Slack is a vital communications tool, but it can be unavailable for a number of different reasons. There could be something wrong on your end, on Slack’s end, or something in between. Fortunately, Slack is quite descriptive when it fails and the error messages it returns will often point you in the right direction. Here are some common causes and fixes if you experience a Slack outage.

Is Slack Down Right Now?

First, you’ll want to make sure that Slack is up and running and that your internet connection is working properly. Try these steps to see if you can find the problem.

  • Check the official Slack status page. Slack’s official status page shows you the current status of Slack’s servers and services. Slack reports any outage it becomes aware of on this site. If you’re having trouble connecting to Slack, this is a good place to start.
  • Run Slack’s connectivity test. Slack also offers a connectivity test that will test the connection between you and Slack’s servers. The test checks your ability to connect with both text and Slack calls, your browser, bandwidth, and your camera and microphone access. If it finds any errors, it lets you know. It also includes a handy URL you can copy and send to Slack support so they can look up the test results themselves and further diagnose any trouble.
  • Check Twitter. If Slack is down, it will be all over Twitter. One popular hashtag to check is #slackdown. Users will often post on Twitter if they’re having issues to see if other Slack users are experiencing the same problems. One fortunate side effect of Slack’s popularity is when it goes down, people talk about it.
  • Check other websites. Try surfing to other websites other than Slack. If you’re having an internet connectivity problem, other sites won’t come up either.
  • Use a third-party status checker. Sites like Down For Everyone Or Just Me will tell you if Slack is up or down to the rest of the world. Other checkers include Downdetector, Is It Down Right Now?, and Outage.Report.

How to Fix Slack Issues

If no one else is reporting problems with Slack, then the problem is probably on your end. There are a few things you can try if Slack doesn’t seem to be working for you, but it’s doing fine for everyone else.

Check the official Slack status page. Slack’s official status page shows you the current status of Slack’s servers and services. Slack reports any outage it becomes aware of on this site. If you’re having trouble connecting to Slack, this is a good place to start.

Run Slack’s connectivity test. Slack also offers a connectivity test that will test the connection between you and Slack’s servers. The test checks your ability to connect with both text and Slack calls, your browser, bandwidth, and your camera and microphone access. If it finds any errors, it lets you know. It also includes a handy URL you can copy and send to Slack support so they can look up the test results themselves and further diagnose any trouble.

Check Twitter. If Slack is down, it will be all over Twitter. One popular hashtag to check is #slackdown. Users will often post on Twitter if they’re having issues to see if other Slack users are experiencing the same problems. One fortunate side effect of Slack’s popularity is when it goes down, people talk about it. 

Check other websites. Try surfing to other websites other than Slack. If you’re having an internet connectivity problem, other sites won’t come up either.

Use a third-party status checker. Sites like Down For Everyone Or Just Me will tell you if Slack is up or down to the rest of the world. Other checkers include Downdetector, Is It Down Right Now?, and Outage.Report.

  • Make sure you’re using the official Slack website or app. Be sure that the app you downloaded is the official app for Slack, created by “Slack Technologies Inc.”
  • Try another way to connect. You can connect to Slack via mobile app, desktop app, and in a web browser. If a different option works, then it might be the device you initially tried to connect with.
  • Clear your browser’s cache. If you’re using Slack in a web browser, clearing the cache may clear whatever is causing the error and allow you to connect again.
  • Clear your browser’s cookies. Just as clearing the cache may work for the desktop app, clearing the cookies could do the trick, too.
  • Close Slack and reopen it. Try closing all your browser tabs, closing the desktop app, closing the Android app or quitting the iOS app. Then, relaunch it.
  • If you’re using a web browser, try opening an incognito tab. Incognito tabs do not use cookies or temporary files, nor any Chrome extensions.
  • Check your computer for malware. A virus or other types of malware could be creating problems with your Slack app. Try running a full virus scan to clear up an extraneous issues that might be causing your problems.
  • Restart your device. Often, just turning it off and on again will resolve issues. It’s a cliché, but it works.

