Discord Community Server Setup and Management Guide

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Setting up a Discord community server can be a daunting task, especially for first-time users. To get started, you'll need to create a server by clicking the "Create a Server" button on the Discord website or app.

Choose a unique name and icon for your server to make it easily recognizable. This will also help new members find and join your community. For example, if your server is focused on a specific topic, like gaming or music, choose an icon that reflects that.

A well-organized server will make it easier for members to find what they're looking for. You can create channels for different topics, such as #general, #introductions, and #help. This will help keep conversations organized and make it easier for new members to get started.

Setting Up Your Server

Setting up your server involves creating roles that determine a member's admin permissions, accessible channels, name color, and appearance on your server's Online list. You can create roles like admin, mods, and general, but also consider creating roles for specific groups like factions or content creators.

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Think about creating roles that give players a sense of belonging and responsibility. For example, if your game has factions, you might create roles for each faction, allowing players to plot and scheme against their rivals. People who are part of your Patron or are content creators might get a special role with a few extra benefits.

Your server's rules should help facilitate healthy discussions and create a safe space. Keep your rules concise and easy to understand, like the Unwinnable Discord community's rules. You can find more rule inspiration in Discord's guide to developing rules.

Roles determine a member's admin permissions, accessible channels, name color, and appearance on your server's Online list. You can use automation tools like Zapier to automatically assign roles that grant access to your channels after someone reacts to your rules.

Creating and Organizing Channels

Creating a Discord community server is not just about setting it up, but also about organizing your channels to create a welcoming and functional space for your community. You can make two types of servers: a private server or a community server, and you'll want the latter to get extra options.

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There are five types of channels: Text, Voice, Forum, Announcement, and Stage. Each type serves a different purpose, and you'll want to use a good mix of them to create a well-rounded community.

Here are the main channels you should include:

  1. Welcome: A holding channel for newbies to say hello and get to know the community.
  2. Rules and guidelines: A channel for your community rules to ensure everyone is on the same page.
  3. General chat: An off-topic channel for general chit-chat.
  4. Play together: A channel for people to find a squad and team up.
  5. Announcements: A channel for posting updates about your game or community.
  6. Support: A channel for people to ask for help or report bugs.
  7. FAQ: A forum channel for frequently asked questions and in-game tips.
  8. Feedback and feature requests: A channel for community members to share their ideas and feedback.
  9. Beta testing: A private channel for beta testers to discuss their feedback with you.
  10. Community update: A channel for Discord updates relevant to your admins and moderators.

Remember to tailor your channels to your community's needs and goals, and don't be afraid to add or remove channels as your community grows and changes.

Step 1: Channel Types

You've got your Discord server set up and you're ready to dive in. First things first, let's talk about channel types. You can make two types of servers: a private server or a community server. Community servers give you more options regarding channel types.

There are five types of channels: Text, Voice, Forum, Announcement, and Stage. The default channel type is Text, but you can create other types as needed. Voice channels are like virtual conference rooms where you can stream video and use your camera. Forum channels are great for FAQs and feature requests.

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Here's a quick rundown of the channel types:

The best Discord servers use a good mix of these channel types. Don't be afraid to experiment and find the right balance for your community.

Step 2: Organize

Organizing your channels is a crucial step in creating a well-structured Discord server. You want to make sure that your members can easily find what they're looking for and that your community can grow and thrive.

First, you should decide what channels you need. The five types of channels are Text, Voice, Forum, Announcement, and Stage. A good mix of these types is key to creating a well-rounded server.

You'll also want to organize your channels into sections. Some common sections include support, internal, general chat, beta testing, and announcements. Whatever your structure, there are a few specific channels you should include: Welcome, Rules and guidelines, General chat, Play together, Announcements, Support, FAQ, Feedback and feature requests, Beta testing, and Community update channel.

A unique perspective: Fallout 76 Text Chat

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Here's a list of the main channels you should include:

  1. Welcome
  2. Rules and guidelines
  3. General chat
  4. Play together
  5. Announcements
  6. Support
  7. FAQ
  8. Feedback and feature requests
  9. Beta testing
  10. Community update channel

Having too many hidden channels can be a problem, as most people won't click the "channels" button to find them. You should make sure to set your channels as default or include a question in your onboarding steps about each channel.

Customizing and Promoting Your Server

To make your Discord server truly special, consider adding customization options for community members. This can be a simple questionnaire that decides which channels they see and roles they join. For example, PUBG Mobile uses this feature to add players to specific channels based on their location.

