A Discord Community Server is a server you've switched to Community in Server Settings, which gives you extra tools to run, moderate and grow it, including Announcement Channels, Server Insights and Community Onboarding. To turn it on, your server needs a verified-email Verification Level, the explicit media filter on for all members, a rules channel and a channel for Discord's community updates.
Here's the catch. Switching Community on forces those safety settings on your server, Discovery is still limited to larger servers plus Partnered and Verified ones, and Onboarding won't publish until you've selected at least 7 default channels, with at least 5 of them open to everyone. Here's how it all works as of October 2026.
What a server needs before you enable Community
| What you need | Detail |
|---|---|
| Verification Level | Members need a verified email before messaging or DMing; members with assigned roles are exempt |
| Explicit Media Content Filter | Set to scan media from all members |
| Rules channel | A clearly posted rules or guidelines channel |
| Updates channel | A Community Updates or moderators channel where Discord sends announcements |
| Community Guidelines | The server has to comply with them |
How to turn Community on
- Select your server name in the top-left, then Server Settings.
- Select Enable Community in the left sidebar.
- Select Get Started.
- Agree to the Community Server Guidelines and Community Guidelines.
- Select Finish Setup.
Afterwards, you can change these settings under Server Settings, then Overview, below the Community header. That's where the Welcome Screen, rules channel, moderators-only channel and safety updates channel live. If you haven't built the server yet, start with my guide to making a Discord server.
The tools you get
- Announcement Channels. Users can Follow them, so your posts appear in their own servers.
- Community updates from Discord, sent straight to a moderator-only channel.
- Server Insights.
- Discovery. Discord says this is limited to servers with more than 1000 members, plus Partnered and Verified servers, and that it'll lower the limits over time.
- Community Onboarding.
Discovery is the one most owners want and the one they're least likely to get straight away. If you're aiming for the Partnered route, my piece on the Discord Partner Program explains where it stands.
Welcome Screen or Onboarding?
If your Community server still has the old Welcome Screen enabled, you can no longer edit it. Discord recommends using Community Onboarding instead. It's been available to all community servers since March 30, 2023. New members answer questions, pick up roles and channels from their answers, and get a personalised channel list. They can change their answers later in a Channels & Roles tab above the channel list.
Setting up Onboarding in six steps
Go to Server Settings, then Onboarding. You need Manage Server and Manage Roles permissions, or Administrator.
- Default Channels. Choose the channels every new member sees, usually the popular welcoming ones such as #general, polls, giveaways, forums or LFG.
- Customization Questions. Each answer can assign channels, roles or both. For every question you can choose Ask before a member joins, Allow multiple answers and Make Required.
- Make channels assignable. Make most member channels assignable through Onboarding. Discord tells you which ones aren't.
- Review and publish. You must have selected at least 7 Default Channels, and at least 5 of them must let @everyone View and Send Messages.
- Remove bot verification. Take out bot-powered verification steps that overwhelm new members.
If Onboarding won't publish, check step 5 first: count your default channels and check the @everyone permissions on each. My guide to making roles on Discord covers how permissions and role order work.
Discord's tips for better Onboarding
- Use Preview to see the flow as a new member would.
- Avoid giving too many answer options.
- Keep answers and descriptions short.
- Put questions that assign channels and important roles before a member joins.
- Leave non-urgent ones, like vanity roles, for the Channels & Roles tab.
Raid Protection
Raid Protection uses machine learning to detect likely join-raids. It can send you an alert and require a CAPTCHA from new joiners for the next hour. Turn the alerts on in Server Settings, then Safety Setup, then Raid Protection.
To compare notes with a similar topic, open my Discord Refund breakdown.
Should you make your server a Community?
If your server is more than a private group of friends, I'd switch it on. The required settings are sensible safety basics, Announcement Channels and Insights are useful from day one, and Onboarding stops new members landing in a wall of channels. Just don't switch it on expecting Discovery straight away: that's for bigger servers. Plan your 7 default channels first, and you'll publish Onboarding at the first attempt.
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A good companion to this page is my Discord Events breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a Discord Community Server?
A Verification Level that requires a verified email, the Explicit Media Content Filter scanning media from all members, a rules or guidelines channel, a community updates or moderators channel, and compliance with the Community Guidelines.
How do I turn on Community in Discord?
Select your server name, then Server Settings, then Enable Community in the left sidebar. Select Get Started, agree to the guidelines and select Finish Setup.
Why can't I publish Discord Onboarding?
You must have selected at least 7 Default Channels, and at least 5 of them must let @everyone View and Send Messages.
Does a Community Server get into Discovery?
Not automatically. Discord says Discovery is limited to servers with more than 1000 members, plus Partnered and Verified servers.
Can I still edit the Welcome Screen on a Community server?
No. If a Community server still has Welcome Screen enabled you can no longer edit it, and Discord recommends using Community Onboarding instead.
What does Discord Raid Protection do?
It uses machine learning to detect likely join-raids, can send you an alert, and can require a CAPTCHA for new joiners for the next hour.
