Within Microsoft Teams, users have the ability to create Teams and Channels, giving Team members the ability to collaborate on various projects within an organization. This article provides information on how Teams and Channels work within Microsoft Teams.
Teams
A Team in Microsoft Teams is a collection of people, content, and tools surrounding different projects and outcomes within an organization. Team owners can invite anyone within the organization and external participants as guests.
Types of Teams:
- Private Teams: Only invited users can join.
- Public Teams: Open to anyone within the organization.
Roles in Teams:
- Team Owners: Create the Team and manage Team settings and membership. They can also assign co-owners.
- Team Members: Invited by the owners to join the Team. They participate in conversations, share files, and collaborate on projects.
How to Create a Team:
- In Microsoft Teams, click on the Teams icon on the left-hand sidebar. This will take you to the Teams view where you can see all of your existing Teams.
- Click on the Join or create a Team button, and click Create Team.
- From here, you can create a Team from a template or from another Team or Group.
- Choose the privacy level for your Team. In a Private Team, people will need permission to join. In a Public Team, anyone in your organization can join.
- Name your Team, provide a description, and click Create.
- Add members to your Team by typing names or email addresses. People within your organization can be added as members or owners. People outside of your organization will be added as guests. Click Add when finished.
- Once your Team is created, you can customize it by adding channels, setting up tabs, and integrating apps to enhance collaboration.
Teams can be edited by clicking the ellipsis (...) next to the Team name.
More information on creating, managing, and joining Teams can be found at this Microsoft Teams Support Site.
Channels
A Channel in Microsoft Teams is a dedicated section within a Team to keep conversations organized by specific topics or projects. Files shared in a Channel are stored in SharePoint. Each Channel has default tabs like Posts (for conversations) and Files (for shared documents).
Types of Channels:
- Standard Channels: Open to all Team members and anything posted is searchable by others. This is the default type of Channel created in a Team. All Team members can see and participate in standard Channels. Posts and messages are visible to everyone in the Team. Files shared in standard Channels are stored in the Team's SharePoint site and are accessible to all Team members. Standard Channels can have tabs and apps added to them, which are accessible to all team members.
- Private Channels: For more focused or confidential conversations among a subset of Team members. Only the members added to the private Channel can see and participate in its conversations and access its files. This includes Team owners and members who are specifically added to the private Channel. Private Channels are marked with a lock icon to indicate their restricted access. Files shared in a private channel are stored in a separate SharePoint site, ensuring that only members of the private Channel can access them. Private Channels can have their own tabs and apps, accessible only to the private Channel members. Note: Guests from external organizations will need to be added to a Team first with private Channels created within the Team in order for the guest to access Channels.
- Shared Channels: For collaborating with people inside and outside your Team or organization. Shared Channels can include members from different Teams or external organizations. Posts and messages are visible to all members of the shared Channel, regardless of their original Team. Files shared in a shared Channel are stored in the shared Channel's SharePoint site and are accessible to all members of the shared Channel. Shared Channels can have tabs and apps added to them, accessible to all shared Channel members.
More information on Channels can be found at this Microsoft Teams and Channels Support Site.
How to Create a Channel:
- In Microsoft Teams, click on the Teams icon on the left-hand sidebar to view all of your Teams.
- Select the Team where you want to create a new Channel.
- Click on the ellipsis (...) next to the Team name.
- Select Add Channel from the drop-down menu.
- Name your Channel, provide a description, and choose your Channel type. Click Create.
- Add members to your Channel by typing names or email addresses. Click Add when finished.
Channels will appear under the "Main Channels" header in your Team and can be edited by clicking the ellipsis (...) next to the Channel name.
More information on creating Channels can be found at this Microsoft Channels Support Site.