Better Connections. Fewer Meetings.
Taco Chats brings teammates together in Slack with smarter matches and easy conversation starters. No scheduling. No awkward small talk.
Skip the Awkward. Start With a Real Conversation.
Good conversations start somewhere
Every Taco Chat opens with a prompt worth answering, so nobody has to come up with the first line. Reply when it works for you. If things go quiet, HeyTaco nudges the conversation along.
Chat first, call optional. If you hit it off, take it to a call or a real coffee. If not, nobody's stuck on camera with a silent clock running.
Want more face time? Turn on video chat nudges and let teammates decide when to hop on a call.
You Can't Appreciate Someone You Don't Know
You can work alongside someone for years and barely know them. But the more we know about each other, the more reasons we find to appreciate each other.
The little things matter
Weekend plans. Hobbies. Life outside work. Little conversations turn coworkers into more than names on a screen.
Work feels more human
When you know the person behind the job title, appreciation comes easier and working together feels more natural.
Taco Chats helps those little moments happen more often.
Three Steps. Better Connections.
Turn It On
Enable Taco Chats and choose how often teammates get matched.
Get Matched
HeyTaco makes thoughtful matches using your team's recognition history.
Start Chatting
Break the ice in Slack. Chat at your own pace. Video is optional.
Built for Teams That Rarely Cross Paths
Great teammates don't always get the chance to know each other. Taco Chats brings them together, without another meeting to organize.
- Remote and hybrid teams Build relationships beyond the people you see every day.
- Growing teams Help new and longtime teammates get to know each other.
- Teams across departments Bring together coworkers who rarely work side by side.
- Teams navigating change Help people connect after a reorganization or acquisition.
A Better Way to Bring Teammates Together
Forget random pairings and awkward coffee chats. Taco Chats makes thoughtful introductions and helps real conversations happen naturally.
Chat first, call optional
Get to know each other in Slack before deciding whether to hop on a call.
Matches that make sense
HeyTaco uses your team's recognition history to make better matches.
Pay for participation
Just $1 per participating teammate per month for Taco Chats.
Private by Design
What's said in a Taco Chat stays between the two people in it.
Messages aren't stored
HeyTaco doesn't save Taco Chat conversations or use them to train AI.
AI stays in the chat
AI only processes messages in your Taco Chat, never your other channels or DMs.
Stats, not conversations
Admins can see participation, but not what anyone said.
Read our AI Use Policy for the full picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Taco Chats.
What is Taco Chats?
Taco Chats is a HeyTaco add-on for Slack that helps your team get to know each other. HeyTaco matches you with a teammate, opens a chat, and breaks the ice with a real prompt. You get to know each other over text first, then hop on a call if you want to.
How does it work?
Your admin turns it on and picks how often matches go out. On that schedule, HeyTaco matches teammates, opens a Slack chat for each pair, and starts the conversation with a prompt. If things go quiet, HeyTaco nudges it along. No calendar invites, and everyone replies on their own time.
How do you pick who I'm paired with?
We use the Taco Graph, HeyTaco's map of who recognizes whom. It shows who already works together closely and who hasn't crossed paths yet, so Taco Chats can pair people where a new connection is most useful instead of matching at random.
Do I have to join a video call?
No. Taco Chats starts as a text conversation in Slack. If your admin has turned on call nudges, HeyTaco will ask after a few messages whether you'd like to keep chatting or schedule a video chat, and you decide. A call is never required.
Will Taco Chats add meetings to our calendars?
No. Taco Chats happens in Slack, and there are no calendar invites. People reply when it works for them. A call only happens if the pair chooses to schedule one.
Can we encourage people to meet on a call?
Yes. Admins can turn on call nudges. With nudges on, HeyTaco asks each pair after a few messages whether they'd like to keep chatting or schedule a video chat. Because the pair has already been chatting, the call starts with something to talk about instead of a blank screen. Participants still decide.
How is Taco Chats different from Donut?
The biggest difference is what drives the matches. Taco Chats uses the Taco Graph, HeyTaco's map of who recognizes whom, to pair people where a new connection will matter most, using recognition data a standalone matching tool doesn't have. Each match also starts as a facilitated text chat in Slack, with a call as an option, so getting to know someone doesn't require scheduling a meeting. See the side-by-side comparison.
Why start with chat instead of a video call?
A cold video call with a stranger is scheduled, on camera, and has nothing to talk about, which is why it feels awkward. Starting over text, with a real prompt, gives people a low-pressure way to build rapport. It works across time zones, and it suits people who would dread a cold call. If a call happens later, it's because there's already something there.
How does Taco Chats pricing compare to Donut?
Taco Chats is $1 per participating teammate per month, so you only pay for people who take part, and anyone who opts out isn't billed. Donut's paid plans use tiered pricing based on active users. Check Donut's pricing page for current details.
Can I buy Taco Chats without HeyTaco?
No. Taco Chats is an add-on to a HeyTaco subscription. Smart matching runs on your team's recognition data, so Taco Chats needs HeyTaco recognition to work. See HeyTaco pricing.
Do I have to participate?
No. Your admin picks who to invite. You can opt out any time and you won't be matched again until you choose to come back.
Does it work with Microsoft Teams?
Not yet. Taco Chats is available for HeyTaco for Slack first.
Does HeyTaco read our conversations?
Only inside a Taco Chat. When two teammates are matched, HeyTaco opens a chat thread for them, and HeyTaco's AI reads that thread so it can start the conversation and keep it going. It never sees anything outside that thread, including your other channels, DMs, or the rest of your Slack.
Does HeyTaco store our Taco Chat messages?
No. HeyTaco never saves messages. They stay in Slack under your workspace's normal retention settings and are never used to train AI. Admins see participation stats, like how many chats happened, but never what people said. Visit our Trust Center for details.
Better conversations start here
Bring your teammates closer, one Taco Chat at a time.
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4.8 on G2 Used by 5,000+ teams since 2016