Channel Types & Policies
Standard, private, and shared channels serve different purposes. Learn when to use each, how to manage channel settings and membership, and how to configure creation and sharing policies.
Three types of channels
Channels are like rooms within a department.
Standard channels are open-plan — everyone in the team can see and participate. Private channels are meeting rooms with a locked door — only invited people can enter. Shared channels are conference rooms between buildings — people from different teams (even different companies) can collaborate without joining each other’s teams.
Channel type comparison
| Feature | Standard | Private | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | All team members | Invited members only | Invited members (can include external users) |
| SharePoint site | Team's main SharePoint site | Separate SharePoint site | Separate SharePoint site |
| External users | Guests only (B2B collab) | Guests only (B2B collab) | B2B direct connect — no guest account needed |
| Max per team | Up to 1,000 (standard + shared combined) | 30 private channels | Up to 1,000 (within the total channel limit) |
| Apps and tabs | Full support | Limited (no some bots/connectors) | Limited (no bots, limited tabs) |
| Meetings | Full support — scheduled and ad-hoc | Full support | Ad-hoc only — no scheduled channel meetings |
| Created by | Members (if allowed) or owners | Members (if allowed by policy) or owners | Team owners only |
When to recommend each type
| Scenario | Recommended Channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| General team discussion | Standard | Everyone should see it |
| Leadership discussions within a team | Private | Only senior members need access |
| Cross-department project | Shared | Members from different teams without joining each team |
| External vendor collaboration | Shared (with B2B direct connect) | Vendor stays in their tenant, no guest account |
| Salary/HR discussions | Private | Highly sensitive, restricted membership |
| Training materials | Standard | Available to all team members |
Channel settings and management
Adding, editing, and removing channels
In the Teams admin center: Teams → select team → Channels tab → manage channels
In the Teams client: Right-click the channel → Edit or Delete
Via PowerShell: New-TeamChannel, Set-TeamChannel, Remove-TeamChannel
The General channel cannot be deleted or renamed (it can be edited to change description). This is exam-tested.
Channel settings
| Setting | What It Controls | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Channel moderation | Only moderators can start new posts; members can reply | Channel settings → Moderation |
| Post permissions | Who can post: everyone, moderators only, or specific people | Channel settings |
| Connector permissions | Whether connectors can post to the channel | Channel settings |
| @channel mention | Whether @channel mentions are allowed | Channel settings |
Scenario: Kofi moderates the announcements channel
Harbour University’s “All Students” team has an Announcements channel that was getting cluttered with student questions instead of official announcements.
Kofi enables channel moderation:
- Moderators: Faculty + IT team (can start new posts)
- Members (students): Can reply to posts but can’t start new threads
- Result: Clean, organised announcements with discussion threads underneath each official post
Messaging policies
Messaging policies control what users can do in chats and channel conversations:
| Setting | What It Controls | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Read receipts | Whether read receipts appear in chats | User-controlled |
| Delete sent messages | Can users delete their own messages? | On |
| Edit sent messages | Can users edit messages after sending? | On |
| Chat | Is chat enabled? | On |
| Giphy | Can users send GIFs? | On |
| Giphy content rating | Strict, moderate, or no restriction | Moderate |
| Memes and stickers | Can users use memes/stickers? | On |
| URL previews | Show URL previews in messages? | On |
| Translate messages | Can users translate messages? | On |
| Priority notifications | Allow urgent and priority notifications? | On |
| Voice messages | Can users send voice messages? | Allowed in chats and channels |
Creating and assigning messaging policies
- Teams admin center → Messaging policies → Add
- Configure settings for the target user group
- Assign to users or groups
Scenario: Nadia's messaging policy at Sterling Financial
Sterling Financial needs strict messaging controls for regulated communications:
“Trader Messaging” policy:
- Read receipts: Always on (compliance requirement — traders must know when messages are read)
- Delete messages: Off (traders cannot delete messages — regulatory audit trail)
- Edit messages: Off (no modifying sent messages — audit integrity)
- Giphy/memes/stickers: Off (professional communication only)
- URL previews: On (helpful for sharing financial news)
“General Staff Messaging” policy:
- All defaults (read receipts user-controlled, editing/deletion allowed, GIFs on)
Nadia assigns the Trader policy to the “Traders” security group and the General Staff policy as org-wide default.
🎬 Video walkthrough
🎬 Video coming soon
Channel Types & Policies — MS-700 Module 16
Channel Types & Policies — MS-700 Module 16
~9 minFlashcards
Knowledge Check
Pinnacle Corp's infrastructure team needs a channel for a joint project with an external partner. External users should stay in their own tenant without guest accounts. Which channel type should Tara recommend?
Nadia wants traders at Sterling Financial to be unable to delete or edit their Teams messages for regulatory compliance. What should she configure?
Next up: App Management & Permissions — how to control which apps are available in Teams, manage setup policies, and handle permissions and consent.