Discord Server Discovery: Requirements and How to Enable It
Discord Server Discovery needs a Community server with 1,000+ members, 8+ weeks of age and 2FA for moderators. How to enable it and get found.
Published October 18, 2026
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Discord Server Discovery lists your server in Discord's Discover tab so anyone can find and join it. To qualify, your server must be a Community server with at least 1,000 members, be at least 8 weeks old, meet Discord's activity and safety requirements, and require 2FA for moderators.
You turn it on in Server Settings, and you need the Manage Server or Administrator permission to do it. Discord's Discover tab page describes the feature as experimental and available to only a percentage of users, so a server that meets every requirement may still not see the option yet.
What Discord Server Discovery is
Discord Server Discovery is the public directory of Community servers inside Discord. Members open the Discover tab, browse categories (gaming, music, education, science and tech, entertainment, student hubs), search by keyword, and preview a server before joining.
On desktop the Discover icon is at the bottom of the server list. On mobile it is at the bottom of the app. Per the Discover tab page, servers are sorted into categories and by popularity based on member count. Discord's Server Discovery page adds that only Community servers are eligible and that the list is not personalized to each user.
Discord Server Discovery requirements
Discord's Enabling Server Discovery page lists six requirements. The two with numbers stop most small servers.
| Requirement | What Discord says |
|---|---|
| Members | At least 1,000 |
| Server age | At least 8 weeks old |
| Activity | Must meet Discord's activity requirements |
| Safety | Safety requirements enabled |
| Clean text | Server name, description and channel names look clean |
| Moderator 2FA | The 2FA requirement for moderation turned on |
The server must also be a Community server first. Discord's Community server page requires members to have a verified email before messaging, the explicit media content filter set to scan media from all members, a rules or guidelines channel, and a channel for Discord's community updates. The same page says Discovery is limited to servers with more than 1,000 members and Partnered and Verified servers, and that Discord will lower these limits over time. The Safety Setup step also holds the explicit image filter, covered in Discord explicit content filter.
Nitro and boosts are not in either list.
How to make your Discord server discoverable
To make a Discord server discoverable, switch on Community, finish the safety setup, then press Set Up Discovery. Discord writes these steps for the desktop app.
Steps from Discord's Enabling Server Discovery page:
- Open Server Settings by selecting your server name in the upper left.
- Select Enable Community and press Get Started.
- Set the safety requirements Discord asks for.
- Open the Discovery tab once Community is on.
- Press Set Up Discovery when every requirement is met.
Discord's member applications page shows the same switch elsewhere: Server Settings, Access, then Discoverable under "How can people join your server?".
Why you cannot find Set Up Discovery
If Set Up Discovery is missing or greyed out, one requirement is not met yet. Check these first:
- Community is off. The Discovery tab appears after Community is on.
- Moderator 2FA is off. Turn on the 2FA requirement for moderation.
- The server is under 8 weeks old. Only time fixes this.
- Under 1,000 members. Discord says it will lower the limit over time, so check the current page.
- Name, description or channels fail the clean-text check. Rename anything with profanity or a misleading label.
- You lack permission. Only roles with Manage Server or Administrator can enable it.
- The feature has not reached your account. Discord calls the Discover tab experimental.
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How to get your server found on Discord Discovery
Being eligible lists the server; the server profile decides whether people click it. Discord's Server Profile page says traits are tags that "promote discovery", and that the name, icon, description and games show on the card people see before joining. It can only be edited on desktop or in a browser.
- Name. Say what the server is. Discord's guidelines require a name that accurately describes the server and is free of profanity.
- Description. One or two sentences on who it is for and what happens there. Discord bio ideas has wording to borrow, and the Discord bio generator drafts options.
- Icon and banner. For a discoverable server, a custom banner replaces the profile color, per the profile page. Sizes are in Discord image sizes.
- Traits and games. Pick the ones that describe the server, since they are how visitors filter.
Then keep the server moderated. Discord's Discovery Guidelines ask for a moderator team, a healthy and positive environment, no discussion of controlled substances, and no servers dedicated to regulated goods such as alcohol. A removed server is usually a guideline violation, per the Discover tab page. Most mods are volunteers; see do Discord mods get paid before you recruit. If you want a bot on the server, see how to add bots to Discord.
How to find servers on Discord Discovery
To find servers as a member, open the Discover icon, browse a category or search a keyword and press Enter, then select a server to preview it.
Per the Server Discovery page, the preview uses Lurker Mode: you can look through the server's public channels without joining. Press Back and the server disappears from your list as if you had never visited. Press Join at the top when you are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make my server discoverable from my phone?
Mostly no. Discord says the server profile can only be customized on desktop or in a browser, though people can view it on the mobile app, and its Discovery setup steps are written for the desktop app. Use a computer or the web version for Community setup, the safety settings and Set Up Discovery.
Does a discoverable server need Nitro or boosts?
No. Discord's Discovery requirements are member count, server age, activity, safety settings, clean text and the moderator 2FA setting. None mention Nitro or server boosts. Boosts unlock images and perks for a server, but they are separate from whether Discord lists it.
What happens if my server breaks the Discovery Guidelines?
Discord can remove it. Its guidelines say it may take a server or account out of one or more means of discovery after a recent Community Guidelines violation with an enforcement action, and Trust and Safety may join spaces to investigate. Discord may also look at off-platform behavior. Servers in public features should suit audiences aged 13 and over.
Should I pick Discoverable, Apply to Join or Invite Only?
Pick by how open you want to be. Invite Only is the default and lets only people with an invite link in. Apply to Join makes people fill in a form that admins approve, and while a request is pending they see no server content. Discoverable lets anyone find and join through Discovery.
Does Discovery make my server profile public?
Yes. Discord's Server Profile page says Private Profile is on by default, but your profile becomes viewable to people outside the server when you enable Server Discovery, the server widget or an announcement channel. A server currently in Discover cannot turn Private Profile back on.
Sources
- Discord Support, Enabling Server Discovery
- Discord Support, Enabling Your Community Server
- Discord Support, Discovery Guidelines
- Discord Support, Server Discovery
- Discord Support, Discover Tab
- Discord Support, Server Profile
- Discord Support, Server Member Applications
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