Before you cancel Slack.

What happens to the data when you cancel Slack

1. Deleting a Slack workspace is permanent, its messages and files cannot be retrieved afterward, and only the workspace Primary Owner can do it, so export first.

   Plans: all

   Slack’s words

   Only the Primary Owner of a workspace can delete it. ... Deleting a workspace is permanent, so make sure to proceed with care. Messages and files cannot be retrieved after your workspace is deleted, so we recommend exporting your workspace data first.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Within 24 hours of the Primary Owner deleting the workspace, Slack hard deletes its data from live systems, and backups are destroyed within 14 days unless an ongoing incident investigation temporarily extends that period.

   Plans: all

   Slack’s words

   Within 24 hours of workspace Primary Owner-initiated deletion, Slack hard deletes all information from currently running production systems (excluding team names and search terms embedded in URLs in web server access logs). Slack services and GovSlack services backups are destroyed within 14 days (backups are destroyed within 14 days, except that during an on-going investigation of an incident such period may be temporarily extended).

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

3. Ending a paid plan does not delete data right away. On paid plans other than Enterprise Grid, Enterprise+ and GovSlack, the subscription continues on the free tier and Slack does not delete the data until the company deletes the workspace, tells Slack to delete it, or either party ends the free terms, after which all copies are deleted within 14 days. On Enterprise Grid, Enterprise+ and GovSlack, unless the customer chooses to delete its account, Slack deletes the data within 90 days of the subscription ending, and all copies are deleted within 14 days after Slack starts deleting the account.

   Plans: Pro and Business+ (all paid plans other than Enterprise Grid, Enterprise+ and GovSlack) fall back to free; Enterprise Grid and Enterprise+ follow the 90-day rule

   Slack’s words

   When a customer terminates a paid subscription to Enterprise Grid, Enterprise+ or GovSlack services, if a customer does not otherwise elect to delete its account, Slack will, within 90 days following the subscription termination, delete, and ensure that all of its Affiliates and applicable third party hosting providers delete, all copies of Customer Data (excluding team names, and search terms embedded in URLs in web server access logs) within 14 days after Slack has initiated deletion of the customer’s account. When a customer terminates any paid subscription to the Slack services other than Enterprise Grid, Enterprise+ or GovSlack services, the customer’s subscription will continue under the free usage tier for the Slack services subject to the then-current online Customer Terms of Service or other main online subscription agreement applicable to such free usage tier (“Free Subscription Terms”), and the Customer Data will not be deleted until (i) the Customer self deletes the workspace, (ii) the Customer otherwise instructs Slack to delete their Customer Data, or (iii) either party terminates the Free Subscription Terms. Upon the occurrence of such events, Slack shall, within 14 days, delete, and ensure that all of its Affiliates and the permitted third party hosting providers delete, all copies of Customer Data (excluding team names, and search terms embedded in URLs in web server access logs).

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

4. After the contract ends, a customer has 30 days to ask Slack to return its data, as long as the customer has not already deleted it.

   Plans: all

   Slack’s words

   Within 30 days post contract termination, customers may request return of their respective Customer Data submitted to the Slack services and GovSlack services (to the extent such data has not been deleted by Customer).

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

5. If fees are 28 days or more overdue, Slack may downgrade the workspace to the free plan after giving at least 10 days of notice, and the downgrade can cost the company access to its data.

   Plans: paid plans

   Slack’s words

   If any fees owed to Slack by Customer (excluding amounts disputed reasonably and in good faith) are twenty-eight (28) days or more overdue, Slack may, without limiting Slack’s other rights and remedies, downgrade any fee-based Services to free plans until those amounts are paid in full, so long as we have given Customer ten (10) or more days’ prior notice that its account is overdue. Notwithstanding Customer’s agreement with Slack, Customer acknowledges and agrees that a downgrade will result in a decrease in certain features and functionality and potential loss of access to Customer Data, as illustrated by comparing the plans on slack.com/pricing.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

Who can export what, by plan

1. On the Free plan, Workspace Owners and Admins can export only public channels, with file links instead of files and nothing more than a year old; private channels and DMs need an application that Slack rejects unless the owner shows valid legal process, member consent, or a legal requirement or right.

   Plans: Free

   Slack’s words

   Exports: Workspace Owners and Admins can export data from public channels. Data exports will include links to files, but not the files themselves. Data more than a year old will not be included. Under limited circumstances and except as described below, Workspace Owners may contact Slack and apply to export content from all channels and conversations, including private channels and direct messages. The exports will not include data older than one year that has been deleted. We will reject applications unless Workspace Owners show in each instance (a) valid legal process, or (b) consent of members, or (c) a requirement or right under applicable laws in order to export data.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

2. On the Pro plan, Workspace Owners and Admins can export public channels with file links only, and exporting private channels and DMs takes an application held to the same legal process, member consent, or legal requirement test.

