How to Make a Discord Server Private or Public: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

You can change your Discord community privacy settings to change your server to private or public. Discover how to do it.

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One of the features of Discord is the ability to create private or public servers, depending on what you want to show to the world and what you want to keep private for your community.

A public server is visible to all users, and they can join the server without an invitation. On the other hand, a private server requires an invitation link from a member or the server owner, making it accessible only to a select group of people.

In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to make your Discord server private or public.

Making a Discord server private

When you close a Discord server, no one can see what’s happening inside except for the members of your community. Here are the steps to turn a public server into a private one.

Step 1: Manage Server Roles and Permissions

  1. Click on the server name at the top-left corner of the window. From the dropdown menu, click on “Server Settings.”

  2. In the “Server Settings” window, click on the “Roles” tab located on the left side.
  3. Select the role (e.g., “@everyone”) that you want to restrict from accessing specific channels or categories.

  4. Go to “View Members” and disable all permissions for @everyone.

Step 2: Manage Server Invites

To make your server truly private, you should also limit the creation of invites.

 

  1. Go back to the “Server Settings” window and click on the “Roles” tab.

  2. Select the role (e.g., “@everyone”) that you want to restrict from creating invites.
  3. Scroll down to the “General Permissions” section and disable the “Create Invite” permission for the chosen role.

Making a Discord Server Public

On the other hand, if you want to turn your private server into an open community, this is what you should do beyond adjusting permissions for @everyone.

Step 1: Enable Community Features

  1. In the “Server Settings” window, click on the “Community” tab located on the left side.
  2. Click the “Get Started” button to enable community features for your server.

  3. Then, you will be able to customize your server, including adding server rules and allowing Discovery.

 

👉 Discord has more privacy options, including making specific channels private and setting member roles to manage the community.

Why Should a Discord Server Be Private?

While public Discord servers offer a fantastic platform for connecting with a wider audience, opting for a private server can help maintain a spam-free environment and promote high-quality discussions.

By restricting access to your server, you can create a tight-knit community that shares common interests, values, and objectives. This exclusivity nurtures deeper connections and fosters a more intimate atmosphere, encouraging members to openly express their thoughts and ideas.

Private servers are particularly beneficial for communities where a safe space for idea exchange is crucial, be it gaming communities or remote workers and founders.

Therefore, striking the right balance between private and public spaces within your community is essential for maximizing value and cultivating an optimal environment for interaction.

Sofia Terlesky

Sofia Terlesky

I'm an SEO content manager with over five years of experience planning and writing for blogs and social media, helping small and mid-size businesses grow organically. Now, I'm responsible for planning Unita's content calendar—ensuring we are offering valuable content for community builders and founders.