How to add custom emoji to Slack

Custom emoji are half of Slack's culture. Adding your own — a team mascot, a status icon, an inside joke — takes a minute if you have permission and a properly sized image.

The steps

1. Click your workspace name → Customize → Emoji (or go to your-workspace.slack.com/customize/emoji).
2. Click Add Emoji, upload an image, and give it a :name:.
3. Save — it's now usable by everyone in the workspace.

Image requirements

• Square works best (Slack displays emoji small).
• Keep it well under the size limit (128 KB) — optimize PNGs.
• Transparent PNG for clean edges; GIF for animated emoji.
• Design for tiny display: bold, simple, high-contrast.

Aliases

You can add an alias that points to an existing emoji, so :thumbsup2: maps to another emoji or custom image — handy for shortcuts and inside jokes.

Frequently asked questions