   Plans: Pro

   Slack’s words

   Exports: Workspace Owners and Admins can export data from public channels. Data exports will include links to files, but not the files themselves. If you export data from a workspace containing Slack Connect channels, only links to files shared by members of your workspace will be included in your export. Under limited circumstances, Workspace Owners may contact Slack and apply to export data from all channels and conversations, including private channels and direct messages. Data contained in the export is contingent on the date the workspace was upgraded from the Free version of Slack and will not include data older than one year that was deleted prior to upgrading. We will reject applications unless Workspace Owners show in each instance (a) valid legal process, or (b) consent of members, or (c) a requirement or right under applicable laws in order to export data.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

3. On Business+, Workspace Owners and Admins can export public channels, and Workspace Owners can apply for a self-serve tool that exports all channels and conversations, including private channels and DMs, with file links rather than files.

   Plans: Business+

   Slack’s words

   Exports: Workspace Owners and Admins can export data from public channels. Workspace Owners can also apply to access a self-serve data export tool. Access to this tool permits a Workspace Owner to export data from all channels and conversations, including private channels and direct messages, as needed and permitted by law. Each Workspace Owner must ensure that (a) appropriate employment agreements and corporate policies have been implemented, and (b) all use of data exports is permitted under applicable law. Data exports will include links to files, but not the files themselves.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

4. On Enterprise plans, Org Owners can apply for a self-serve tool that exports all channels and conversations, including private channels, DMs, and everything a single user is part of.

   Plans: Enterprise

   Slack’s words

   Exports: Org Owners can apply to access a self-serve data export tool. Access to this tool permits an Org Owner to export content from all channels and conversations, including private channels, direct messages, and all conversations that a single user is part of, as needed and permitted by law.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

What can stop or limit an export

1. On Business+, Workspace Owners can apply for additional export types; those applications need approval from the Workspace Primary Owner, so Slack Support emails before it starts reviewing them.

   Plans: Business+

   Slack’s words

   Workspace Owners on Business+ can apply to access additional export types. Applications require approval from the Workspace Primary Owner, so our Support team will reach out via email before proceeding with the application review.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

2. A Free plan export only carries links to files from the last 90 days.

   Plans: Free

   Slack’s words

   Note: Workspaces on the Free plan can only export links to files from the last 90 days.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

3. JSON exports contain links back to files in Slack rather than the files, and those links stop working once the file, its channel, or the workspace is deleted.

   Plans: all

   Slack’s words

   Slack export files in JSON format do not contain any files from the workspace. They include a series of file links, found in your export file’s message history JSON files, that direct back to the workspace's files. ... Note: If you delete a file, or the channel or workspace it was shared in, the file will no longer be accessible via the file link in your export.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

What the export looks like

1. Exports download as a ZIP file; public channel exports and all channels and conversations exports are in JSON format, and a single user's channels and conversations can be exported in either JSON or TXT format.

   Plans: all (single-user export is Enterprise only)

   Slack’s words

   Once you’ve exported your workspace data, you can download a ZIP file to access message history and file links. ... Public channels only: Data will be exported in JSON format. All channels and conversations: Data will be exported in JSON format. Single user’s channels and conversations: Data can be exported in either JSON or TXT format.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

2. On Business+, Workspace Owners can also request a CSV list of channels and their details for migration planning.

   Plans: Business+

   Slack’s words

   Workspace Owners can request to export a CSV list of channels and their details for migration planning or other workspace management needs.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

What is deleted while you still pay

1. On the Free plan, only the last 90 days of messages and files can be seen or searched, and messages and files more than one year old are permanently deleted.

   Plans: Free

   Slack’s words

   You can view and search messages and files from the last 90 days. Files include things like clips, PDFs, documents, images, screenshots, and audio and video files. When your workspace reaches the visibility limit, Slack will start hiding messages and files older than 90 days to make room for new ones. Messages and files more than one year old will be permanently deleted.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

2. Paid plans keep data for the life of the workspace unless an owner sets a shorter retention, but on the Free plan data older than one year is deleted on a rolling basis and those deletions are permanent.

   Plans: Free (deletion); paid plans (default keep)

   Slack’s words

   On paid plans, data is kept for the lifetime of your workspace by default. You can adjust your retention settings to automatically delete data after a set amount of time. On the free plan, you can choose to retain data for 90 days or one year. Data older than one year will be deleted from your workspace on a rolling basis. ... Note: Data deleted according to your retention setting is permanent. Adjust these settings with care.

   slack.com, read October 29, 2026

What Slack’s pages do not say

• No Slack help page we read says whether the export download expires, or when.