# What is Slash Command?

Also called /command, application command, chat command.

A slash command is a text command typed in a chat composer, beginning with a forward slash, that invokes a registered handler instead of sending an ordinary message. The platform parses the command name and any arguments, then delivers a structured payload to the application that registered it. Responses can be private to the invoker or visible to the whole conversation.

Registration happens ahead of use. An application declares a command name, a description, and often a parameter schema, and the platform surfaces these in an autocomplete menu as the user types. Structured parameters let the client validate types and offer choices before dispatch, which removes a large class of parsing errors compared with free-form argument strings.

Because chat clients expect a fast acknowledgment, handlers commonly reply immediately with a short confirmation and then post the real result asynchronously using a response mechanism supplied in the payload. This split shapes the user experience: a command that will take time should say so, and its later result should reference the original request so it is intelligible on its own.

Visibility is an explicit choice. A response visible only to the invoker keeps a channel uncluttered and is appropriate for lookups, while a shared response is right when the output is the point of the conversation. Getting this wrong is a common annoyance, either by spamming a channel with private queries or by hiding output the team needed to see.

Slash commands sit alongside other invocation paths such as mentions, message actions, and shortcuts. Commands suit deterministic operations with known parameters, while a mention suits open-ended requests. Applications frequently offer both, with the command as the precise route and conversational mention as the flexible one.

## Key points

- Registered names with parameter schemas power autocomplete
- Handlers acknowledge fast, then post results asynchronously
- Responses can be private to the invoker or shared
- Suited to deterministic operations with known arguments
- Complements mentions, which suit open-ended requests

## In practice

A team registers a command that takes a customer identifier and returns account status. Typing the slash reveals the command in autocomplete with a labeled parameter. The handler acknowledges within a second, queries two systems, then posts a private response to the invoker containing the plan, last invoice, and open tickets. A follow-up button in that response reposts the summary to the channel when the invoker wants others to see it.

## Related terms

- [Slack App](/en/glossary/slack-app)
- [Microsoft Teams App](/en/glossary/microsoft-teams-app)
- [App Home](/en/glossary/app-home)
- [Adaptive Card](/en/glossary/adaptive-card)
- [Quick Reply](/en/glossary/quick-reply)

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