Voice Dictation for Slack: Standups, Quick Replies & Channel Updates
Send messages, standup updates, and channel announcements 4× faster. Contextli formats your voice for Slack's casual, concise communication style.
Slack is where work happens—but it's also where typing happens. A lot of it. Between quick replies, standup updates, channel announcements, and thread discussions, the average knowledge worker spends hours weekly just typing in Slack. Contextli lets you speak naturally and get Slack-ready messages: casual tone, appropriate length, properly formatted for the context.
Contextli Modes for Slack
Each mode transforms your voice into Slack-ready content with specific formatting.
Daily Standup
Formats your update into the classic Yesterday/Today/Blockers structure
Best for: Engineering teams with daily async standups
You say:
"Yesterday I finished the API integration and fixed the login bug, today I'm working on the dashboard redesign and have a meeting with design at 2, no blockers right now but might need backend help later"
Contextli outputs:
**Yesterday:** • Completed API integration • Fixed login authentication bug **Today:** • Dashboard redesign implementation • Design sync at 2pm **Blockers:** None currently (may need backend support later)
Quick Reply
Keeps responses brief, friendly, and Slack-appropriate
Best for: Quick back-and-forth conversations
You say:
"Yeah that sounds good to me, I think we should probably go ahead with option A because it's simpler and we can always iterate on it later if we need to add more features"
Contextli outputs:
Sounds good! I'd vote option A—simpler to start and we can iterate later if needed.
Channel Announcement
Formats updates for broader channel audiences with clear structure
Best for: Team-wide updates and announcements
You say:
"Hey team wanted to let everyone know that we're deploying the new checkout flow tomorrow at 10am Pacific, there might be about 15 minutes of downtime, please hold off on any checkout testing during that window and let me know if you have questions"
Contextli outputs:
📢 **Deployment Notice** We're rolling out the new checkout flow tomorrow. **When:** Tomorrow, 10am PT **Impact:** ~15 min downtime **Action needed:** Please pause checkout testing during the window Questions? Drop them in the thread 👇
Thread Reply
Creates focused, on-topic responses for ongoing discussions
Best for: Technical discussions and troubleshooting threads
You say:
"I looked into this and I think the issue is that we're not handling the edge case where the user has no saved addresses, the code assumes there's always at least one address in the array, I can put up a fix this afternoon"
Contextli outputs:
Found it—we're not handling users with no saved addresses. Code assumes the array is never empty. I can push a fix this afternoon. Should be straightforward.
How to Use Contextli in Slack
Step-by-step workflows for common Slack tasks.
Send Morning Standup Without Leaving Your IDE
It's 9am and your team's standup bot is waiting for your update. You want to send it quickly without switching context from your code.
- 1
Open Slack standup channel
Navigate to your team's standup channel or DM the standup bot
- 2
Activate Contextli Standup mode
Press your hotkey with Standup mode selected
⌘+Shift+V - 3
Speak your update naturally
Describe what you did yesterday, what you're doing today, and any blockers
- 4
Review and send
Contextli formats into Yesterday/Today/Blockers—review and hit Enter
Example Output:
**Yesterday:** • Shipped user profile API endpoints • Code review for auth PR **Today:** • Start payment integration • 1:1 with manager at 3pm **Blockers:** Waiting on Stripe API keys from DevOps
Respond to Questions While in Meetings
You're in a video call but need to quickly respond to a Slack question without derailing the meeting.
- 1
Click into the Slack thread
Navigate to the message needing response
- 2
Activate Quick Reply mode
Contextli will keep it brief and casual
⌘+Shift+V - 3
Speak your response quietly
Brief response while muted in the meeting
- 4
Send immediately
Quick review, send, back to the meeting
Example Output:
Good question—yes, that's the expected behavior for now. Let's discuss in our sync tomorrow if it needs changing.
Voice to Slack: Real Examples
What you say versus what Contextli produces for Slack.
"So yesterday I was mostly working on the user dashboard, got the charts rendering correctly and fixed that weird timezone bug that was showing wrong dates, today I need to finish the export feature and I have a bunch of meetings in the afternoon, not really blocked on anything but I might need some help from the backend team tomorrow for the API stuff"
**Yesterday:** • User dashboard charts rendering ✅ • Fixed timezone bug in date display **Today:** • Complete export feature • Meetings this afternoon **Blockers:** None currently—may need backend API support tomorrow
"Yeah I think that's a good idea, let's do it, I can take the first part if you want to handle the second part and we can sync up at the end of the day to make sure everything works together"
Good idea, let's do it! I'll take part 1, you grab part 2, and we'll sync EOD to make sure it all works together.
