vidstickerHow to make custom Slack emoji from a video or GIF
The emoji a team actually uses are its own: a teammate's facepalm, the office dog, a “ship it” from the last demo. Slack takes a square image under 128 KB, and an animated GIF can have up to 50 frames. Our Slack page makes exactly that from any clip — with the background removed.
How to make the emoji
- Open vidsticker.com/slack and upload a video, a GIF or a photo — or paste a YouTube, TikTok or Instagram link.
- Pick 1–2 seconds on the frame strip: one reaction that loops well.
- On the Frame tab, press Crop and frame the face or the object — in a message the emoji is tiny. On the Background tab, “People, animals and objects” leaves only the hero.
- Press “Make sticker”, then “Download emoji · GIF”: you get a 128×128 GIF that already fits Slack's limits.
How to add it to Slack
- In the Slack desktop app or in a browser, click the smiley in any message field.
- Click Add Emoji, then Upload Image, and choose the GIF.
- Give it a name and save. The name is the code: type it between colons, like :ship-it:, or find it in the emoji picker.
On an iPhone or iPad: tap the smiley in the message field, enter a name and tap Add custom emoji. The Slack app for Android can't add custom emoji. If Add Emoji isn't there, your workspace owners limited who can add emoji — ask an owner or admin.
Emoji that read at a small size
- Crop tight. The face or the object should fill the square.
- Short and calm. Slack allows 50 frames, so a 3-second clip plays at about 16 frames per second; to fit 128 KB we may lower it further. 1–2 seconds of calm motion look smoothest.
- One word at most. At emoji size small text turns into dots.
- Outline. A white outline on the Style tab keeps the cut-out readable in dark mode.
FAQ
What size should a Slack emoji be?
Square, under 128 KB, JPG, PNG or GIF; a GIF can have up to 50 frames. Slack shows emoji small, so 128×128 is plenty.
Can Slack emoji be animated?
Yes — upload a GIF. People who turned off animations in their Slack preferences see it still.
Why are the edges a little jagged?
A GIF pixel is either transparent or not, so a cut-out edge gets tiny steps. At emoji size they're barely visible, and an outline hides them further.
Can I make an emoji from a photo?
Yes: upload a photo and you get a 128×128 PNG. Add bounce, pulse or spin on the Motion tab and it becomes an animated GIF.
Is it free?
Yes, with no watermark. Without signing in — 5 emoji a day; signing in removes the limit.