Having a server that's tailored to your community's needs can be a game-changer. It shows that you care about their experience and want to make sure they're engaged. To get started, you can create a single-select option, like PUBG, to decide which role a player wants assigned to them.

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Promoting your server is just as important as customizing it. To do this, use your invite link to its fullest potential. You can find your Discord invite link by clicking the arrow next to your server name in the upper-right corner and selecting Invite People.

If you're looking for ways to consistently remind people about your server, consider adding a big red "Join us on Discord!" button to your issue release email, like the Unwinnable team does. This can be a great way to encourage people to join your community.

Here are the 6 steps to create and promote a Discord server for your audience:

  1. Decide if Discord is right for your brand
  2. Set goals
  3. Create your server and channels
  4. Set rules and roles
  5. Promote your server
  6. Nurture your community

To turn your server into a community server, head into the server settings, go to community, and click on "Enable Community." This will give you extra functionality, like being able to make forum channels or getting data insights once you hit 500 members.

Managing Your Community

Managing your community is a crucial part of running a successful Discord server. You'll want to make it easy for new members to join and feel welcome.

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Community Onboarding is a great feature that welcomes new members in a simple way, but it's currently only available to communities with at least 5,000 members and servers that are part of the Discord Partner program. Create your onboarding flow today to make a great first impression!

Rules Screening is another essential feature that allows you to set up rules members must agree to before they can talk, react, or DM others. Read all about it here to learn more.

AutoMod helps keep your server clean and safe by automatically filtering out harmful or undesirable messages around the clock. Scale for safety now and give your community a secure environment.

Assign moderators or administrators to handle any issues in your community or help members with Discord features. When your community is small, you don't have to hire a dedicated community manager, but as it grows, you might consider moderators.

Here are some ways to nurture your community:

Getting Started

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First impressions matter, and you want to make sure new members feel welcome and know what to expect. To achieve this, you can use Community Onboarding, which is currently available to communities with at least 5,000 members and servers that are part of the Discord Partner program.

You can also use the Welcome Screen to inform new members about important channels. By enabling it, new members will get a pop-up on their screen when joining the server telling them about the server and what channels you think are important for them to see. This can be customized with a short description and a link to up to three channels.

To streamline the onboarding process, create a welcome screen with a few key channels based on common activities. This can help get people past the "choice paralysis" that can happen if you just open a new server with many different channels.

Greet New Users

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To make new users feel at home, you can create a welcome screen that tells them about your server and the channels you think are important for them to see. This feature is available for communities with at least 5,000 members and servers that are part of the Discord Partner program.

You can customize the description and set the channels with a short statement about each one. However, keep in mind that once the user closes the welcome screen, they can't reopen it.

A welcome screen can be a great way to help new users navigate your server, especially if you have a lot of channels and users. By sending people straight to the key channels, you can avoid the "choice paralysis" that can happen when faced with too many options.

Here are a few key channels you might want to consider including in your welcome screen:

• Important announcements

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• Frequently asked questions

• Introduction channels for new members

You can also use AutoMod to keep your server clean and safe by automatically filtering out harmful or undesirable messages around the clock. This feature can help create a welcoming environment for new users.

Community Onboarding is another feature that can help new users feel at home. It allows you to create an onboarding flow that welcomes new members to your community in a simple and easy way.

Overview

Getting started with your community server is a breeze, especially with Discord's helpful features. You can create a welcome screen to guide new users to the most relevant channels, making it easier for them to get started.

To set up your welcome screen, simply pick a few key channels based on common activities and link to them in your server description. This helps avoid that overwhelming feeling that comes with too many channels.

Discord's Community Servers feature has its own settings, which you can find in the "Overview" tab. Here, you can configure the language of your server and disable the feature if needed.

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The "Overview" tab is also a great resource to get started with Community Servers. It provides a handy section to help you understand the feature and its settings.

In the "Things You Should Know" section, it's mentioned that you can create and edit roles within your community server in the "Server Settings". This is a great way to organize your community and manage permissions.

Here are some key settings you can find in the "Overview" tab:

  • Channel settings for Community Servers
  • Server language settings
  • Ability to disable Community Servers feature
  • Handy section to get started with Community Servers

Set Goals

Setting goals for your community is a crucial step in its development. You want to define what you hope to achieve with your community, whether it's connecting customers, sharing brand updates, or building customer loyalty.

Some popular goals for communities include connecting customers, sharing brand updates, and humanizing your business. These goals will guide your community design and moderation.

