Slack + Typedesk
canned replies you can reuse everywhere
In Slack, the same updates, answers, and requests get typed over and over across channels, threads, and DMs. Slack has channel, canvas, and workflow templates, but no saved-reply library in its message composer, so those replies get retyped or pasted from a notes doc. Typedesk lets you save each one once and drop it into Slack by typing a short shortcut like ;standup or ;onboard, and the full message appears instantly. This page shows how the Typedesk integration works in Slack and what it adds on top.
Available on Mac, Windows and in your browser
Rated 4.8/5 over 300+ verified reviews
How to create canned responses in Slack
Slack has no saved-reply library in its message composer, so the usual workaround is keeping your replies in a separate doc and pasting them. Here is that manual workaround, and the faster way with Typedesk.
Without Typedesk
For reference, here is the manual workaround. Slack has no saved-reply library in its message composer, so you keep your replies elsewhere and paste them in. It works, but Slack itself provides no text-expansion shortcuts, fill-in fields, or reusable reply library in the composer.
With Typedesk
Typedesk runs through the browser extension and desktop app, so it works directly in Slack. No notes doc, no copying and pasting.
Keep your common messages in a separate notes app or shared document.
When you need one, switch to that doc and copy the text.
Paste it into the Slack message box and edit the details by hand.
Because Slack has no saved-reply library in the composer, you switch apps and copy-paste every single time.
Save your standard messages in Typedesk, each with a short shortcut like ;standup or ;onboard (Typedesk lets you pick a trigger that avoids Slack's / commands).
Open a Slack channel, thread, or DM and type the shortcut.
The full message expands instantly, ready to post or edit.
Why Slack messages need canned responses
- Standups, status updates, and recurring reminders.
- Onboarding and how-to answers for teammates.
- Support replies in Slack Connect channels.
- Community and moderation responses that keep a consistent tone.
How it works
Set up Typedesk once and reuse your Slack messages everywhere you type.
Install the Typedesk desktop app for Windows or Mac, plus the browser extension for Slack in the browser.
Save your most-used Slack messages as templates, each with a short shortcut like ;standup or ;onboard.
In Slack, type the shortcut in a channel, thread, or DM and the full message expands instantly.
One library for Slack and everywhere else
Your replies should not be trapped in a notes doc. Typedesk keeps a single library, so the same messages you use in Slack also work in email, your help desk, Front, and any web form. Update the wording once, and it updates everywhere, and teams can share one approved library so everyone stays on-message.
Your Slack messages, with superpowers!
Typedesk text expander gives Slack the reusable replies it lacks in the composer, with fill-in fields and easy sharing.
Fill in details as you type
Typedesk drops a name, date, or channel-specific detail into your message as it expands, so a reused message still reads like you wrote it just now.
Works beyond Slack, in every app
Typedesk messages work in Slack and in email, your help desk, and every other app your team uses, all from one library.
Share one message library with your team
Keep every approved message in a single shared library so your whole team posts consistently. Update the wording once and everyone gets it, something Slack's message composer does not offer on its own.
Insert any Slack message with a shortcut
Type a short shortcut like ;standup and the full message expands right in the Slack message box, with no notes doc to open and nothing to paste.
Give Slack the canned responses it is missing
The most versatile way to create and reuse messages in Slack
Features
Create templates with custom fill-in fields
Share templates with teammates
Insert templates with a text shortcut
Search templates by keyword
Organize templates into folders
Reuse the same templates across apps
Comparison covers the built-in reusable-message features available in each product's standard interface. Optional add-ins, mobile keyboards, developer APIs, and third-party tools are excluded.
Send Slack messages faster
Save your most-used Slack messages in Typedesk once, assign a shortcut to each, and post in seconds while staying consistent.
I love typedesk! It is by far one of my favourite tools to have in our tech stack.
Pip Meecham
Tech Advisor & ClickUp Channel Partner
We use typedesk to ensure that communications remain aligned and uniform across all our channels as our company scales up.
Michael Johnson
Senior Certification Specialist, HighLevel
This software is unreal. It's like having a ChatGPT writing assistant on every single app I use and having all the prompts I can create at my fingertips.
Michael Montefusco
Founder, Fitness Marketing Machine
This app is a phenomenal tool.
David Shutler
Senior Recruitment Consultant
While our help desk does provide saved answers, I use typedesk to maintain a personal voice in my canned responses quickly and efficiently.
Melanie Shears
Finance & People Operations, Customer Billing Specialist, Helpscout
typedesk saves me so much time! Creating a template is easy to do and these shortcuts save so much time. I'm finding new ways every week to continue optimizing my time by fine tuning my templates. The new features provide easy ways to create multiple results from a single template.
