Share Files in Slack and Teams: Limits, Storage and Who Can See Them
Sending a file is easy. Knowing where it lives afterward, who can open it and how to find it next month is the part people skip. Slack and Teams store files differently, so here is how each one handles uploads, sharing and finding files, according to their help pages.
Miles Crawford
The quick version
In Slack, drag up to 10 files into the message box or click the plus icon, add a message and send. Members and guests can add files up to 1GB. In Teams, select Actions and apps in the compose box, then Attach file, or drag a file into the message. Teams keeps channel files in the team's SharePoint folder and chat files in the sender's OneDrive for Business.
Slack: add and share a file
On desktop, drag and drop up to 10 files into the message field, or click the plus icon next to it and choose files. You can add a message, drag the previews to reorder them and, for an image, add a description. On mobile, open the conversation, tap the plus icon and pick a photo or file. Slack shows a preview with the message. An image only displays inline if it is under 25,000 pixels on its longest side and under 45 million pixels total, and Microsoft Office files over 50 MB get no preview. Slack scans uploads for viruses and malware and will not upload a file if any are found. To share a file that is already in Slack, hover over it, click the Share icon, choose where to send it and click Share.
Slack: find files, share outside, delete
Click Files in the sidebar (under More if it is hidden) to browse files from public channels plus the private channels and DMs you are in. Inside a conversation, the Files & links tab lists what has been shared there. On a paid plan you can create sidebar sections to organize files, and you can create an external link to share a file outside Slack. In a public channel any member can create one, but in a private channel only the person who uploaded the file can. Only the uploader can revoke an external link. Any member or guest can delete a file they uploaded, and Workspace Owners and Admins can delete files in public channels and in private channels or DMs they belong to. Slack notes that uploads may be restricted in Slack Connect conversations and for Frontline Members, and some file types cannot be added at all.
Teams: attach a file in a channel or chat
Select a channel post or chat message, then in the compose box select Actions and apps, then Attach file. Choose a file, add an optional message and select Send. Microsoft says you can also drag a file from your computer into the message. To share a file you already uploaded, open OneDrive in Teams, go to My files, hover over the file and select Share. You can copy a link, or use Sharing settings to add names and pick a permission such as Can edit, Can review, Can view or Can't download.
Teams: where files are stored
Files you upload to a channel are stored in your team's SharePoint folder and appear in the Shared tab at the top of the channel. Files you send in a chat are stored in your OneDrive for Business and shared only with the people in that conversation. Microsoft adds that the OneDrive files you see in Teams are OneDrive for Business files tied to your Microsoft 365 account, not your personal OneDrive, because Teams cannot currently connect to a personal one. Every channel and chat has a Shared tab. In a channel, In Post searches files and links shared in posts, and In library searches the channel's SharePoint library.
Which one for what?
Our read: Slack treats a file as part of the conversation, so it is easy to drop in and reshare, and the 1GB limit covers most things people send. Teams treats it as a document with an owner and permissions, which suits files several people will edit. In either app, give a shared file a clear name, because both rely on search and file lists to find it later. To pin the important ones, see our guide to channel tabs.
What to be careful about
- Slack uploads top out at 1GB for members and guests. Up to 10 files can go in one drag and drop.
- Slack external links need a paid plan. In a private channel only the uploader can create one.
- Only the uploader can revoke a Slack external link. Ask them if one needs to be pulled.
- Teams chat files sit in the sender's OneDrive. They are shared only with people in that conversation.
- Teams channel files live in SharePoint. They are stored in the team's SharePoint folder.
- Some uploads can be blocked. Slack Connect, Frontline Members and certain file types may be restricted. Ask an owner or admin.
Sources
Checked October 20, 2026. Limits, steps and features follow each product's own help articles. The which-one-for-what advice is ours.