Have you ever wanted to respond to a Slack message with a witty GIF, only to wind up settling for another emoji or shudder plain text? Integrating Giphy into your Slack workspace makes finding and sharing the perfect reaction GIF easy, allowing you to channel pop culture puns, meme references, and more right into your conversations.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through setting up Giphy for Slack and demonstrate how to search through their massive library of animated clips directly within Slack on both desktop and mobile. Whether you‘re a GIF power user or are just GIF-curious, you‘ll learn pro tips and tricks for seamlessly incorporating Giphy into your Slack collaboration.
Here‘s what I‘ll cover:
- What Giphy is and why it‘s useful in Slack
- How to install the Giphy integration
- Using slash commands for quick GIF searches
- Browsing and sharing full Giphy content library
- Managing Giphy behavior – ratings, analytics, etc
- Troubleshooting issues with Giphy in Slack
Let‘s dive in!
What is Giphy and Why Use It in Slack?
For the uninitiated, Giphy is the internet‘s largest library of animated GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format), short form videos, and stickers. Its collection tops over 700 million clips – everything from iconic movie and TV scenes to viral memes and one-of-a-kind reactions.
Over half of Slack‘s 20+ million daily active users have fun with GIFs, embracing them as "a nuanced form of communication." Integrating Giphy directly into your workspace adds this visual communication element, helping convey tone and subtext often lost in plain text messages.
Here are just some of the ways using Giphy in Slack enhances collaboration:
Lightens the mood
Adding some timely comedy, whether an Office Space "case of the Mondays" GIF or A+ meme reference, makes conversations fun and builds rapport.
Boosts engagement
GIFs catch the eye – even quick scrollers will pause for moving pictures. A strategic GIF grabs attention for important announcements or calls to action.
Improves remote connections
When teams aren‘t face-to-face, GIF reactions provide an immediacy that emojis don‘t, conveying empathy, excitement, frustration and more.
Saves typing
Why compose a long-winded response when one perfect GIF delivers your message? Ain‘t nobody got time for that!
Now that you know why to use Giphy for Slack, let‘s get into the details on exactly how to set it up and start searching and sharing.
Step-by-Step: Install Giphy Integration in Slack Desktop
If your workspace already has Giphy enabled, feel free to jump ahead to using it. Otherwise, it only takes a minute to install:
1. Log Into Slack and Access the App Directory
First, navigate to slack.com and sign into your workspace like normal. Once loaded, click on the "+" icon on the left sidebar, then choose "Browse Apps" to access the Slack App Directory.
Tip: You can also access App Directory from the links under "Add apps" on your main workspace screen.
2. Search for and Select Giphy
In the top search bar, type "giphy" and select the Giphy integration app from results.
Pro Tip: Make sure you choose the app titled "Giphy for Slack" published by Giphy Inc for official integration.
3. Click "Add to Slack"
You‘ll now see details on what installing Giphy allows you to do within Slack. Review then click the green "Add to Slack" button to continue.
4. Configure Settings
On the next screen, you can set key options for the Giphy integration:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Content Rating | Filters level of GIF results (G / PG / PG-13 / R-Rated) |
| Image Size Limit | Higher mb = better quality but also larger files |
| Show Preview Images | Displays preview thumbnail for links |
Set restrictions and limits as desired for your workspace, then click Save Changes to complete installing the Giphy integration.
And that‘s it – you‘re ready to start searching and sharing GIFs directly within Slack!
Next I‘ll demonstrate easy ways to access and post Giphy content…
Using Giphy Slash Commands
The fastest way to share a GIF is by using the /giphy slash command.
Type /giphy followed by a keyword, like:
/giphy tacoHit enter and you‘ll get a random gif matching that term. Select Send to post the gif directly into the channel.
I‘ll often use slash commands for quick replies or in cases where I just need any funny gif to lighten the mood.
Some slash command tips:
- Use natural language like full sentences for more specific results
- You can send GIFs directly in DMs with slash commands too
- The content rating filter you configured will automatically apply
- Type
/giphy helpfor additional slash command syntax
While fast and handy, the slash command only returns a single random GIF, limiting control over content. For power searching Giphy‘s full catalog, I‘ll demonstrate the app method next.
Access the Giphy App for Robust Search
For ultimate control and browsing all Giphy results, you can leverage the dedicated Giphy app accessible within Slack.
Open Giphy App
Type "/" in any conversation to see your list of installed apps, then select "Giphy" to launch.
Pro Tip: Pin the Giphy app to the left sidebar for 1-click access
Search and Share GIFs
From here, you have full access to search, filter, and browse recent and trending content. When you find the perfect GIF, drop it directly into a channel or DM conversation.
I‘ll often use the Giphy app for:
- Browe trending memes and reactions
- Ultra specific and timely content searches
- reviewing my recently used GIFs
- Reminding myself of a great GIF to reuse
Available Search Filters
Along the left side are ways you can filter results to narrow in on relevant GIFs:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Trending | What‘s hot on Giphy right now |
| Recent | GIFs you‘ve used lately in Slack |
| Channels | Collection of GIFs grouped into channel topics |
| Reactions | Smileys and gestures organized by emotion |
| Stickers | Overlays and text banners |
And you can combine filters with the main search bar, for example:
- Search:
success high five+ Filter: Reactions
Give the Giphy app a try next time you need fuller search power!
Manage Giphy Behavior in Your Workspace
Now that you know how to access and share Giphy content within Slack, let‘s discuss ways you can control the experience.
Change Content Rating
By revisiting the configuration panel, you can update the maximum content rating at any time.
This affects all Slack users, so be mindful when changing settings:
Review Giphy Usage Analytics
Wondering which gifs get used the most or what your team searches for? Usage analytics provide insight:
Access under Apps > Manage > Giphy > Analytics
Disable or Reactivate Integration
Instead of fully removing Giphy, you have the option to temporarily disable integration if needed:
Toggle enabled/disabled under configuration settings.
Uninstall Giphy
To fully delete the integration:
- Go to Manage Apps
- Choose Giphy
- Select "Uninstall app"
This will completely remove Giphy functionality from your Slack workspace.
Troubleshooting Giphy in Slack
Most issues with Giphy come down to access and permissions. Try these tips if running into problems:
Can‘t find/install integration
- Make sure you are an admin or have app management permissions
- Double check you selected the official "Giphy for Slack" app
GIFs not posting
- Giphy may be disabled – check configuration panel
- Ensure you have access to post in channel
Limited functionality
- Review content rating filter set for workspace
- App access may be restricted for your user role
And there you have it – everything you need to know to master Giphy and take your Slack collaboration to the next visual level! Let me know if any other questions come up.
