channel/rename

Renames an existing Slack channel. The channel ID remains unchanged — only the display name changes. The new name must follow Slack's naming rules: lowercase, max 80 characters, no spaces or dots. Requires channels:manage scope.

When to Use

Seasonal channel rotation: Rename quarterly planning channels at the start of each quarter (e.g., rename #q4-planning to #q1-planning) rather than creating and archiving new channels.
Project name updates: When a project is renamed in your project management system, automatically update the corresponding Slack channel name to keep it in sync.
Naming convention standardization: Run a bulk rename workflow to bring all channels into compliance with a new naming policy (e.g., adding team prefixes).
Post-resolution incident channel: Rename an active incident channel (e.g., #incident-p1-active to #incident-p1-resolved) to signal status change.

Configuration

Connection

Field	Type	Required	Description
`botToken`	string	Required	Bot Token starting with `xoxb-`. Requires `channels:manage` scope. The bot must have admin permissions for the workspace in some configurations.

Operation Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
`channelId`	string	Required	The channel to rename. Starts with `C` (public) or `G` (private).
`name`	string	Required	The new channel name. Must be lowercase, max 80 characters, no spaces or dots. Hyphens are allowed.

Channel ID is permanent: Renaming a channel does not change its ID. Any existing expressions or configurations referencing the channel ID will continue to work without updates.

Sample Configuration

{
  "operation": "channel/rename",
  "connection": {
    "botToken": "{{credentials.slackBotToken}}"
  },
  "fields": {
    "channelId": "{{$json.channelId}}",
    "name": "{{$json.newName.toLowerCase().replace(/[\s\.]+/g, '-').substring(0, 80)}}"
  }
}

Validation Errors

Error Code	Cause	Resolution
`name_taken`	A channel with the new name already exists (active or archived).	Check existing channels with `channel/getMany`. Use a unique suffix or choose a different name.
`invalid_name`	The new name contains uppercase letters, spaces, dots, or exceeds 80 characters.	Sanitize the name before passing it: `.toLowerCase().replace(/[\s\.]+/g, '-').substring(0, 80)`
`not_authorized`	The bot does not have permission to rename this channel. Some workspaces restrict renames to admins.	Check workspace settings. The bot may need to be a workspace admin, or the feature may need to be enabled in workspace settings.
`channel_not_found`	Invalid channel ID.	Verify the channel ID using `channel/get` first.
`missing_scope`	Bot token lacks `channels:manage` scope.	Re-authorize the Slack app with the required scope.

Output

Success Port

Field	Type	Description
`channelId`	string	The channel ID (unchanged by the rename).
`channelName`	string	The new channel name as confirmed by Slack.
`status`	string	`success` or `error`.
`errorCode`	string	Slack error code when `status` is `error`.
`payload`	object	Full raw Slack API response.

Error Port

On failure with Continue on Error enabled, routes to the error port. For bulk rename workflows, handle name_taken by appending a suffix and retrying.

Sample Output

{
  "channelId": "C08AB3XYZ12",
  "channelName": "q1-planning-2025",
  "status": "success",
  "errorCode": "",
  "payload": {
    "ok": true,
    "channel": {
      "id": "C08AB3XYZ12",
      "name": "q1-planning-2025"
    }
  }
}

Expression Reference

Expression	Result
`{{$node["channel-rename"].json.channelName}}`	New channel name — use in confirmation messages or audit logs.
`{{$node["channel-rename"].json.channelId}}`	Channel ID (unchanged) — continue using in downstream operations.
`{{$json.name.toLowerCase().replace(/[\s\.]+/g, '-').substring(0, 80)}}`	Sanitized name expression — use as the `name` field value to prevent validation errors.
`{{$node["channel-rename"].json.status === "success"}}`	Boolean gate — confirm rename before updating external records.

Node Policies & GuardRails

Policy Area	Recommendation
Scope requirements	Requires `channels:manage` scope. Some workspaces require admin-level permissions to rename channels.
Rate limiting	Tier 2 (20+ req/min). For bulk rename operations, add delays between calls to avoid rate limits.
No hard-coded IDs	Always source `channelId` dynamically. The channel ID persists through renames — store IDs, not names, in your data systems.
Name sanitization	Always sanitize input names before passing to this node. Raw user input may contain uppercase, spaces, or special characters that cause `invalid_name` errors.
Naming conventions	Channel names must be lowercase, max 80 chars, no spaces or dots. Enforce a consistent naming pattern: `team-{name}`, `project-{name}`, `incident-{id}`.
Downstream name updates	After renaming, update any external references (databases, dashboards, documentation) that store channel names rather than IDs.

Examples

Example 1 — Quarterly Channel Rotation

Scheduled workflow that runs at the start of each quarter to rename planning channels.

// Runs on January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1
const quarter = Math.ceil((new Date().getMonth() + 1) / 3);
const year = new Date().getFullYear();
const newName = `q${quarter}-planning-${year}`;

{
  "operation": "channel/rename",
  "fields": {
    "channelId": "C08PLANNING01",
    "name": newName
  }
}

Example 2 — Project Name Sync

When a project is renamed in Jira, the corresponding Slack channel is automatically renamed to match.

// Trigger: Jira project rename webhook
// $json.oldProjectKey, $json.newProjectName, $json.slackChannelId

{
  "operation": "channel/rename",
  "fields": {
    "channelId": "{{$json.slackChannelId}}",
    "name": "{{'project-' + $json.newProjectName.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-').substring(0, 72)}}"
  }
}
// message/send — notify channel of rename

Example 3 — Bulk Naming Convention Enforcement

One-time workflow that adds the required team- prefix to all channels that are missing it.

// channel/getMany → filter channels not starting with standard prefixes
const channels = $node["channel-getmany"].json.channels
  .filter(c => !c.channelName.match(/^(team|project|client|incident|deploy)-/));

// For each: channel/rename
{
  "channelId": "{{$json.channelId}}",
  "name": "{{'team-' + $json.channelName}}"
}