Exploring Microsoft Teams channels and sharing a channel with team members, non-team members and external people
What is a Channel in Microsoft Teams?
A channel is a dedicated space within a team where members can collaborate, share messages, files, and tools related to specific topics, projects, or departments. Think of it as a virtual meeting room where all the work and discussions for a particular subject happen.
Channel Types
When creating a channel, there are 3 channel types you can choose from. It's important to learn what each type is for because you cannot change the channel type after it's been created.
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Standard - all members of the containing Microsoft Team have access. The default General channel is a standard channel.
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Private - access is granted by the Team/Channel owner to select members of the Team.
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Shared - access is granted by the Team/Channel owner to selected members of the organisation (anybody with a @stalbansdiocese.org or @stalbans.anglican.org address) and to external users belonging to another Microsoft 365 tenant (not personal 365 accounts). This also involves administrators in both tenants to give the other permission.
External Users Tip: If you wish to collaborate with somebody outside of the organisation (ie. somebody who does not have a @stalbansdiocese.org or @stalbans.anglican.org address) then the best channel type to use is a Standard or Private channel. They will also have to be a member of the Team so will have access to any information stored in any standard channels within that Team. A new Team may be therefore be more appropriate.
- Only Team Owners and the IT Team can invite new people to a Team.
- Only the IT Team can create new Teams.
Please raise a support ticket to discuss your needs with the IT Team.
How to add a new Channel
Note: By default, all team members can create Channels in their team. If this is not the case, please raise a support ticket and tell us which Team you wish to create a channel for.
- Next to the Team name, select the 3 dots . . .
- Select Add channel
- Add a name, description and choose the channel type (you can't change this later! See above.)
Video Tutorial - All about using channels in Microsoft Teams
How to use channels to connect, collaborate, and establish workflows together in Teams.