Humanizing your business through a community can be a powerful way to build trust and rapport with your customers. For example, Unwinnable uses Discord as an exclusive community for its subscribers, which doubles as a selling point and a reason for current subscribers to stick around.

Here are some examples of goals for brand community Discords:

  • Connecting your customers
  • Sharing brand updates
  • Humanizing your business through a community
  • Building customer loyalty
  • Sharing tutorials and offering support for your product
  • Creating an exclusive community for customers or supporters

Steps to Creating a Community

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Creating a community on Discord requires some planning and organization. First, you need to decide what type of community you want to create, such as a private server or a community server.

To set up your community, you'll want to create channels that are relevant to your community's needs. The five types of channels are: text, voice, forum, announcement, and stage. You'll want to use a good mix of these types to keep your community engaged.

Here are some essential channels to include in your community server:

  • Welcome: a holding channel for new members to introduce themselves
  • Rules and guidelines: a channel to outline your community's rules and expectations
  • General chat: an off-topic channel for casual conversation
  • Play together: a channel for members to find and team up with others for multiplayer games
  • Announcements: a channel for important updates and announcements
  • Support: a channel for members to ask for help and feedback
  • FAQ: a forum channel for frequently asked questions and tutorials
  • Feedback and feature requests: a channel for members to share their ideas and suggestions

You can also include other channels that are specific to your community's needs, such as channels for different regions or languages.

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Once you've set up your channels, you can turn your server into a community server by enabling community features. This will give you access to additional features, such as announcement channels and discoverability.

Here are the steps to create a community server:

1. Create a Discord server using a template or from scratch

2. Select "for a club or community" from the next screen

3. Enter a name and upload an icon for the server

4. Enable community features by opening server settings and selecting "Enable Community"

By following these steps, you can create a thriving community on Discord that meets the needs of your members.

Creating and Managing Roles

Creating and managing roles is an essential part of setting up a Discord community server. You can create roles to determine a member's admin permissions, accessible channels, name color, and appearance on your server's Online list.

To start, go to server settings and click on "Roles" to add, manage, and delete roles. Here, you can create a role by clicking on "Create role" and entering the name of the role. You can also select a role color to make it stand out in the list of members.

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Deciding whether everyone can mention the role is also important, especially for moderator and group roles. This allows them to be notified when there's an ongoing issue that needs to be fixed.

Configuring the permissions for the role is the next step. It's best to start at the top and work your way down, as the order in which roles appear determines the hierarchy for the maximum level role a user can affect. Select the "Permissions" tab to do that.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps to create a role:

  1. Go to server settings
  2. Click on "Roles"
  3. Click on "Create role"
  4. Enter the name of the role
  5. Select a role color
  6. Decide whether everyone can mention the role
  7. Configure the permissions for the role

Remember, roles can be used to create friendly rivalry or prestige in your community. For example, you can let players pick a side in a game with factions, or give special benefits to patrons or content creators. By creating and managing roles effectively, you can build a strong and engaged community on Discord.

Creating Your Community

To start a new Discord server, click the plus sign beneath your server icons on the left side of your screen. This will take you to the server creation page where you can choose a template or create a server from scratch.

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Choose a topic or community for your server, as duplicate servers can introduce competition and separate discussions. It's best to choose a unique topic or community.

Select "for a club or community" from the next screen to set default community settings, such as requiring a verified email address to chat.

Enter a name and upload an icon for the server, including your business name and a logo that matches your brand assets.

You can create a server from scratch or use a template, such as "Gaming" or "Local Community", depending on what the server is about.

Think of your Discord server's channels as different places to talk about specific topics. You'll see them to the left of your server's messages.

Here's a quick rundown of the types of channels you can create:

  • Text channels: for communicating with text and photos
  • Voice channels: for talking over voice and video

Make sure your channels tie back to the goals you set for your community. For example, if you want to build a community for your customers, you could make channels based on everyday discussion topics like pets or TV.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a community server and a normal server on Discord?

Community Servers on Discord are invite-only spaces for people with shared interests, whereas normal servers are open to anyone with the link. If you're looking to connect with like-minded individuals, a Community Server is the way to go

Wm Kling

Lead Writer

Wm Kling is a seasoned writer with a passion for technology and innovation. With a strong background in software development, Wm brings a unique perspective to his writing, making complex topics accessible to a wide range of readers. Wm's expertise spans the realm of Visual Studio web development, where he has written in-depth articles and guides to help developers navigate the latest tools and technologies.

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