No @here

Please don't interrupt everyone just to ask a question

The Problem

@here notifies everyone in the channel — even people who are focused, in deep work, or have notifications set to "all messages" only for essentials.

🚫 @here 🚫 @channel 🚫 @mentioning everyone

When you use @here, you're forcing dozens of people to see your message right now. That's a lot of interrupted focus for a question that could wait.

❌ Don't do this

Bad: Using @here for non-urgent stuff

Keith — 2:15 PM

@here quick question about the API docs

Sarah — 2:16 PM

what's up?

Keith — 2:17 PM

oh i was just wondering where the auth section is

Keith just interrupted 50 people to ask something he could have spent 30 seconds finding himself, or asked in a thread without @here.

Same goes for @mentioning specific people unnecessarily:

Bad: @mentioning for non-urgent things

Alex — 10:30 AM

@sarah @mike hey, what's the status on that thing?

Sarah — 10:32 AM

I'm in meetings all day, can this wait?

✅ Instead, try this

Good: Just ask, without the @

Dawn — 2:15 PM

Hey team, where's the auth section in the API docs?

Keith — 2:15 PM

Third section from the top — /auth

Dawn — 2:16 PM

thanks!

When it really is urgent: Use @here only for things that genuinely can't wait — production outages, security incidents, or time-sensitive decisions that affect the whole team.

If you need a specific person's attention for something that can wait:

Post without any @ and let them see it when they're free
Use a thread — they'll get a notification for the thread reply
Say "no rush" if it truly doesn't need an immediate response

Template

Hey — <question or request>. Context: <brief context>. Link: <relevant link>. <no rush / when you get a chance>

Just ask. They'll see it.

When @here is okay

Production is down — "⚠️ @here we're investigating an outage, stand by"
Security incident — "🚨 @here potential breach, all hands needed"
Time-critical decision — "📋 @here need decision on vendor in 30 mins"

For everything else? Just post. People will see it.

If someone's profile says "no @here please," respect their focus.