Read time: 13 minutes
During mergers or acquisitions of businesses operating on different platforms, there’s a need to shift towards the one that provides greater benefits and ease-of-use. It guarantees consistency and effective communication across the new ecosystem. Slack is a major communication tool used in most organizations. However, Microsoft Teams has an upper hand over it due to its advanced features and integration with Office 365 suite.
With Microsoft Teams as the leader, the number of users accessing it is actively growing. It creates the need to migrate Slack data (Direct Messages, Public and Private Channels, Users, Conversations, Pinned messages, etc.) to Microsoft Teams. Before we learn how to migrate slack direct messages to teams, let’s understand about these two platforms in brief.
Slack is a cloud-based collaboration and communication platform that allows sending and receiving messages, files, calls, etc. It is widely known for its flexibility, security, transparency, integration with third party tools, and automation features.
Slack comes with a list of advantages, including:
- Send direct messages to users that are not a part of the channels.
- Use mentions to make announcements.
- Share computer screen with others.
- Send emoji reaction in conversations.
- Voice and video calls.
Microsoft Teams, a crucial app in Microsoft 365, is more than just a messaging app. It allows efficient communication and collaboration. Teams give easy access to chat, file share, and task management, all within one app. Apart from the quick conversations, users can schedule meetings, call, video call, create documents, spreadsheets, and a lot more. Some of its advantages, include:
- Perform a lot of operations without switching applications.
- Beneficial for businesses to allow users work remotely with an internet connection.
- Create channels specific to projects, tasks, and teams.
- Comes with enterprise-grade security and compliance features.
- Access to Office 365 applications that help analyze data and automate tasks.
Why Migrate Slack Direct Messages to Teams?
Direct messages, including discussions, images, and files exchanged internally between users of a group are crucial in Slack for the organizations. Scroll down to find reasons that compel businesses to migrate DMs between Slack and Teams.
- Support Advanced Collaboration
- Cost Effective Solution
- Easy User-Interface
- Integrated with Office 365 Suite
- Access to Shared Calendar
- Powerful audio/video call features
Microsoft Teams acts as a one-stop solution for all your collaboration requirements. It provides features like chat, video conferencing, organizing meetings, calls, and sharing files with other users to work and collaborate over it together.
Even though Slack provides a free version, it restricts the user access to messages and file history to the recent 90 days only. All the data stored within workspaces that are older than 1 year are automatically deleted. Getting a paid version of Slack can be expensive for organizations.
However, for the businesses that are already utilizing Office 365, Teams comes integrated within. There’s no need to buy an additional license.
The user interface of Teams is comparatively simple and interactive than Slack, which makes it easier for all users to explore the functionalities and implement it to their use.
Since Teams is integrated within Microsoft 365 Suite, you get access to other apps such as SharePoint, Exchange Online, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. With all these apps available at a single click, businesses can target a rationalized workflow.
Microsoft Teams, being a part of Office 365 connects well with Outlook application. This makes it easy to get access to the shared calendar of Outlook.
Slack supports unlimited 1:1 voice and video calls with the free plan. The paid subscription of Slack allows conference calls with up to 50 participants.
However, Teams provide an edge over Slack by allowing 250 participants in a meeting (audio/video).
Step-by-step Process to Migrate Direct Messages to Teams?
Migration of data from Slack is a complex and overwhelming process. However, with the right checklist in place, you can achieve an error-free migration.
Pre-migration Plan
There are certain steps, including data analysis, backup, and notifying users that you must take before you actually migrate data to Teams.
- Identify What you Want to Move
- Backup data
- Inform users
You cannot move every bit of data from Slack. Identify the direct messages that contain necessary business information that you’ll need to continue operations post migration. Find out the actual location of the sensitive and crucial information stored within Slack channels, messages, and files. You can flag personal, confidential, and other sensitive data to categorize them securely.
Take backup of complete data, including channels, messages, files, etc. from Slack to avoid any data loss during the process.
Notify the Slack users and stockholders in advance about the migration, such that they have enough time to arrange their data. Explain the benefits of migration to them and how Teams will help them improve their productivity.
Migration checklist
Once you establish what’s needed to be done, proceed towards the next phase, that is, migration. Consider the following for smooth migration.
- Prepare Teams for Migration
- Authenticate Users
- Find Migration Method
- Run pilot migrations
Structure of data in Teams is designed differently than Slack and therefore, it’s essential to decide the arrangement of users and data before the data is actually moved. Thoroughly analyze the composition or Teams channel hierarchy.
See how you’ll structure it (project or department based) and then create Teams, Channels, and Workspaces followed by setting up necessary apps and integrations.
To attain a hassle-free direct messages migration from Slack, it’s suggested to identify targeted Slack users and map them with the Teams users in the destination.
Jot down all Slack workspace members with their assigned roles and email addresses to begin with. Now, map Slack users with their equivalent Office 365 user accounts. Check if there’re any missing accounts to avoid any inconsistencies during the process.
Migration of Direct Messages within Slack tenants is easy with the help of its in-built Export feature. However, there’s no facility to import Slack data directly to teams.
To overcome this demerit, the best and most reliable solution to migrate Slack direct messages to Teams is a professional migration tool. With a third-party Slack DMs to Teams migration tool, it’s easier to transfer messages within a few steps avoiding any chances of data loss.
After completing all the necessary steps, take a small batch of DMs and run a test or pilot migration on it. Analyze and see if there are any errors encountered during the process. Tests migrations make sure that you execute an error-free transfer of Slack direct messages to Teams.