Contextli vs Other Slack Voice Solutions
Contextli vs Slack Huddles Voice Messages
| Feature | Contextli | Slack Huddles Voice Messages |
|---|---|---|
| Text output | ✅ Editable text message | ❌ Audio clip only |
| Formatting | ✅ Standup structure, bullets | ❌ No text formatting |
| Searchable | ✅ Full text search | ❌ Audio not searchable |
| Async friendly | ✅ Recipients read at their pace | ⚠️ Requires listening |
| Edit before send | ✅ Full editing | ❌ Re-record only |
Slack voice messages are audio clips—great for tone but not searchable or editable. Contextli gives you voice input with text output: fast to create, easy to edit, and fully searchable.
Contextli vs macOS Dictation
| Feature | Contextli | macOS Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Slack-appropriate tone | ✅ Casual, concise | ❌ Formal transcription |
| Standup formatting | ✅ Auto Yesterday/Today/Blockers | ❌ Plain text only |
| Message length | ✅ Keeps it brief | ❌ Transcribes everything verbatim |
| Technical terms | ✅ API, PR, deploy recognized | ⚠️ Often mistranscribed |
System dictation gives you exactly what you said—which is often too long and too formal for Slack. Contextli adapts your speech to Slack's communication style.
Why Use Contextli for Slack?
Generic dictation produces formal, stiff text that feels out of place in Slack's casual environment. Contextli understands Slack culture—keeping messages concise, conversational, and appropriately informal. Your standup updates get formatted with clear sections; your quick replies stay brief and friendly.
Slack + Contextli: Common Questions
Can Contextli send Slack messages automatically?
Contextli inserts formatted text where your cursor is—it doesn't auto-send. This is intentional: you can review the message, make quick edits, and send when ready. You stay in control of what gets posted.
Does Contextli work in Slack threads?
Yes, Contextli works anywhere you can type in Slack—channels, DMs, threads, and even the search bar. Just click where you want the text and activate Contextli. The Thread Reply mode is optimized for focused, on-topic responses.
How do I add emojis to Slack messages via voice?
Contextli focuses on text. For emojis, you can say "thumbs up emoji" and Contextli will write ":thumbsup:" which Slack converts. Or add emojis manually after Contextli inserts the text—most people find this faster than describing emojis verbally.
Will my messages sound like me or like a robot?
Contextli's Slack modes are designed to sound natural and casual—like you're actually typing. It avoids stiff, formal language. If you have a specific tone (more casual, more professional), you can create a custom mode that matches your communication style.
Does Contextli work with Slack Connect (external channels)?
Yes, Contextli works in any Slack text field, including Slack Connect channels with external partners. The same modes work—just be mindful that external audiences may need more context than internal team messages.
Slack Integration Details
descriptionSupported Formats
- checkPlain text
- checkSlack markdown (*bold*, _italic_)
- checkBullet lists
- checkNumbered lists
- checkBlock quotes
- checkCode blocks
- checkEmoji shortcodes
lightbulbPro Tips
- Create a "Standup" mode with your team's specific format (some teams use different sections)
- For channels with external people, use a more formal mode
- Keep Quick Reply mode as your default—it handles most Slack conversations well
infoGood to Know
- arrow_rightCannot trigger Slack workflows or slash commands
- arrow_rightEmoji reactions must be added manually after sending
- arrow_right@mentions need to be typed or added after insertion
- arrow_rightCannot attach files—text only
devicesPlatform Support
Works in Slack desktop app, web app, and the PWA. Mobile requires using Contextli on desktop and copying to mobile.
Related Searches
Start Using Voice Dictation in Slack
Transform how you work in Slack with context-aware voice dictation.
Related Integrations
Discord
Send messages, updates, and team communications faster. Contextli formats your voice for Discord's casual, community-focused communication style.
Microsoft Teams
Send team messages, updates, and communications faster. Contextli formats your voice for Microsoft Teams' professional communication style.
Gmail
Compose professional emails faster with context-aware formatting. Contextli automatically adds greetings, structure, and sign-offs to your voice input.
Send messages and updates faster on WhatsApp Web. Contextli formats your voice for WhatsApp's casual, personal communication style.