# Channel mentions

> Understand how channel mentions work in connected, external channels using Conclude Connect

Canonical HTML page: https://conclude.io/doc/developer/channel-mentions/
Last updated: 2026-08-06

---

## Mentions in connected channels

When using Connect, users can mention each other across platforms. Here's how mentions work, and how to ensure they function reliably.

**IMPORTANT:** when messaging someone outside your organization, the name after @ *will not autocomplete*. However, the @mention *will work* on the other side (see more below).

When messaging someone inside your organization, mentions across channels work smoothly *when users are signed in to Conclude and have credentials linked on both platforms*. If they do not have credentials on both platforms, the @name will not autocomplete, but the person will still receive the mention if you use their correct handle.

### How mentions work for external connections

* To mention someone, use the @mention tag as you normally would
* The mention may not match locally at first and will look like plain text to the sender
* Conclude automatically tries to find and match the user in the connected channel and convert the text into a real mention on the receiving side

### How we match users

Conclude matches users based on the following order:

1. The user’s **mention name** (e.g., @johnsmith)
2. **First name + Last name combined** (FirstnameLastname, no spaces)
3. **Last name**
4. **First name**

Note: matching is **not case sensitive**.

### Why autocomplete may not work for external users

When mentioning someone external to your organization (for example, a Microsoft Teams user), Slack's autocomplete will not recognize them. This is because Slack's autocomplete only knows about people who exist natively in your Slack workspace.

**The fix is to type the first and last name together, without a space.**

For example, instead of typing @Emma Green, type @EmmaGreen.

**Here's why this works:** when you type a space after a first name, Slack re-evaluates the mention and selects the closest local match – *which won't be the external user*. Without the space, Slack has nothing to match locally and leaves the text as-is. Conclude then picks it up and converts it into a proper mention on the other side.

**If Slack still tries to autocomplete**, press **Escape** after typing the name. This closes the suggestion popover without accepting it. Then continue typing the last name, still without a space.

### Important notes and limitations for external connections

* **Mentions are posted under the Conclude bot when no user credentials are available on the other platform**
  * If a message is posted by the bot (instead of a real user account), it can happen that mentions do not work properly, especially from Slack to Teams
  * In these cases, Conclude might appear to confirm the mention, but it may not actually work on Microsoft Teams
* **Slack to Teams mentions**:
  * Mentions may fail when posted via the bot
* **Teams to Slack mentions**:
  * Mentions generally work well, even when messages are posted through the bot
* **User sign-in is important**:
  * If a user has not signed into Conclude, we cannot edit their messages or show feedback about whether the mention has worked

### How an integration account can help

An **integration account** is a special fallback account created on Microsoft Teams to be used when no valid user credentials are available.

**With an integration account:**

* Messages are posted under a proper user identity instead of the bot
* Mentions across connected Slack and Teams channels work more reliably
* Mention failures caused by bot posting are avoided

### How to set up an integration account

1. A Microsoft admin creates a generic Teams user (e.g., “External User”) that is not tied to a real person
2. In the Conclude Admin settings, the admin selects and signs in the user
3. The integration account must be added to all Teams where channels are connected – including private channels

Read more about the integration account [here](https://conclude.io/doc/developer/microsoft-teams-integration-account/).

### Recommended best practices

To ensure mentions work reliably across external connections:

* Always encourage users to **sign in to Conclude**
* Set up and configure an **integration account** in Microsoft Teams to act as a fallback when real user credentials are unavailable

This setup ensures messages are properly posted and mentions are successfully relayed between Slack and Microsoft Teams.

#### Quick summary

* Mentions from Slack to Teams may fail in external connections if messages are posted via the bot
* Bot posting occurs when no valid user credentials are available on the other platform
* Setting up an **integration account** ensures reliable message posting and working mentions across external channels
* Internal connections (within the same company) generally work well when users are properly signed in
* For external connections, names will not autocomplete. Try removing the space between their first and last name (where possible). It will be posted on the other side