The Complete Guide to Using Discord
Everything you need to know to connect, communicate, and collaborate with people on Discord
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Are you new to using Discord, the chat and forum-based software that powers communities worldwide? You’re in the right place! I want to provide insight into how you can use Discord to the fullest without going overboard on features and settings.
I’ve been using Discord for a few years and host My Writing Community there. Discord is an excellent tool for connecting, communicating, and collaborating. Everything in this piece is based on my personal use.
What is Discord?
Discord’s website asks us to “imagine a place” where we can “talk every day and hang out more often.” That’s a high bar, but it’s also pretty accurate.
Discord is a team chat and forum tool similar to Slack or Microsoft Teams. However, where those other two are focused on business uses, Discord is focused on communities and fun. It originated as a tool for gamers to chat and stream their gameplay, and many of those functions remain.
Though, Discord isn’t just for gamers. It’s a collaborative tool to connect people around interests. You can access Discord with its mobile app, desktop app, or in your browser.
What’s a Discord server?
Each Discord community is called a server. You join multiple servers and interact with all of them. For example, in addition to My Writing Community, I also am in servers for Sidechannel, Garbage Day, Mark Ellis Reviews, and Midjourney. Depending on what I want to do, I can bounce back and forth between these servers and engage in conversations or threads.
What’s a channel?
Each Discord server is broken up into multiple channels. Think of these as topic-based chat rooms or forums. Each channel name begins with a #. Discord allows multiple channel types to facilitate different kinds of conversations:
- Text: Old-fashioned real-time text-based chat. If you’re old enough to remember IRCs or AOL chat rooms, text chat is similar. If that is gibberish, text channels are the same as Slack or Teams chat. Most Discord channels are set up as text.
- Voice: Live voice chat. Voice channels are Discord’s equivalent of Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse. These are less common but provide real-time live voice chat for anyone interested.
- Forum: Post-based conversations. Forums are also text-based but collect similar conversations into posts that people can reply to. Instead of a never-ending livestream of text, forums are more organized and searchable.
- Announcement: Server-wide announcements. These channels are typically restricted to the server administrators or moderators to announce events, rule changes, or content updates.
- Stage: Livestream video conversations. Think voice chat, but with video and where the hosts can present to an audience. Discord’s stage and voice channels are free features that help elevate the platform over its business-focused competitors.
- Private: Locked channels. Any text, voice, or forum channel can be locked, with access permitted to select people based on their role in the server or posting abilities.
My Writing Community employs all of the Discord server types for different uses. For example, there’s the #ongoing-discussion text channel to talk about whatever and the #entertainement forum to discuss what we’re reading, watching, and listening to. There are also private channels exclusively for supporters, like my #just-justin channel.
What’s a thread?
When replying to text channel posts, you can create a thread. Think of them as a hybrid between text and forum channels. They collect a conversation in a single space, pulling it out of the real-time chat. Threads help answer a specific question or dig deeper into a particular topic without derailing an ongoing conversation.
Threads are also what occur in forum channels. Sure, Discord calls those posts, but anyone who’s been around the internet long enough will call them threads. The terminology can be confusing, but the function is basically the same.
Any threads you follow or reply to (be they in a text or forum channel) show up in the Discord channel list under the channel they live. For example, Space Wizards and Laser Swords (the Star Wars thread) lives in the #entertainment channel of My Writing Community.
The number next to a forum channel’s name indicates how many threads (posts) are active (this does not occur for text channels). All threads auto-archive after a period of inactivity. This helps keep the server neat and tidy.
How do I turn off some of these channels?!
Discord can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not careful. But the first rule of any Discord server is that you don’t have to read everything. Only engage in the content that interests you. Discord makes this a lot easier by enabling channel muting.
Right-click or long-tap on any channel in the list and select “Mute Channel.” You can mute the channel for a certain amount of time or indefinitely. Muted channels are darkened in your channel list. You can also mute the channel for everything except if someone mentions you. This is helpful to stay connected in a channel you otherwise are uninterested in.
Want to ignore muted channels? Discord has you covered. Click or tap on the server name in your channel list and select “Hide Muted Channels.” Instead of being darkened in the channel list, they disappear altogether. This helps keep your channel list focused on your interests and makes larger servers much more manageable.
Can people mention me on Discord?
Yep! Like on most user-based platforms, you can mention other users by typing @ and their username. Autocomplete will provide options as you type, so you don't have to remember a full name. This is helpful when people use anonymous handles or alternate spellings.
There are also roles on Discord — think of them as groups of people. For example, a moderation team may have a specific role. Depending on the server settings, you can also @ mention the entire role. This helps bring attention to the moderators without figuring out who might be online.
Discord also allows @-mentioning everyone, which alerts anyone with access to that channel. This feature is typically restricted to administrators and moderators to prevent abuse of the notification system.
Note: Moderators and Administrators can mention @everyone in a given channel which typically overrides channel-based mute filters.
Abuse?! Wait, is Discord safe?
Just like any online platform, there is always the potential for bad actors to disrupt people’s experience. However, Discord provides many features to keep all users safe and unbothered by harmful people.
Each server has a set of rules that govern participation, and moderators can ban violators from the server. Additionally, most servers require rule acknowledgment before unlocking posting privileges which is a helpful reminder to new members.
Can I format my posts on Discord?
Discord uses Markdown formatting, which works in any channel. If you’re unfamiliar with Markdown, it’s a way to stylize text while typing without using functions or keyboard combinations (though they still work in Discord). Here are a few common text styles:
- Bold: Make text bold by adding
**before and after the text. For example, this is**bold**text. - Italics: Put text in italics by adding
*before and after the text. For example, this is*italic*text. - Spoilers: Hide text by adding
||before and after the text. For example, this text is||hidden||by a black bar unless clicked on.
You can also add emojis, gifs, and stickers to posts. Most Discord servers have custom reaction emojis to add a unique flavor to posts. For example, My Writing Community has a host of colorful “verified” checkmarks and emojis with logos of different publications and tools. React with the Medium logo, or give yourself a blue checkmark because you can!
Does Discord have bots?
Administrators can integrate Discord bots to enhance the server’s experience. Some bots provide moderation features, auto-responses, and role access. Bots are identified as such with a tag next to their username.
Most bots can be accessed by typing a / in any text channel the bot is permitted. For example, My Writing Community has the Midjourney bot installed in the #midjourney channel. Typing / brings up the Midjourney commands available to create images or get help.
To ask Midjourney to generate an image, type /imagine and your prompt into the chat bar. For example, typing /imagine a robot with giant wings will develop four variations of this prompt. You can then interact with the bot to create variations (v) or upscale (u) the images.
Bot commands and responses are typically not viewable by anyone but you. This keeps the channel clean and your bot interactions private. There are exceptions, however. For example, Midjourney shows generated image results to everyone so people can remix and build upon the images.
Is Discord free?
The Discord service is completely free. Some servers may charge a fee for admission or make it part of their subscription benefits.
Discord does have a Nitro service which is a monthly subscription fee. It provides added benefits to users, like personalizing profiles and increasing the upload file size. Nitro members can also boost a server. After x-number of user boosts per month, Discord unlocks server-wide features like higher-quality Voice and Stage channels.
Nitro isn’t a requirement for using Discord, and the core functions remain free for everyone.
Can I join your Discord server?
Yes! To get an invite link for My Writing Community, subscribe to This Week In Writing. The link to join shows up in paying subscribers’ welcome emails.
Come in and say hello! The best way to learn how to use Discord is to start using it. Interact in channels and respond to threads. After all, Discord is a place to “talk every day and hang out more often.” Now, go and make that happen!
