How do I set up an official Discord Community server?

Step 1: Enable Community

1. Open Server Settings > Enable Community and click Get Started.
2. Accept the safety checks: verification level at least 'verified email' and the explicit media content filter for all members.
3. Pick (or let Discord create) a #rules channel and a channel for community updates from Discord. Keep the updates channel staff-only.
4. Confirm the default notification setting is Only @mentions and agree to the guidelines.

Step 2: Roles

Keep it to what you need on day one. You can always add more.

• Owner/Admin: full control, only 1-2 people
• Moderator: Manage Messages, Timeout Members, Manage Threads, no Administrator
• Member (or Student/Customer): the default access role, ideally given by onboarding or a purchase
• Optional: tier, cohort or interest roles that unlock specific channels
• Bot roles: placed above any role the bot needs to assign

Step 3: Channels

• START HERE: #rules, #announcements (announcement channel, read-only), #introductions
• COMMUNITY: #general, #wins or #show-your-work, one topic channel per real interest
• HELP: a forum channel for questions so answers stay searchable
• LIVE: a stage or voice channel for events and office hours
• STAFF: private, View Channel denied for @everyone

Step 4: Onboarding and safety

See Discord onboarding setup and AutoMod setup for details.

1. Set up Onboarding: 1-3 questions that assign roles and channels, plus Default Channels and the Server Guide.
2. Turn on AutoMod in Server Settings > Safety Setup: spam, mention spam and keyword rules.
3. Post an announcement and invite your first members.

Coming from a Facebook group?

A Community server covers what most Facebook groups use: announcements, membership questions (Onboarding), rules, events and topic spaces (channels and forums). The big difference is that chat moves fast, so put anything people need to find later in forum posts or pinned messages.

See moving a Facebook group to Discord for the migration plan.

Quick answers

Discord is confusing, how do I set up a server step by step for beginners?

Create the server, enable Community, create 4-5 roles and a small set of channels, set up Onboarding and AutoMod, then test with a second account before inviting anyone.

Is Discord free for communities with 1000 members?

Yes, creating and running a server is free. Nitro and Server Boosts are optional paid perks; check current pricing on the official Nitro page.

Can I turn Community off later?

Yes, it can be disabled in Server Settings, but you lose the Community-only features like Onboarding, forums and Insights while it is off.

How long does it take to set up a Discord community properly?

A focused setup with a template takes a few hours; from scratch, including bots, onboarding, rules and testing, plan on a day or more.

Related guides

• How do I set up Discord onboarding questions for new members?
• Discord server setup checklist
• Moving my Facebook group to Discord: how to do it (and get members to follow)
• Discord roles and permissions explained (like I'm 5)
• Discord AutoMod setup guide: every rule, response and exemption