing remote and hybrid workforces.

Since its 2013 launch, Slack has grown from a simple team chat tool into a comprehensive collaboration hub integrating thousands of third-party services, custom workflows, and AI-powered automation. Each release introduces new platform capabilities—improved Canvas documents, enhanced Slack Connect features, Workflow Builder updates, and enterprise security controls—that directly affect how your organization communicates, automates repetitive tasks, and maintains compliance standards.

Why Track Slack Releases?

Maintain Custom App Compatibility
Slack’s platform API evolves continuously. New releases introduce updated scopes, deprecate legacy endpoints, and change rate limit behaviors. Tracking releases helps custom Slack app developers understand when Block Kit components update, when new API methods become available, or when authentication flows change—preventing broken integrations and user-facing errors.

Plan Enterprise Feature Rollouts
Organizations on Slack Enterprise Grid need advance notice of new security controls, compliance features, and administrative capabilities. Our release guides identify when data residency options expand, when new e-discovery APIs launch, or when SCIM provisioning gets enhanced—giving IT teams the lead time to update documentation, train admins, and communicate changes to employees.

Optimize Workflow Automation
Slack regularly enhances Workflow Builder with new triggers, actions, and integration points. By tracking releases systematically, workspace admins discover automation capabilities that can eliminate manual status updates, streamline approval processes, or integrate with recently-added third-party connectors—often before official training materials become available.

Stay Ahead of Security and Compliance Changes
New Slack releases frequently introduce security improvements that require configuration updates: enhanced two-factor authentication options, session management changes, DLP (data loss prevention) controls, or audit log expansions. Understanding these changes helps security teams maintain compliance postures without emergency scrambles during annual audits.

Use Cases: Who Uses This Release History?

Slack App Developers
Track API deprecations, new Block Kit elements, updated OAuth scopes, and Events API changes. Our release guides highlight developer-relevant updates in dedicated sections so you can maintain app compatibility and adopt new platform capabilities without breaking existing installations.

IT Administrators and Workspace Owners
Make informed decisions about when to enable new features for your organization. Understand which releases introduce administrative controls affecting user provisioning, data retention policies, or external collaboration settings. Plan training sessions around significant UI changes that affect end users.

Security and Compliance Officers
Monitor releases introducing new audit log events, encryption options, or compliance certifications (SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP). Our guides document security-relevant changes explicitly, helping you assess whether new capabilities reduce risk or require policy updates.

Customer Success and Support Teams
Stay current with feature changes that affect how you support customers or internal stakeholders. When users ask “Why did Slack change X?” or “How do I use new feature Y?”, our release guides provide context and usage documentation faster than waiting for official help articles to update.

Enterprise Architects
Evaluate how Slack platform updates affect your integration architecture. Understand when Slack Connect capabilities expand cross-organization workflows, when new webhook types become available, or when SSO provider support changes—informing decisions about middleware, API gateways, and identity management.

FAQ Section

How often does Slack release new features?
Slack uses continuous deployment, pushing updates to the web, desktop, and mobile apps multiple times per week. Major feature announcements typically occur monthly, with larger platform updates (Canvas, Slack AI, Enterprise Grid enhancements) announced quarterly. This hub tracks significant feature releases and API platform updates, not minor bug fixes.

What’s the difference between Slack platform updates and API changes?
Platform updates affect end-user features (new Canvas capabilities, updated search, UI changes), while API changes affect developers building Slack apps (new API methods, deprecated endpoints, scope changes). Our release guides cover both, clearly labeling which changes affect users versus developers.

Are Slack features released to all plans simultaneously?
No. Many features roll out first to Enterprise Grid customers, then Business+, then Pro and Free plans over weeks or months. Some features remain Enterprise-only (advanced analytics, SCIM provisioning). Our release guides specify plan availability for each feature, helping you set accurate expectations with stakeholders.

How do I know if a Slack update will break my custom integrations?
Check our release guide for the update period. We document API deprecations with sunset dates, breaking changes to webhooks or slash commands, and new authentication requirements. For production integrations, monitor Slack’s API changelog (https://api.slack.com/changelog) and subscribe to deprecation notices.

What does “general availability” vs. “beta” mean for Slack features?
Beta features are opt-in, potentially unstable, and may change before general availability (GA). GA features are production-ready and rolled out to eligible plans. Early access features sit between beta and GA—stable but requiring manual enablement. Our guides track feature maturity stages to help you decide when to adopt new capabilities.

Can I control when new Slack features appear for my users?
Partially. Workspace owners can disable certain features (Slack Connect, guest accounts, file sharing), but most platform updates deploy automatically. Enterprise Grid orgs have more granular controls via organization-level policies. Our release guides identify which features are admin-controlled versus automatic rollouts.

Where does ReleaseRun get Slack release data?
We aggregate from official Slack announcements (https://slack.com/blog/news), the Slack API changelog (https://api.slack.com/changelog), Slack’s developer documentation updates, and change notices sent to workspace admins. Each release guide cites original sources and links to official documentation.

How detailed are ReleaseRun’s Slack release guides?
Our guides average [~1,000] words and include: comprehensive feature breakdowns with screenshots/examples, API change documentation with code samples, impact assessment by user role (end user/admin/developer), security and compliance implications, rollout timelines by plan type, and troubleshooting notes for known issues. They’re designed for technical decision-makers who need strategic context beyond marketing announcements.

Does Slack maintain backward compatibility for APIs?
Generally yes, with notice. Slack typically provides 12-18 months’ warning before deprecating API methods, giving developers time to migrate. However, some changes (security improvements, bug fixes) may deploy faster. Our release guides track deprecation notices and provide migration examples for affected endpoints.

Resources Section

Official Slack Resources

• Slack Release Notes – Official feature update announcements
• API Changelog – Developer-focused API platform changes
• Slack Blog: Product News – Major feature announcements and product strategy
• Developer Documentation – API reference and integration guides
• Enterprise Grid Admin Guide – Enterprise-specific feature documentation

How ReleaseRun Complements Official Documentation
Slack’s announcements are optimized for broad audiences—mixing marketing messaging with technical details. ReleaseRun release guides extract actionable intelligence: we explain why a new Canvas feature matters for documentation workflows, who should enable updated Slack Connect policies, and how API changes affect specific integration patterns (OAuth apps vs. webhooks vs. Events API). Our guides translate Slack’s product announcements into deployment decisions, providing the technical depth IT leaders and developers need without marketing fluff.