How to Collect and Send Net Logs if You’re Using Slack Desktop

One last diagnostic tool that Slack offers comes in the form of Net logs. This is more appropriate if you are having intermittent connectivity issues. How you collect Net Logs depends on how you’re accessing Slack. If you are accessing Slack via the Desktop app, follow these steps.

Make sure you’re using the official Slack website or app. Be sure that the app you downloaded is the official app for Slack, created by “Slack Technologies Inc.”

Try another way to connect. You can connect to Slack via mobile app, desktop app, and in a web browser. If a different option works, then it might be the device you initially tried to connect with.

Clear your browser’s cache. If you’re using Slack in a web browser, clearing the cache may clear whatever is causing the error and allow you to connect again.

Clear your browser’s cookies. Just as clearing the cache may work for the desktop app, clearing the cookies could do the trick, too.

Close Slack and reopen it. Try closing all your browser tabs, closing the desktop app, closing the Android app or quitting the iOS app. Then, relaunch it.

If you’re using a web browser, try opening an incognito tab. Incognito tabs do not use cookies or temporary files, nor any Chrome extensions.

Check your computer for malware. A virus or other types of malware could be creating problems with your Slack app. Try running a full virus scan to clear up an extraneous issues that might be causing your problems.

Restart your device. Often, just turning it off and on again will resolve issues. It’s a cliché, but it works.

  • Click Help > Troubleshooting > Restart and Collect Net Logs.
  • If you are using Windows 10, the help option is replaced by a hamburger menu or three horizontal lines.
  • Click Got it.
  • Close and reopen Slack and use it normally.
  • When the error occurs, click Stop Logging.
  • Your log file will be saved in a zip folder in your Downloads folder.
  • After you have generated a Net Log, email that to Slack support and that will help diagnose the trouble you’re having.

How to Collect and Send Net Logs If You’re Using Slack in Chrome

If you are accessing Slack in Google Chrome, follow these steps.

Click Help > Troubleshooting > Restart and Collect Net Logs.

If you are using Windows 10, the help option is replaced by a hamburger menu or three horizontal lines.

Click Got it.

Close and reopen Slack and use it normally.

When the error occurs, click Stop Logging.

Your log file will be saved in a zip folder in your Downloads folder. 

After you have generated a Net Log, email that to Slack support and that will help diagnose the trouble you’re having.

  • Type the following command into the address bar of Chrome.
  • chrome://net-export/
  • Click Start Logging to Disk.
  • Type a name for the file, then click Save.
  • Open a new Chrome tab and go to slack.com.
  • Use Slack until the error occurs.
  • Switch back to the Net Log tab and click Stop Logging.
  • After you have generated a Net Log, email it to Slack support and that will help diagnose the trouble you’re having.

Common Slack Error messages

Here are some of the more common error messages you might see when Slack isn’t working, and what they mean.

Type the following command into the address bar of Chrome.

chrome://net-export/

Click Start Logging to Disk.

Type a name for the file, then click Save.

Open a new Chrome tab and go to slack.com.

Use Slack until the error occurs.

Switch back to the Net Log tab and click Stop Logging.

After you have generated a Net Log, email it to Slack support and that will help diagnose the trouble you’re having.

Security Software Errors

These errors generally relate to security software you have in place that is preventing Slack from working properly. You may need to adjust the settings on that software.

  • ERR_ACCESS_DENIEDERR_NETWORK_ACCESS_DENIEDERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENTERR_CONNECTION_CLOSEDERR_CONNECTION_RESETERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLEERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT

Internet Connection & Proxy Errors

These error messages mean your internet connection or proxy server isn’t getting you to Slack’s servers. You will need to contact the people who maintain your proxy server or your internet service provider.

  • ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVEDERR_NAME_RESOLUTION_FAILEDERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVEDERR_NAME_RESOLUTION_FAILEDERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILEDERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED

If You Still Can’t Access Slack

Unfortunately, sometimes Slack goes down and the only thing you can do is wait it out. Slack is very reliable though, typically recording a 99.990 and greater uptime in a given month. You can view that history on Slack’s status page.

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