Getting Started with Taco Chats
What is Taco Chats?
Taco Chats is a HeyTaco feature for Slack that pairs teammates for quick 1:1 conversations, so your team gets to know each other without adding another meeting. On a schedule you choose, HeyTaco matches two teammates, opens a Slack chat for them, and kicks things off with a fun question. HeyTaco keeps the conversation going when it gets quiet, then signs off so the two of you can carry on.
Unlike random coffee-chat bots, Taco Chats uses the Taco Graph (HeyTaco's map of who recognizes whom) to make smarter matches. It's especially great for remote and async teams: no calendar invites, no video call required, and everyone replies when it works for them.
How to set up Taco Chats
Taco Chats can be turned on from your HeyTaco admin dashboard. Setup takes just a few minutes.
- Navigate to Admin → Taco Chats and click Get Started.
- Choose how often your team gets matched: weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.
- Choose when chats start: random days & times, or a fixed day & time.
- Review who's participating. Your team is included automatically, and anyone can opt out anytime.
- Voila! Your first matches go out on your chosen schedule.
Your 30-day free trial starts when the first matches go out.
Taco Chats feature overview: how it works
- HeyTaco makes the match. On your schedule, HeyTaco pairs teammates using the Taco Graph, favoring people who aren't already well connected.
- HeyTaco opens the chat. Both teammates get a Slack chat from HeyTaco with an icebreaker question.
- HeyTaco keeps it going. If things go quiet, HeyTaco jumps in with a follow-up. You can also @mention HeyTaco in the chat anytime.
- HeyTaco signs off. Once the conversation is rolling, HeyTaco steps back. If Nudge a video call is on, it suggests that one person in the pair set up a quick call.
- Admins see participation. The Admin → Taco Chats page shows matches, upcoming chats, and a participation score for each chat, never the messages.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Taco Chats available in Microsoft Teams? | Not yet. Taco Chats is Slack-only for now. If your team is on Microsoft Teams, let us know and we'll tell you when it's available. |
| Do I need to install anything new? | No. Taco Chats runs inside the HeyTaco app you already have in Slack. |
| Do people have to join a video call? | No. Taco Chats happens in Slack chat. If a pair wants to hop on a call or grab a real coffee, great, but it's never required. |
| Do I have to participate? | Your admin decides who's invited. Once you're in, you can opt out anytime on your Profile → Settings page and you won't be matched until you turn it back on. |
| How often will I be matched? | It depends on the frequency your admin picks: weekly, every two weeks, or monthly. |
| Does HeyTaco save our messages? | No. HeyTaco's AI reads a Taco Chat thread in the moment to keep the conversation going, but messages are never saved and never used to train AI. Admins only see participation stats. |
| How much does it cost? | $1 per participating teammate per month, after a 30-day free trial. People who opt out aren't billed. |
| Can I turn Taco Chats off? | Yes. Admins can pause or cancel Taco Chats anytime from the Admin → Billing page. [CONFIRM: cancel path and whether pause exists] |