Slack Reminders: The Feature That Runs My Day

In November 2024, I lost a client because of a Slack message I forgot to answer. It sat in a channel for three days. Since then, I stopped losing track of things. Someone would ask me a question in Slack, I'd think 'I'll get to that after lunch,' and then it would vanish into the scroll. Three days later, I'd get a follow-up message and feel terrible.

That was before I discovered how powerful slack reminders actually are. Not just the basic 'remind me about this' button, but the full system: /remind commands, message-level reminders, scheduled messages, and recurring reminders that run on autopilot.

I'm going to walk you through exactly how I use them, because once I built this workflow, my entire relationship with Slack changed. I stopped treating it like a firehose and started treating it like a command center.

Why Slack Reminders Are Criminally Underused

Most people know that slack reminders exist. They've maybe right-clicked a message and hit 'Remind me about this' once or twice. But that's like owning a Swiss Army knife and only using the toothpick.

The reminder system in Slack is actually a full scheduling engine. You can set reminders for yourself, for channels, for specific times, for recurring intervals, and you can manage them all from one command. Most people I talk to have no idea /remind list even exists.

Here's the thing: if you're already living in Slack for eight hours a day, why would you open a separate app to remind yourself about something that originated in Slack? That context switch is a productivity killer. Slack reminders let you keep the context right where it started.

I've been using this system daily for over a year now, and I can tell you it handles about 80% of what I used to need a task manager for. The other 20%? That's where dedicated tools come in, and I'll talk about that at the end.

How to Set a Reminder in Slack: The Basics

Let's start with the fundamentals. If you're wondering how to set reminder in slack, there are three main methods, and each one serves a different purpose.

The first method is the /remind slash command. Type /remind me to [task] at [time] and Slack will send you a direct message at that exact moment. For example: /remind me to review the Q2 budget at 3pm today. Simple, fast, no mouse required.

The second method is message-level reminders. Hover over any message, click the three dots, and select 'Remind me about this.' Slack gives you preset options: 20 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, tomorrow, next week, or a custom time. This is perfect for when someone sends you something that needs a response but you're deep in another task.

The third method is channel reminders. Type /remind #channel-name to [message] at [time] and Slack will post the reminder in that channel for everyone to see. I use this for things like 'stand-up in 5 minutes' or 'don't forget to submit your timesheets.'

When any of these the reminder feature fire, you get a Slackbot DM with the original context. If it was a message reminder, you'll see the actual message linked. If it was a /remind command, you'll see your text. Either way, you also get buttons to mark it complete or snooze it.

Mastering the /remind Command Syntax

The /remind command is more flexible than most people realize. Once you learn the syntax, you can set up complex reminders in under five seconds without ever touching your mouse.

Here's the basic format: /remind [who] [what] [when]. The 'who' can be 'me,' '@someone,' or '#channel.' The 'what' is your reminder text. The 'when' is the time, and this is where it gets powerful.

For one-time reminders, you can say things like: /remind me to call the client at 4:30pm. Or: /remind me to check deployment status in 45 minutes. Or: /remind me to prep for the board meeting on March 15 at 10am.

For recurring reminders, the syntax is: /remind me to check analytics every Monday at 9am. You can use 'every day,' 'every weekday,' 'every Monday,' or 'every other Friday.' This is one of the most powerful features because it creates habits on autopilot.

One thing I learned the hard way: always use the slack remind me command for things you need to act on, not just things you want to remember. If I remind myself to 'think about the marketing strategy,' that's too vague. If I remind myself to 'draft three headline options for the marketing campaign,' that's actionable.

The difference between a useful reminder and an annoying one is specificity. Make your future self's job easy by being concrete about what needs to happen.

Using /remind list to Stay on Top of Everything

Here's the command that changed everything for me: /remind list. Type it into any Slack conversation and you'll see every active reminder you've set, organized by date. You can see upcoming one-time reminders and recurring ones, and you can delete any of them.

I check /remind list every Monday morning as part of my weekly review. It takes about two minutes and gives me a complete picture of what's on autopilot. Sometimes I find reminders I set weeks ago that are no longer relevant, and I clean them out.

This habit alone has saved me from those awkward moments where a reminder fires and I think 'what was this about?' or 'I already handled this three days ago.' Keeping your reminder list clean is like keeping your desk clean. It reduces cognitive load.

If you're using this Slack feature for the first time, start with /remind list after you've set a few reminders. Seeing them all in one place makes the system feel tangible and trustworthy. You'll start relying on it more because you can see that it actually works.

Scheduled Messages: The Silent Productivity Weapon

Scheduled message on slack is a different beast from reminders, but they work beautifully together. While reminders notify you, scheduled messages send a message to someone else at a specific time.

To schedule a message, type your message in any channel or DM, then instead of hitting Enter, click the dropdown arrow next to the send button and choose 'Schedule for later.' Pick your date and time, and Slack will send it exactly when you specify.

I use scheduled messages for three main things. First, respecting time zones. If I'm working late and need to message a teammate in a different time zone, I schedule it for their morning so I'm not pinging them at midnight.

Second, strategic timing. If I need to share an important announcement, I schedule it for when the channel is most active. Posting a policy update at 6am on a Saturday means nobody sees it. Scheduling it for Tuesday at 10am means maximum visibility.

