Getting Started FAQs

Setup & Requirements

• What do I need to install Decision Desk? A Slack workspace and admin permissions. If you're not an admin, send your IT team decisiondesk.io — installation takes under a minute.

• Does Decision Desk work with Slack Connect channels? Yes. You can invite Decision Desk to shared channels with external partners. Everyone in the channel can see decisions, so only use it where external visibility is appropriate.

• Can I use Decision Desk in private channels? Yes. Invite it with /invite @Decision Desk. Only channel members will see the decisions — Decision Desk respects Slack's existing permissions.

• Do all my team members need to install anything? No. Once an admin installs Decision Desk to your workspace, everyone can use it immediately. No individual setup required.

Permissions & Security

• What permissions does Decision Desk need? Decision Desk can read messages in channels where it's invited, post messages, and respond to slash commands. It cannot access channels where it hasn't been invited or read your DMs.

• Can Decision Desk read all our Slack messages? No. It only sees messages in channels where you explicitly invite it. Your other channels, DMs, and files remain private.

• Is our decision data encrypted? Yes. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We use industry-standard security practices and never share your data with third parties.

• Who can see the decisions we create? Everyone in the channel where you create the decision. Decision Desk doesn't change Slack's permissions — if someone can see the channel, they can see the decision.

• Can we use Decision Desk if we're in a regulated industry? Decision Desk is built for teams that need clear documentation. Contact us at support@decisiondesk.io to discuss specific compliance requirements like SOC 2 or HIPAA.

Team Adoption

• How do I get my team to actually use this? Start small. Pick one channel and one recurring decision type (like sprint priorities or budget approvals). Once the team sees value, usage spreads naturally.

• What if some team members resist using another tool? Decision Desk lives inside Slack — there's nothing new to learn or log into. If they can type /decision, they can use it. The barrier is near zero.

• Should we create a dedicated #decisions channel? Optional. Some teams prefer logging decisions in context (in the project channel where the discussion happened). Others prefer a central log. Try both and see what sticks.

• How do we handle decisions made in meetings or calls? Use /decision announce to document decisions made offline. This puts them on the record so your team has visibility even if they weren't in the room.

Using Decision Desk

• What makes a good decision to track? Anything your team might ask about later. Budget approvals, feature priorities, hiring decisions, vendor choices, policy changes. If someone might say "wait, when did we decide that?" — log it.

• Who should be the owner of a decision? The person accountable for making the call and communicating the outcome. One owner only — shared ownership leads to no ownership.

• What if a decision changes later? Create a new decision referencing the original. Decision Desk maintains history so you can see how thinking evolved over time.

• Can I edit a decision after posting it? Yes. Click on the decision in Slack to update context or details. Changes are tracked so your team sees the full history.

Troubleshooting

• Decision Desk isn't responding to /decision — what's wrong? Make sure Decision Desk is invited to the channel. Type /invite @Decision Desk first, then try again.

• I accidentally created a decision in the wrong channel. Can I move it? You can't move decisions between channels, but you can delete it and recreate in the correct channel. The person who created it can delete it.

• My team can't see the Decision Desk Home tab — what's happening? The Home tab appears when you click on Decision Desk in your Slack sidebar. If you don't see it, try refreshing Slack or reinstalling the app.

Still stuck? Email support@decisiondesk.io — we respond within 24 hours.