Jason E.
COO
Simple app that saves an abundance of time in canned responses across browser and Mac desktop.
Long Nguyen
Multimedia Designer and Zenfluencer.
Typedesk is an innovative TextExpander alternative that I use daily. Can’t recommend it enough. Can’t wait until it’s available on iOS! Highly recommend.
Steven 👾
Helping people work smarter, not harder.
Amazing time saver! Things that used to take several minutes now take several seconds. It reduces time, fatigue, and prevents errors. Michel is awesome at updating and maintaining the program. Highly recommended!
Ben Delville
Work in IT, prefer outdoors.
Very interesting.. love the functionality
Bernard T
Serial entrepreneur, tech geek
Excellent product! Switched over from T*xtExpand*r and TypeDesk is soooooo much better. I highly recommend to anyone considering purchase. Congrats on the launch and keep up the good work!
C J
Cybersecurity consultant and blogger.
Fantastic app. I have been a customer for past 2 years. Deployed this on 6 of our companies and my users can't function without this tools. We have adopted it into daily operation. Simply the best. We stopped using the rest of the tools despited we paid for them.
Andy Tran
@andy_tran15
Typedesk has helped and my company be productive everywhere, where we need to reuse text. Even when programming it's very helpful. It can act as a codesnippet database. For marketing, we have saved our brand color codes easiliy accessible by just typing :color and then selecting the color we want. The code is then automatically added to any text field. Super useful!
Tobias Geisler
Coach & CEO
I love love love Typedesk. With this new update, we can use Typedesk directly for simple 1-step prompts. This would be great for generating email responses, title/metadescriptions generator etc. I can already think of some awesome use cases!
Duy Nguyen
App junkie
Use for product support where repetitive replies are not as simple as using an FAQ. Easy to paste and then edit to suit individual questions. Timesaver as well as brain saver!
J GW
hi
Typesk is absolutely brilliant! It's one of the products/services i use more on my day to day, and it makes my work a lot easier. Definitely recommend people check it out (plus the new GTP feature looks very promising)
David Suescun
Hi! My name is David Suescun
I had a couple of other tools that provided some similar functions to typedesk, but once I started to learn the additional capabilities, I dumped the others and settle on typedesk. I’ve still far from master everything that could be possible, simply down to the availability of my time, but I use it daily, I’ve been able to separate home and business uses into a clearly define set, and can call them from a single interface. Being able to return different data, in multiple ways depending on circumstance is brilliant, it simply prompts me to give it the right scenario, and it reformats to suit. I had a small issue with the Mac version on initial install, but support were responsive, helpful and resolve the issue in the next release, and gave me a temporary work around. Bugs are fine if support is there, so that was a positive experience too. I’m very happy with typedesk and look forward to expanding my use of it, and continue to share knowledge about it with friends and colleagues so they benefit too.
Mike Foston
Hi
I use TextBlaze and I was looking for an alternative. typedesk is the perfect solution for me. The interface is clean and modern. It is easy to use and it works :) I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you guys from AS and typedesk for bringing this amazing deal to us!
MBO
This is the kind of tool that is a bit underrated, it deserves even more love. I am sucker for time savings and improving my effiency and this tool does deliver. Love the ease of use and the way it makes me more productive even minutes after I started to use this. The only thing I need to do is to think when I type in something I reuse a lot, to make a canned response of it! Well deserved 5 taco's!
BossOfTime
Typedesk will speed up so many of our repetitive processes & rapidly access a library of canned responses with a click - moving quickly through docs.
paul868
One of the best purchases on Appsumo!
iamsam
Typedesk is one of the those tools you know has a bright future. This is due to its rock-solid focus on doing one thing well, and that's streamlining your team's replies in record times. The UX is simple and seamless. No longer worry about your team's communication being all over the place and get on the same page with Typedesk today.
FellowSumoling
I installed it and everything is very smooth. I like to use a competitor app but I will switch fully once a few things are added. But it's a good investment for me in the future.
Fractal
Super excited to have the Team version of TypeDesk... now I can have my team working to support my business and help their productivity and mine!
NG
Overall, good tool that does what it says. Useful if you have a lot of texts that you often reuse. Not just for emails but actually for any text or words, or emojis. Tool is simple but functional, you can group your texts into folders etc. It is rather intuitive and works well.
atis
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Does Slack have canned responses or message templates?
Does Typedesk work in Slack?
What shortcut should I use in Slack?
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Rated 4.8/5 over 300+ verified reviews
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