Someone in #design writes, "Can you send the client the revised file by Friday?" You add a thumbs-up and go back to what you were doing. By Thursday afternoon that message sits under a hundred others, and the thumbs-up is the only record that you agreed to anything.
Requests show up in Slack, and nothing there tracks them by default. Below are four ways to turn a message into a task, with what each one costs and where the task ends up.
TL;DR: Slack's own reminders need no setup but stay inside Slack. A task app's shortcut (Todoist, Asana) suits you if you already live in that app. Zapier connects Slack to other task tools but needs a Zap, and the free plan caps you at 100 tasks a month. An AI assistant like Vyneron reads the message, picks up the date, and keeps the task outside Slack, with limits listed below.
1. Use Slack's own tools
On desktop, hover over the message, open the three-dot menu, choose "Remind me about this", and pick a time or set a custom one. On mobile, long-press the message and tap "Remind me".
For a channel, use /remind: /remind #marketing-team to submit expenses every Thursday. Channel reminders repeat by day but not by hour, and guests can't set them. The sidebar's To-dos area also has "Add To-do" → "Add reminder." (Slack is renaming its "Later" tab to "To-dos" and moving saved messages under "Saved". The change is rolling out gradually, so your labels may differ.)
Paid workspaces get Slack Lists, with fields plus table and Kanban views. Free workspaces can't create lists and keep 90 days of history.
The limit: a reminder is only a nudge. It has no owner, priority, project, or subtasks, and it never leaves Slack.
2. Use your task app's Slack shortcut
With Todoist installed, open a message's three-dot menu and choose "Add a task". A window opens where you set the name, project, priority, and due date. If you'd rather skip the window, "Add to Inbox as a task" drops it straight into your Inbox, using the Slack message as the name and no priority. There's also a /todoist command. Todoist's help page lists the integration for its Beginner, Pro, and Business plans.
Asana works the same way. According to its Slack app page, you can create a task "directly from a message in Slack" or with /asana create.
The limit is that this only helps if you already use that app. Someone installs it in the workspace and you connect your account. After that, every date or project gets filled in by hand in the pop-up, or left blank with the Inbox shortcut.
3. Automate it with Zapier
Zapier adds a "Push to Zapier" message action in Slack: three dots, pick a Zap, Push. The message lands in whatever task app the Zap points to. Zapier also has templates that turn an emoji reaction into a task, for example in Google Tasks.
Zapier Free gives you 100 tasks a month and only two-step Zaps (one trigger, one action). Professional starts at $19.99/month billed yearly or $29.99/month billed monthly, with 750 tasks a month.
The limit is setup. Someone has to build the Zap, and the task still ends up in another app. A Zap follows its rule, so it won't read "by Friday" in the message and turn that into a due date.
4. Use an AI assistant that reads the message (Vyneron)
In the Vyneron web app, go to Settings → Integrations, click "Connect Slack" on the Slack card, and allow access on Slack's screen. After that you have three ways in:
- From any message, open the three-dot menu and choose "Save to Vyneron". The AI reads the text and decides whether it's a task or a note. If the message mentions a deadline, that becomes the due date, so you don't type it yourself. Only you see the reply, and nothing gets posted to the channel.
- Send the bot a DM the way you'd talk: "Remind me to send the contract Thursday at 4." You get a dated task back. It's the same AI engine we run on Telegram and WhatsApp.
- In a channel, run
/invite @Vynerononce, then @mention it. The/vyneronslash command works in any conversation and replies privately.
Reminders arrive as a Slack DM with complete, delete, +2h, and +1d buttons, so you can close or push a task without leaving Slack. Routines like "every Monday" can be set from Slack; ones that need a holiday or business-day calendar go through the web app. The task also shows up in your web list and on Telegram via @VyneronAIBot. Setup and permissions are covered in our Slack task management guide.
Vyneron doesn't request channel history. It sees only messages sent to it, messages that mention it, and messages you hand it through the shortcut.
Here is what it can't do in Slack:
- "Save to Vyneron" doesn't keep a link back to the original Slack message, and it doesn't record who wrote it. The task belongs to whoever clicked the shortcut.
- You can't assign a task to someone else from Slack. The bot tells you "This can be done from the web app." In Slack you can only claim a task for yourself. Assignment, projects, and labels all exist in Vyneron on the web; you just set them there.
- The ✅ reaction only works on cards Vyneron posted in a channel. A task saved with the shortcut has no card, because the reply was private.
- Vyneron isn't listed in the Slack App Directory. You connect it from Vyneron's settings.
Side by side
| Way | Setup | Date and owner | Where the task lives | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slack itself | None | Reminder time only; no owner or project | Inside Slack | Free; Lists need a paid workspace | Quick personal nudges |
| Task app shortcut | Install the app, connect your account | Set by hand in the pop-up | In that app | That app's plan | People already using Todoist or Asana |
| Zapier | Build a Zap | Whatever the Zap's rule sets | In the target app | Free: 100 tasks/month, two steps | Teams that need a custom pipeline |
| Vyneron | Connect Slack | Date read from the text; assigning others happens on the web | In Vyneron (web + Telegram) | Slack stays on Free; AI after the trial via your own key or Solo | People who want to save tasks by writing normally |
Which one to pick
Start with where the task should live. If a reminder inside Slack is enough, use Slack's tools, and if your team already plans in Todoist or Asana, use that app's shortcut. Zapier makes sense when your target tool has no Slack shortcut and someone will maintain the Zap, while Vyneron fits when you want to type "remind me Thursday at 4", get the date filled in, and reach the task outside Slack. For capture beyond Slack, see five ways to capture tasks.
FAQ
Can Slack turn a message into a task on its own?
Partly. "Remind me about this" gives you a reminder, and paid workspaces get Lists. A plain reminder has no owner or project.
Does Vyneron read my Slack channels?
No. It doesn't request channel history.
What does Vyneron cost for Slack?
Free starts with a 7-day Solo trial (50 AI messages a day). After it, tasks, Telegram, and Slack stay free, and AI runs on your own API key with 0% commission. Solo is $6/month or $59/year with 150 AI messages a day.
Can I assign a Slack task to a teammate?
Not from Slack with Vyneron. Assignment, projects, and labels happen in the web app. In Slack you can claim a task for yourself.