Post-migration plan
Completion of migration job doesn’t mean that the process is complete. There’s more that you need to take care of to run operations efficiently in the new environment.
- Train users
- Monitor and improve
Slack users might have issues in adopting the Teams platform. Therefore, it’s essential to train them and provide appropriate knowledge to easily adapt to the new platform.
Regularly monitor the Teams environment for errors and glitches. Gather feedback from the audience and use it to troubleshoot the issue and improve platform usage.
Challenges During Migrate Direct Messages from Slack to Microsoft Teams Process
Direct messages contain sensitive information transferred between users within an organization. Migrating data between these two platforms can be challenging for reasons such as:
- Different data structures: Both platforms use different data structures which can often cause data loss when you migrate DMs from Slack to Microsoft Teams. Due to improper transfer of data, there can be workflow disruptions post migration.
- Complications in data mapping: Varying data structure in Slack and Teams leads to complications in data mapping. It requires watchful consideration to see that all the direct messages are transferred with their details, including attachments, timestamps, etc.
- Data security: Data security is a top concern of all the businesses around the world. Since Slack direct messages contain confidential and internal communication, there’s a high risk of losing data during migration, if strong data protection policies are not in place.
- Lack of native methods: There is no native functionality available to export Slack direct messages to Teams that creates challenges for the data transfer.
- User adoption: Switching from a platform like Slack to a new platform often invites unintended user resistance. With proper guidance and communication, businesses can mitigate challenges like downtime and loss of productivity.
Effective Solution to Migrate Direct Messages to Teams
Due to unavailability of manual methods, we recommend you use a professional tool to move DMs between the two platforms. You’ll need Slack admin login credentials and Microsoft 365 (Office 365) admin login credentials to start the process. The Slack to Teams migration tool allows migration of Slack Direct messages (1:1 & Group Chat) and Slack Channels to Microsoft Teams.
It supports transfer of entire Slack data, such as Direct Messages, Channels, and Public & Private Channels, with threads, attachments, Settings, Permissions, etc. with 100 % migration accuracy.
Let’s understand how to transfer Slack Direct Messages to Teams through a step-by-step process:
1. Source and Destination Connection
The migration process starts with the Source and destination connection. To do this:
Step 1: Download and install the Kernel Slack to Teams Migration tool on your system.
Step 2: Launch the tool and click on Get Started button from the home screen.
Step 3: In the Source – Slack window, click Add to add the Slack User.
Step 4: Enter User Name and User OAuth Token and click OK.
Step 5: The software will begin Validating User OAuth Token.
Note: After adding the users, you can Export CSV with the validated OAuth token and then for future migrations, click on Import CSV to add multiple Slack users at once.
Step 6: In the Destination – Microsoft Teams window, enter Project Name, Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret. Click on Next to add the destination.
Step 7: From the Copy URL field, copy that URL and paste it to the incognito/private window of any browser. Complete the login process and paste the URL in Auth URL. Click Finish.
The tool will start fetching the destination users.
2. Map Source and Destination
After connecting the source and destination, map source users with the destination users.
Step 8: In the User mapping for Direct Messages (1:1 and group chats) and channels between source and destination window, select a Source User and click Next.
Note: The tool will migrate messages only from the Slack users with validated User OAuth token.
Step 9: Select Yes or No from the pop-up with the message, “Some users are not mapped. Do you still want to process?”
3. Migrate Direct Messages (1:1 and Group Chat)
Step 10: In the Source Entities to Migrate wizard, select Direct Messages (1:1 and Group Chats) from Direct Messages (1:1 and Group Chats) and Slack Channels (Private Channels and Public Channels) and click Next.
Step 11: In the Select users for Direct Messages (1:1 and group chats) window, use the search box to find specific users by email address and click Next.
Step 12: The software will start the migration process of Slack Direct messages to Microsoft Teams Chat.
Step 13: After the migration process completion, the software will pop up a message, “Migration is completed”. Click OK to finish.
Tips for Error-free Slack DMs to Teams Migration
Rather than regretting the data loss later, following a few tips can help you execute an error-free Slack migration to Teams:
- Regularly perform a thorough data analysis and cleanup to remove outdated and irrelevant messages and other files from the storage.
- Don’t forget to inform the users and train them on the new platform beforehand to avoid hassles in accessing the new platform after migration.
- Sensitive data requires you to abide by the privacy regulations and legal compliances according to the industry.
- Always start the process with pilot migrations to identify and resolve errors to avoid them during an actual one.
- After migration, regularly monitor the destination environment and collect user feedback for improvement.
Conclusion
Slack direct messages to Teams migration is a complicated task due to the different data structures and interfaces of both platforms. Since there’re no such methods available to migrate the data, we suggested you use a professional tool in this article. With this tool, you can transfer the DMs directly without any hassle.
Apart from direct messages, the tool can be used to migrate Slack channels to Teams (both private and public) and also users, conversations, emojis, etc., between Slack and Teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
The process of migration involves transfer of everything from Slack, including Direct Messages, Public and Private Channels, Users, Conversations, Pinned messages, Emojis, User Mentions, Timestamps, Attachments, and Replies.
Users often face challenges, such as lost data integrity, user permissions not migrated, downtime, and cluttered data in the destination when migrate direct messages to Teams.
Slack is basically a chat-based tool to collaborate with team members. However, Microsoft Teams provides access to centralized communication and collaboration. Users get access to a lot of cloud-based applications integrated within Office 365 along with Teams.
