How to Create a Discord Server: Step-by-Step Guide
Creating a Discord server takes less than 2 minutes — but setting it up properly takes a bit more. Here's the complete guide.
Creating the Server
- Open Discord (desktop or mobile)
- Click the + icon in the left sidebar
- Choose Create My Own
- Select: For me and my friends OR For a club or community
- Name your server
- (Optional) Upload a server icon
- Click Create — your server is live
First Settings to Configure
Go to Server Settings immediately:
- Overview: Set a description and choose a Community Server if eligible
- Verification Level: Set to Medium (protects against bots)
- Default Notifications: Set to Only @mentions (prevents notification overload)
- System Messages Channel: Set where join/leave messages appear
Creating Your First Channels
Delete the default channels and create these:
Information category:
#welcome(read-only)#rules(read-only)#announcements(staff-only posting)
General category:
#general-chat#introductions#off-topic
Voice:
- General Voice
- AFK
Setting Up Basic Roles
- Go to Server Settings → Roles
- Click Create Role
- Create: Admin, Moderator, Member
- For each role, set appropriate permissions
- Assign roles to your team
Add Your First Bot
Start with one moderation bot (MEE6 or Carl-bot) and configure:
- Welcome messages
- Moderation commands
- Basic automod
Invite Your First Members
- Click Invite People next to your server name
- Set the invite to never expire
- Share it with your initial members
Once the basics are ready, list your server on Discords.ai to start growing.
Related: Discord Channel Categories Guide · Discord Bot Setup Checklist