How to Disable @here and @channel Mentions in Slack: Stop Notification Spam 2026

Protect your team from notification overload by controlling mass mentions in anonymous messages


Disable @here and @channel Mentions in Slack

⚠️ The Notification Crisis

82% of workers report notification fatigue as a major productivity killer. Unchecked @here and @channel mentions in anonymous messages can interrupt entire teams unnecessarily. Learn how to take control in 2026.

The Problem with Mass Mentions

Imagine: You're deep in focused work when suddenly your Slack lights up. An anonymous message with @channel just pinged every single person in your 200-member department. The message? "What's everyone's favorite pizza topping?" 200 people interrupted for a non-urgent question.

This scenario plays out thousands of times daily in workspaces worldwide. While @here and @channel mentions serve legitimate purposes, their abuse—especially in anonymous contexts—has become a major productivity drain in modern workplaces.

82%

of workers suffer from notification fatigue

23 min

average time to regain focus after interruption

76%

reduction in notification complaints with mention controls

Understanding @here and @channel Mentions

What Are These Mentions?

@channel Mention

Notifies every single member of a channel, whether they're active, idle, or in Do Not Disturb mode. Designed for critical announcements affecting everyone. Often misused for non-urgent matters.

@here Mention

Notifies all currently active members in a channel. Intended for time-sensitive updates that need immediate attention from available team members. Still pings dozens or hundreds of people simultaneously.

The Anonymous Mention Problem

Mass mentions become particularly problematic in anonymous communication:

  • No Accountability: Anonymous senders may use @here/@channel irresponsibly
  • Attention Seeking: Some use mass mentions to ensure their anonymous message gets noticed
  • Trolling Potential: Bad actors can disrupt entire channels with unnecessary pings
  • Threshold Confusion: Users unsure when mass mentions are appropriate
  • Notification Fatigue: Repeated unnecessary pings decrease overall engagement

💡 Insight: Studies show that when @channel is available in anonymous messages, it's used 4x more frequently than necessary, with only 18% of uses meeting the "urgent and relevant to all" criteria.

How Mention Control Works in Anony Botter

The Technical Solution

Anony Botter's mention control feature automatically strips @here and @channel tags from anonymous messages before they're posted. This means:

✅ With Mention Control Enabled

  • @here and @channel are automatically removed
  • Messages post without mass notifications
  • Team members see content without interruption
  • Interested parties can engage voluntarily
  • Workspace remains focused and productive

❌ Without Mention Control

  • Anyone can ping entire channels anonymously
  • Hundreds interrupted unnecessarily
  • Notification fatigue increases
  • Team members start ignoring notifications
  • Overall engagement decreases

Enabling Mention Control: Step-by-Step

  1. Access Anony Botter admin settings (requires workspace admin rights)
  2. Navigate to "General Settings" page
  3. Toggle "Disable @here and @channel tags" to enabled
  4. Save your changes - protection applies immediately
  5. Announce the policy so team understands the change

This feature is disabled by default in Anony Botter. You can disable it if your team has specific needs for mass anonymous mentions.

Real-World Use Cases

1. Large Team Feedback Channels

🏢 The Scenario

A 500-person company has #all-company-feedback for anonymous suggestions. Without mention controls, anyone could @channel ping all 500 people.

✅ With Mention Control

Anonymous feedback posts without mass notifications. Leadership and interested parties monitor the channel organically. Suggestions get attention based on merit, not interruption tactics. The channel remains useful instead of becoming a source of annoyance.

2. Cross-Functional Project Channels

🚀 The Context

A product launch channel includes marketing, engineering, design, sales, and executive team members. Anonymous input helps surface concerns without political friction.

🎯 The Benefit

With mention control, team members can raise concerns anonymously without accidentally pinging 50+ people. Urgent matters get raised through proper channels. Anonymous feedback serves its purpose without becoming a notification weapon.

3. 24/7 Operations Teams

🌍 The Challenge

Global teams with members across time zones. @here could wake up night shift workers. @channel could interrupt hundreds during their working hours.

⭐ The Solution

Mention control ensures anonymous messages respect people's time and attention. Feedback surfaces without forcing interruptions. Truly urgent matters go through established escalation processes rather than anonymous mass pings.

When Mass Mentions Might Be Appropriate

The Rare Exceptions

While we recommend keeping mention control enabled, some scenarios might justify mass anonymous mentions:

Critical Safety Alerts

Example: "There's a safety hazard in the east building that needs immediate attention"

Better Alternative: Even for safety, established emergency protocols (non-anonymous) are more appropriate than anonymous mass pings.

Time-Sensitive Collective Decisions

Example: "We need everyone's input on this policy change by end of day"

Better Alternative: Official announcement from leadership requesting anonymous feedback provides better context and legitimacy.

💡 Best Practice: If something truly needs everyone's immediate attention, it should probably come through official channels (like leadership) rather than anonymous messages. Keep anonymous feedback for insights, suggestions, and concerns that don't require mass interruption.

