The Discord warning system tells you by system DM when you've broken a rule, what Discord did about it and how it affects your account standing, which you can check under User Settings, My Account, Standing. Most violations expire after 90 days, and a plain warning doesn't affect your standing at all.
The bit people misread is the difference between a restriction and a violation. A restriction, such as a temporary limit on messaging or posting, can lift before the violation behind it expires. Until it expires, the violation stays under Active Violations and can keep counting against your standing, even though you've got your features back.
The five account standing levels
| Standing | What it means, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| All good | No active violations and access to every Discord feature |
| Limited | An active violation has temporarily limited some features; more violations mean more or longer limits |
| Very Limited | One or more active violations have limited more features for longer; more may put the account at risk |
| At Risk | One or more active violations; any further violation may mean permanent suspension |
| Permanent suspension | No access to Discord because of severe or repeated violations |
There's no fixed number of strikes. Discord weighs each violation by how severe the harm was, the type of content and your history of past violations, so one serious violation can move you further down the ladder than several minor ones. The most severe, such as breaking a child safety policy, go straight to permanent suspension.
What a violation DM tells you
You get a system DM every time you break a rule, with a card that summarises the violation. Press the card and you'll see the specific policy you broke, possibly the content that broke it, any actions Discord took on your account, and a link to the relevant part of the Community Guidelines.
The actions fit the offence. Post an image that breaks the rules and you may lose the ability to post images for a while. A violation that isn't particularly severe might cost you features for a few hours; a repeated or more serious one, for a few days or up to a year. Breaking the rules around a feature like Quests can mean losing eligibility for it, or having rewards you got through prohibited behaviour removed.
Warnings vs violations
| Warning | Violation | |
|---|---|---|
| Why you get it | You were in a server that broke the rules, or interacted with rule-breaking content, without doing anything yourself | You broke a rule |
| Affects standing? | No | Yes, while it's active |
| What arrives | A system DM explaining what happened and the rules | A system DM with a violation card and the actions taken |
How long violations last
Most violations expire after 90 days. They then move to the Expired Violations section and stop affecting your standing, though you can still see them there. More severe violations can stay active longer, so check the expiry date in each violation's detail. Only violations from after the warning system launched count; it started rolling out on 24 October 2023 in select regions.
Suspensions and server violations
A temporary suspension can last up to 1 year, and your account and username are kept for that time, so you get access back when it ends. A permanent suspension, what used to be called a ban, doesn't expire: you lose the account, get a grace period to appeal, and after that your username is made available again. During a suspension you can still log in to see your standing, your violations and how long the suspension lasts.
Server owners get violations too. If a server's focused on, or full of, rule-breaking content, the owner receives a violation, the server may be removed or lose features, and the owner can lose the ability to create servers or be permanently suspended. Members of a seriously violating server may get violations of their own. Only the owner can request a review of a server violation.
Warnings are one side of Discord's safety tools, and our Discord safety guide covers the settings you switch on yourself.
What to do if you get a violation
- Open the system DM and press the card to read which policy you broke and what Discord did.
- Go to User Settings, then My Account, then Standing, and check Active Violations and each expiry date.
- If you think Discord got it wrong, use the webform link in the violation notice to request a review of that specific violation.
- If it was fair, avoid a repeat until the violation moves to Expired Violations.
You can't appeal your standing as a whole, only the individual violations behind it. Discord says it can take time to answer every request, but it prioritises people who believe they've been permanently suspended by mistake.
The other thing people ask about is covered in my Discord File Size Limit breakdown.
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Is Discord reading your DMs?
The warning system didn't add any new scanning. Discord says it scans all spaces for high-harm content such as malware and child sexual abuse material, and may scan for other policy violations in large communities. It doesn't scan all content in smaller spaces like DMs, group chats and small non-community servers for other Community Guidelines violations.
Want the full picture? Start with the full Discord Account Hacked write-up.
My advice if you've had a Discord violation
Check your Standing page as soon as the DM lands, note the expiry date, and keep your head down until it passes. Don't confuse a restored feature with a clean record, because the violation can still count against you. Only ask for a review when you think Discord made a mistake, and appeal the specific violation, not your standing. If someone else is the problem, here's how reporting them works, and if you'd rather walk away altogether, here's what deleting your account involves.
Frequently asked questions
How long do Discord violations last?
Most violations expire after 90 days and move to Expired Violations. More severe ones may stay active longer, so check each violation's expiry date.
Do Discord warnings affect account standing?
No. Warnings don't affect account standing. Violations do.
How many violations before a Discord ban?
There's no fixed number. Discord weighs each violation by severity and context, and the most severe go straight to permanent suspension.
Where can I see my Discord account standing?
Go to User Settings, then My Account, then Standing.
Can I appeal my Discord account standing?
Not overall. You appeal the specific violations that contribute to it.
How long is a temporary Discord suspension?
Up to 1 year. Your account and username are kept, and you regain access when it ends.
