Alex Ruben
How To Set Your Discord Server to Public or Private in 2025
Getting your Discord server set up as either public or private isn’t just about clicking a button — it’s about control, security, and sometimes a bit of trial and error. Maybe you started a server for friends but want to open the floodgates to anyone interested, or you’re running a private club that should stay under lock and key. Either way, knowing how to switch between these modes, what settings matter, and how to keep things safe can save a lot of headaches later. It’s kind of weird that Discord doesn’t make this super obvious, so here’s an honest run-through based on experience — what worked, what didn’t, and what to watch out for.
How to Fix Your Discord Server’s Privacy Settings
Access Server Settings
First, you gotta get into the back end. On desktop, open Discord, then click on your server from the left sidebar. Next, click on the server name at the top to bring up a menu, then select Server Settings. If you’re on mobile, the process is similar but a little clunkier — tap your server icon, then look for the gear icon. Once you’re in, you’ll see a menu full of options, and that’s where the fun begins. On some setups, this might not work immediately; a quick re-login or restart can help if it’s acting buggy.
Decide If You Want a Public or Private Server
Here’s where you pick your flavor. For a private server, do NOT enable the community features, and don’t share the invite link too broadly. Manage your invite permissions carefully—set expiration dates, limit the number of uses, and make sure public invites aren’t floating around. It’s kind of essential if you want control over who comes in. Conversely, if you want a server that’s out there to grow and get discovered, you’ll need to make sure you’re meeting Discord’s community server requirements. That includes verifying your email, setting clear rules, and probably having some moderation tools ready to guide growth.
Enable Community Features for Public Servers
To push your server into the public arena, you’ll need to turn on Community in the settings. Head to Server Settings → Community. There’s a toggle — turn it on. After that, Discord will prompt you with a checklist: verify your email, set your server rules (kind of like a TOS), and designate some moderators if needed. This step is what most folks overlook; without enabling community features, your server simply won’t be searchable or considered for server discovery. On some setups, it’s a one-way switch that doesn’t always work on the first try. A reboot or a quick re-log can sometimes fix weird bugs here.
Publish Your Server in Discord Discoverability
Now that your server is good to go, you can make it findable in Discord’s native search. Still in Server Settings → Community, check the box labeled Make my server discoverable. This will add your server to the public search index, but only if you’ve set up your rules and verification correctly. Expect a short delay here — sometimes it’s instant, other times it takes an hour or so, depending on Discord’s backend. If you don’t see it immediately, double-check all your settings and make sure you’ve followed all the prompts. Funny thing is, on some servers, this feature doesn’t activate unless you’ve verified your email and set up rules beforehand. Weird, but that’s Discord for you.
Control Access with Invite Links and Server Rules
Always remember, whether public or private, invite links are your friends or enemies. Create invites via Server Settings → Invite People. You can set expiration times (Expire after) or limit max uses (Max uses) — this helps curb outsiders or bots flooding your server. Also, having a clear set of rules pinned in a welcome channel helps keep things orderly. I’ve seen servers grow smoothly just because they managed invites tightly and enforced community guidelines.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
Keep an eye on your server’s privacy at all times. Regularly review who has access, especially if you’re sharing invites widely. Also, don’t forget to enable moderation bots or tools — Mee6, Dyno, or the built-in moderation features — they prevent spam and keep the peace. And yeah, sometimes changing privacy settings on the fly causes hiccups; a server restart or re-logging usually fixes that. Good practice is to inform your members before flipping the switch from private to public or vice versa, because sudden changes can confuse or annoy folks.
Wrap-up
Basically, making your Discord server public or private isn’t complicated once you get what to look for — just a bit hidden in places. Turn on community features if you want discoverability, manage your invites, and keep an eye on settings. Because of course, Discord has to make it more complicated than it should be. On one setup it worked flawlessly right away, on another, I had to mess around with some reboots or re-logs. It’s not perfect, but at least it’s manageable once you know where to look. Fingers crossed this helps someone save some time.
Summary
- Make sure you’re in Server Settings
- Decide if you want privacy or discoverability
- Enable Community if public is your goal
- Check the Make discoverable toggle
- Manage invites carefully and set clear rules
- Use moderation tools to keep things safe
Final Notes
Getting your server set up how you want isn’t always perfect at first try, but patience pays off. If it worked for me — hopefully it helps you get your server flowing just right. Good luck, and may your community thrive without too much chaos!