Best Practices for Implementation

1. Set Clear Expectations

When enabling mention control, explain the reasoning to your team:

"We've disabled @here and @channel mentions in anonymous messages to protect everyone's focus and reduce notification fatigue. Anonymous feedback is for sharing insights and suggestions—if something needs urgent attention from everyone, please use official channels or speak with leadership."

2. Establish Alternative Escalation Paths

Make sure team members know how to escalate truly urgent matters:

  • Safety Issues: Direct hotline or official safety channel
  • Urgent Concerns: Manager escalation or leadership channel
  • Time-Sensitive Decisions: Formal meeting requests or polls
  • General Updates: Designated announcement channels

3. Monitor and Adjust

Track the impact of mention controls:

  • Survey team about notification satisfaction
  • Monitor anonymous message volume and engagement
  • Check if urgent matters are being properly escalated
  • Gather feedback on whether controls feel too restrictive

4. Document Your Policy

Create clear documentation:

Anonymous Communication Guidelines

  • Use anonymous messages for feedback, suggestions, and concerns
  • @here and @channel mentions are disabled in anonymous messages
  • Urgent matters requiring wide attention should go through official channels
  • Individual mentions (like @username) remain available

Industry-Specific Applications

Technology Companies

Challenge: Engineering channels with hundreds of members. Anonymous technical feedback valuable, but mass pings disruptive during deep work.

Solution: Mention control allows engineers to share technical concerns anonymously without interrupting entire teams. Important architectural decisions discussed in scheduled meetings, not via @channel.

Healthcare Organizations

Challenge: Medical staff working irregular hours. Inappropriate mass notifications could interrupt patient care or wake off-duty staff.

Solution: Mention control ensures anonymous feedback (workplace concerns, process improvements) doesn't create emergencies. Actual emergencies handled through proper medical protocols.

Education Institutions

Challenge: Faculty, staff, and students in shared channels. Anonymous feedback important for honest discourse, but mass pings inappropriate.

Solution: Students can share concerns anonymously without @here pinging entire classes. Faculty feedback surfaces without disrupting campus-wide channels. Administration reviews feedback on their schedule.

Impact on Team Culture

Positive Effects

Reduced Notification Anxiety

Team members stop dreading Slack notifications. Know that pings are genuinely relevant rather than mass broadcasts.

More Thoughtful Communication

Without mass mention shortcuts, people consider who actually needs to see each message, leading to more targeted, effective communication.

Higher Engagement with Notifications

When notifications are meaningful, people pay attention. Cry wolf effect disappears when mass pings are controlled.

Protected Focus Time

Team members can work deeply without fear of random @channel interruptions, leading to better work quality and higher satisfaction.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

❓ "What if someone truly needs to notify everyone anonymously?"

Answer: If something genuinely requires everyone's immediate attention, it likely warrants a non-anonymous communication through official channels. Anonymous feedback is for insights and concerns, not emergency broadcasts.

❓ "Can users still use @mentions for specific people?"

Answer: Yes! This feature only blocks @here and @channel mass mentions. Individual @username mentions still work normally, allowing targeted communication.

❓ "What happens if someone includes @channel in their message?"

Answer: The @channel text is automatically removed before posting. The message still goes through, but without triggering mass notifications. Users aren't notified that it was removed.

❓ "Does this affect non-anonymous messages?"

Answer: No, this setting only applies to messages sent through Anony Botter. Regular Slack messages retain full @here and @channel functionality for authorized users.

❓ "Is this available on all plans?"

Answer: Yes! Mention control is available on all Anony Botter plans, including the free tier. We believe protecting team focus should be accessible to organizations of all sizes.

Measuring Success

Key Performance Indicators

📊 Quantitative Metrics

  • Total notifications per user (should decrease)
  • Anonymous message engagement rate (should increase)
  • Time in "Do Not Disturb" mode (should decrease)
  • Response time to important messages (should improve)

💬 Qualitative Indicators

  • Reduced complaints about notification spam
  • Higher satisfaction with Slack experience
  • Improved focus and productivity reports
  • More organic engagement with channels

Stop Notification Spam, Protect Team Focus

Join thousands of teams using Anony Botter's mention controls to eliminate notification fatigue while maintaining open, anonymous communication. Available on all plans.

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⛔ Spam Prevention

Stop mass mention abuse

🎯 Better Focus

Meaningful notifications only

⚡ Instant Protection

Enabled by default

🆓 All Plans

Free & paid tiers

Conclusion: Respect Attention, Enable Focus

The future of workplace communication in 2026 isn't about more notifications—it's about smarter, more respectful communication. By controlling @here and @channel mentions in anonymous messages, you're sending a clear message: your team's attention and focus time are valuable resources worth protecting.

Anonymous feedback remains powerful for surfacing insights and concerns. It doesn't need mass notification abilities to be effective. In fact, it works better without them because team members engage with anonymous channels willingly rather than being forced to by interruptions.

Ready to eliminate notification spam? Install Anony Botter today and give your team the gift of focused, interruption-free work while maintaining robust anonymous communication channels.