Third, follow-ups. If I ask someone a question and want to follow up if they don't respond, I schedule a message for two days later saying 'Hey, just circling back on this.' Then if they respond before the scheduled time, I can cancel it.

You can view and manage all your scheduled messages by going to the Drafts section in your Slack sidebar. Anything that's scheduled but not yet sent will appear there with a clock icon. You can edit, reschedule, or delete these messages at any time before they send.

One workflow I love: combining a scheduled message on slack with a reminder on slack. I'll schedule a message to go out to a client at 9am, then set a reminder for myself at 9:30am to check if they responded. This creates a complete loop without me having to think about it again.

Building a Complete Reminder Workflow

Now let's put it all together. Here's the exact workflow I use daily, and it handles about 40 reminders per week without any stress.

Morning routine: I have recurring the /remind system that fire every weekday at 8:30am. One reminds me to check my calendar for the day. Another reminds me to review my task list. A third reminds me to check the #urgent channel for anything that came in overnight.

During the day: whenever a message comes in that I can't handle immediately, I use the message-level reminder feature. I hover, click 'Remind me about this,' and pick the appropriate time. If it's something I need to do today, I usually pick '3 hours.' If it can wait, I pick 'Tomorrow at 9am.'

For tasks that come from conversations rather than specific messages, I use /remind. Someone mentions in a meeting that we need to update the docs? I type /remind me to update onboarding docs by Friday at 2pm. Done. Out of my head, into the system.

End of day: I check /remind list to see if anything is outstanding. If I have reminders I didn't act on, I either handle them now or reschedule them for tomorrow. The goal is to end each day with a clean slate.

Weekly review: every Monday, I audit my recurring reminders. Are they still relevant? Do I need to add new ones? Has my routine changed? This keeps the system fresh and prevents reminder fatigue.

I also set channel reminders for my team. Every Friday at 3pm, #engineering gets a reminder to update the sprint board. Every other Wednesday, #general gets a reminder about our team retro. These small automations save me from being the person who always has to nag everyone.

When Slack Reminders Aren't Enough

I'll be honest: Slackbot reminders are fantastic for quick captures and simple follow-ups, but they have real limitations. Recognizing when to escalate to a proper task management tool is part of the workflow.

The reminder tool don't give you priority levels. Every reminder looks the same when it fires. You can't categorize them, add subtasks, or attach files. There's no way to see a Kanban view of your reminders or share them with teammates as collaborative tasks.

They also don't handle dependencies. If Task B can't start until Task A is done, the reminder feature have no way to model that. You'd need to manually set the second reminder after completing the first, which defeats the purpose of automation.

For me, the rule is simple: if it's a quick action I need to remember, it's a Slack reminder. If it's a project with multiple steps, collaborators, and a deadline, it needs a real task tool. I use the reminder on slack to capture the initial impulse, and then when the reminder fires, I decide whether to act on it immediately or promote it to a proper task.

This is actually where I got the idea to build task capture features into Mursa. I noticed I was spending too much time manually transferring things from This Slack feature into my task manager. The gap between 'reminded about it' and 'actually tracking it' was where tasks fell through the cracks.

If you find yourself setting complex multi-part reminders, that's a signal you've outgrown the reminder for that particular workflow. Don't fight the tool. Let reminders do what they're great at, quick time-based nudges, and let task managers handle the heavy lifting.

Advanced Tips for Slack Reminder Power Users

After using this system daily for over a year, I've picked up some tricks that aren't obvious from the documentation.

First, use reminders as a reading list. When someone shares a long article or document in Slack, I set a reminder on slack for Saturday morning. This creates a weekend reading queue without any extra apps. When the reminders fire, I have a curated list of things to read.

Second, use channel reminders for accountability. Instead of nagging teammates directly, post a channel reminder. '/remind #design to share mockup feedback by 5pm Thursday' keeps things transparent and doesn't single anyone out. Everyone in the channel sees the reminder and knows the deadline.

Third, stack reminders for complex workflows. If I know a project has three milestones, I set three reminders on day one. /remind me to check phase 1 progress on Monday. /remind me to review phase 2 draft on Wednesday. /remind me to do final review on Friday. This front-loads all the planning into one moment.

Fourth, use reminders for self-care. I have a recurring reminder every day at 12:30pm that says 'Step away from the screen and eat lunch.' Sounds silly, but on intense coding days, I genuinely forget. The Slackbot nudge has become a non-negotiable part of my routine.

Fifth, combine Slackbot reminders with Slack's 'Save for Later' feature. If a message is important enough to save but also needs action, do both. Save it for reference, and set a reminder to act on it. The save preserves context, and the reminder ensures timing.

These techniques might seem small individually, but they compound. After a few weeks of consistent use, you'll notice fewer things falling through the cracks. Fewer 'oh no, I forgot' moments. Fewer panicked searches through old messages.

And that's ultimately what a good system does. It removes the anxiety of remembering, so you can focus on the work itself. Slack reminders won't replace a full project management suite, but for the daily flow of tasks, follow-ups, and habits, they're remarkably effective.

If you've been struggling with the Monday morning Slack avalanche or losing tasks in message threads, building a reminder workflow is the fastest, lowest-friction improvement you can make. Start with three reminders today and build from there.

I built Mursa because I was tired of duct-taping five apps together. Tasks, timer, habits, goals, and a journal in one place. It is the workspace I wished existed when I was drowning in tools.