While gaming chat is still a considerable part of Discord’s DNA, it’s expanded beyond that. Discord servers are created to discuss almost anything for people from all walks of life. As a server admin, you may want to include regulations on your server to help define its culture, keep it fun and safe, and set boundaries.
Before adding server rules, you’ll need to allow the Community feature on the server. Read on to find out how to do that, then add your rules.
Enable the Community Feature
To establish your server rules, you’ll need to allow the “Community” feature on the server first. Follow the steps to enable the Community feature by turning your server into a community server using the desktop:
- Navigate to Discord or use the desktop app to sign in.
- Go to the Discord server you wish to set the rules for.
- On the server name, click “Next,” then select the “Server Settings” option.
- From the “Server Overview” screen, on the left sidebar under the “Community” section, click “Enable Community.”
- To convert your server to a community server, click “Get Started.”
- On the “Safety Checks” screen, your email address must be verified before proceeding. If you haven’t done so already, then you can get it verified now. And the “Explicit Media Content Filter” should be switched on.
- Once that’s all done, hit “Next.”
- On the “Set up the basics” screen, you can use the drop-down menus to set a rules or guidelines channel and community updates channel. If you don’t have these channels, choose “Create one for me.” Once your channels are set up, hit “Next.”
- From the “Finishing touches” page, you’ll be presented with the following options:
- “Default notifications to Mentions Only”
- “Remove moderation permissions from @everyone”
- “I agree and understand”
- Check the checkboxes, then to complete the setup, click “Finish Setup.”
How to Add Rules to a Discord Server on a PC
Once your server is converted into a community server, you can add your Discord server rules. Here are the steps to do that using the desktop app:
- Launch the Discord web or desktop app and sign in.
- Navigate to your community server, then on the top left, click the server’s name and choose “Server Settings.”
- Click on “Membership Screening” beneath the “Community” section on the left sidebar.
- To add the server rules, toward the bottom of the page, click “Get Started.”
- Enter the rule you wish to implement on your server or choose from the set of example rules.
- Click “Add a rule” for more rules, then “Save” after adding each rule.
- Next, you’ll need to add a server description before the rules are active. Under “Description,” briefly introduce the server, then click “Enable.”
Once the “Membership Screening” feature is enabled, new members will need to agree to your rules before sending messages and reactions on one of the channels.
How to Add Rules to a Discord Server on an iPhone
Currently, the mobile app does not allow you to manage the “Membership Screening” feature. However, you can access your Discord account to manage and set up the new rules using the web app.
Before adding server rules, you’ll need to convert the server into a community server. Check out the “Enable the Community Feature” section above to learn how to do that. Next are the steps to add rules to your community server using your iPhone:
- Navigate to the Discord web app and sign in to your account.
- Go to your community server, tap the server’s name then “Server Settings.”
- Press the “Membership Screening” option from the left sidebar under the “Community” section.
- Tap “Get Started” toward the bottom of the page to add the server rules.
- Use the virtual keyboard to enter the rule you want to implement on your server. Alternatively, choose from the set of example rules.
- Tap “Add a rule” to add more rules and tap “Save” to save each rule.
- Now enter a server description to enable the rules. Under “Description,” say what the server is about, then tap “Enable.”
New members will now need to agree to your rules before sending messages and reactions on one of the channels.
How to Add Rules to a Discord Server on an iPad
If you’re using an iPad, there is no option to manage the “Membership Screening” feature using the mobile app. The workaround is to use the desktop experience by signing into your account via the web app.
However, before adding server rules, you’ll need to convert the server to a community server. For steps on how this is done, go to the “Enable the Community Feature” section above. Here are the steps for adding rules to a community server via your iPad:
- Go to the Discord web app and sign in.
- Navigate to your community server, press the server’s name, then choose “Server Settings.”
- From the left sidebar under the “Community” section, select the “Membership Screening” option.
- To add your server rules, press the “Get Started” button toward the bottom of the page.
- Now use the virtual keyboard to enter a rule. Or choose from the example rules.
- For more than one rule, press “Add a rule” then “Save” to save each rule.
- Lastly, to enable your rules enter a server description, then tap “Enable.”
Before a new member can participate on your server, they’ll need to agree to the rules first.
How to Add Rules to a Discord Server on an Android
Unfortunately, the mobile app doesn’t allow you to manage the “Membership Screening” feature yet. The good news is you can still use your phone to access the web app and set up your rules using Discord’s desktop version.
Once your server is converted to a community server, you can add your server rules. Steps on how to do that can be found in the “Enable the Community Feature” section above, then follow the steps below to set your server rules using Android:
- Go to the Discord web app and sign in to your account.
- Find your community server, tap on the server name, then choose “Server Settings.”
- Under the “Community” section from the left sidebar, choose the “Membership Screening” option. The “Membership Screening” tool will open.
- Now to add your rules, tap the “Get Started” button.
- Use the on-screen keyboard to enter the rules you want or choose from the example rules. Press “Add a rule” then “Save” after each rule to add more rules.
- Add a description in the text field under “Description,” then “Enable.”
New members will need to agree to your rules before sending messages and reactions on one of the channels.
Maintaining Order on Your Discord Servers
Setting rules on your servers can help to minimize bullying, spam, harassment and generally sets the tone. Discord allows you to set your own or use pre-set regulations for your community servers via the “Membership Screening” tool. New members must agree to these rules before they can join your server.
What type of rules do you intend to set up on your server? In the comments section below, share some of your methods to help keep your server(s) in order.
