This guide walks you through setting up Slack, signing in to our MergeCo Enterprise organization, and getting the most out of Slack day to day, including the AI features now available to everyone.
Installing the Slack Desktop App
If you don't already have the Slack desktop app installed, follow these steps.
For Mac
- Go to the Slack download page for Mac: https://slack.com/downloads/mac
- Click the Download button.
- Once the download is complete, locate the file (usually a .dmg) in your Downloads folder.
- Double-click the file to open it.
- Drag the Slack icon into the Applications folder.
- Launch Slack from your Applications folder.
For Windows
- Go to the Slack download page for Windows: https://slack.com/downloads/windows
- Click the Download button.
- Once the download is complete, locate the installer file (usually named something like SlackSetup.exe) in your Downloads folder.
- Double-click the installer file to run it.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Signing In
We are on a Slack Enterprise organization called MergeCo, which holds both the Inktavo and OMG workspaces under one roof. Sign-in uses your work Google account (SSO).
- Open the Slack desktop app and click Sign In. If you are on a brand new device, you can also start at our organization URL: inktavo.enterprise.slack.com
- Your browser will open to complete sign-in. Chrome usually works best. If it doesn't, try your OS's native browser (Edge on Windows, Safari on macOS).
- Click Sign in with Google and select your work email (@inktavo.com or @ordermygear.com).
- Follow the Google prompts, then allow the browser to redirect you back to the Slack desktop app.
Heads up on session timeouts: to keep our data secure, the desktop app requires you to re-authenticate every 72 hours. Every 3 days you will be prompted to sign back in through the same Google SSO steps. This only applies to the desktop app; your mobile app stays signed in.
For the full sign-in walkthrough, including access rules for contractors, see our dedicated article: Signing into Slack (MergeCo Enterprise).
Navigating the MergeCo Org
In an Enterprise setup, you belong to the MergeCo organization, which acts as a container for our workspaces.
- Select the org icon. In your sidebar, look for the MergeCo icon. Selecting this ensures you see all the workspaces and cross-company channels you have access to.
- Avoid workspace tunnel vision. If you only sign in to a single workspace (like just Inktavo), you might miss announcements in the shared MergeCo-wide channels.
Organizing Your Sidebar
One of the first things you should do in Slack is organize your sidebar so your team and key channels are easy to find. You can do this with custom sections:
- In the left sidebar, hover over any channel or DM and right-click (or click the three dots).
- Select Move to > New section.
- Give your section a name (for example "My Team," "Marketing," or "Projects").
- Drag and drop other channels or DMs into the section, or use the same right-click menu to move them.
Sections keep your sidebar tidy and make sure the conversations you care about are always at the top.
Important Channels
Slack is great for company-wide communication and fun. Here are a few channels you might want to join:
- #recognition: celebrate wins and acknowledge great work
- #shenanigans: share funny moments and lighthearted conversations
- #celebrations: mark birthdays, work anniversaries, and other milestones
For full-time employees, it's important to be included in the private channel #companywide-announcements. If you are not in this channel, please reach out to IT Support for assistance.
AI Features in Slack
Our Slack plan includes built-in AI features designed to save you time. A quick note on privacy before we dive in: Slack AI only works with content you already have permission to see. It will never surface a channel, message, or file you couldn't already find through normal search, and our company data stays within Slack's own infrastructure and is not used to train AI models.
AI Search Answers
Instead of hunting through search results, ask a question in plain language and get a direct answer with citations.
- Click the search bar at the top of Slack.
- Type your question the way you'd ask a teammate, for example "what did we decide about the Q3 launch date?"
- An AI answer appears at the top of your results with citations. Click a citation to jump to the source message or file.
Search also understands natural language filters automatically, so "slides Sarah shared last week" just works.
Recaps
Recaps give you a daily digest of channels you want to keep tabs on without reading every message.
- Click Recap in the left sidebar.
- The first time, Slack will suggest channels you visit often but rarely post in. Review and confirm which to include.
- Each morning you'll get a summary of what you missed the previous day. If you're out longer, the recap covers however many days you were gone.
To adjust which channels are included, click Recap > Manage Recap.
Channel and Thread Summaries
Catch up on a busy channel or a long thread in one click.
- Channels: open the channel, click the channel name, and choose Summarize. You can summarize unread messages, the last 7 days, or a custom date range.
- Threads: open the thread and click the summarize option at the top.
Every summary includes source citations so you can verify anything important.
Slackbot, Your AI Assistant
Slackbot is now a full AI assistant that understands our workspace. Open a DM with Slackbot and ask it to prep you for a meeting, draft a project brief, find a document, or answer a question about something discussed in a channel you're in. If you open Slackbot while viewing a channel or canvas, it uses that context automatically.
Huddle Notes
When you start a huddle, you can have AI take notes for you. It captures key takeaways and action items, organizes them into a canvas, and shares everything to the huddle thread when you're done. Treat the notes as a starting point and give them a quick review, especially after fast-moving conversations.
Explain Message
See a message full of jargon or context you're missing? Hover over the message, click the three dots, and select Explain Message for a plain-language breakdown. On mobile, long press the message instead. This also works on images and PDFs shared in Slack.
Today: Your Daily Briefing
Today is a personalized daily briefing tab in your left sidebar. It pulls together your priorities, highlighted messages, to-dos, and calendar agenda in one place so you can orient your day before diving into messages.
- Click Today in the left sidebar to open your briefing.
- To unlock the Agenda section, you'll be prompted to connect your Google Calendar. This is an individual, optional connection; the rest of Today works without it.
- Today draws only from your own Slack activity and content you already have access to.
Using Slack for IT Support
While we use Slack for general communication, we do not use it as the primary channel for helpdesk requests. For IT support, please:
- Visit our Helpdesk portal: https://inktavoit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
- Email us at helpdesk@inktavo.com
Troubleshooting
Audio/Video Problems (Windows and Mac)
Problem: I can't hear audio or my video isn't working correctly.
Solution: Often this is caused by Slack using the wrong audio or video device.
- Check your device settings in Slack: go to Preferences > Audio & Video (Windows) or Slack > Settings > Audio & Video (macOS) and make sure the correct microphone and camera are selected.
- Restart Slack. Sometimes restarting the application resolves these issues.
- Check your operating system's audio and video settings to ensure your preferred devices are selected as the default on your computer as well.
Notification Issues (Windows and Mac)
Problem: I'm not getting Slack notifications.
Solution:
- Check Slack's notification settings: go to Preferences > Notifications (Windows) or Slack > Settings > Notifications (macOS) and make sure notifications are enabled and configured to your liking.
- Check your operating system's notification settings:
- Windows: go to Settings > System > Notifications and make sure Slack notifications are turned on.
- Mac: go to System Settings > Notifications, find Slack in the list, and ensure notifications are allowed.
- Check your Do Not Disturb and Focus settings. Make sure neither your computer nor Slack has Do Not Disturb active.
I Keep Getting Signed Out
This is expected. Our Enterprise security policy requires the desktop app to re-authenticate every 72 hours. Just complete the Google SSO steps again when prompted. If sign-in fails repeatedly, try Chrome first, then your OS's native browser.
I Can't See a Workspace or Channel
Access to workspaces and some channels is managed through user groups. If you can't see something you believe you should have access to, email helpdesk@inktavo.com and we'll check your group permissions.