Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Discord & Features (Text Channels, Voice Channels, Bots, Roles, Discord Nitro)
2. How to Use Discord Like a Pro (Game Developers, Influencers, Business Teams)
3. Discord + Droplr (share screenshots, send files, create GIFs and memes)
4. Discord vs. Other Apps (TeamSpeak, Skype, Patreon, Slack, Microsoft Teams)
5. Appendix
Introduction to Discord and Features
Discord is a free text, voice, and video chat platform designed for remote groups. Discord is popular among gamers, fan clubs, interest groups, and developers. It is available on both desktop and mobile app. On desktop, Discord can be accessed as a downloadable platform or through your browser, while on mobile, Discord can be downloaded as an app or used through your mobile browser.
On Discord, communication occurs primarily via servers. Anyone can set up a Discord server as long as they have a Discord login. Servers can be set to either public, accessible by anyone with a discord login, or private and also accessible via a special link shared by the creator. Servers can contain up to 250,000 users (500,000 on some partnered and verified servers). Users can join up to 100 unique servers. While in a server, you can communicate with other users in the same server over group text, voice, and video chat.
Let’s go over the most important features of Discord.
1. Channels
Discord servers are divided into “channels”. Each channel can be set as either a text or voice channel. You choose the name for each channel. You can also group together channels under the same category to further organize your server. See the example below:
“A single server can contain up to 500 channels, both text and voice.”
A single server can contain up to 500 channels, both text and voice. A single category can contain up to 50 channels.
a. Text Channels
Text channels are used on Discord to send messages to others in the same server. They can also be used to upload files, share content, and send GIFs.
Discord’s single file upload limit is 8 MB, or 50 MB if you upgrade to Discord Nitro, Discord’s paid service. File sharing on Discord can be used to upload images, videos, or documents into the chat. In turn, other users can download uploads to their own computers.
Content can be shared on Discord through links to other websites or integrations with other apps. For example, with Droplr, you can share screenshots, GIFs, and screen recordings directly on Discord. After you take a screenshot, GIF, or screen recording with Droplr, simply copy and paste the generated tiny URL into the Discord chat. Images and GIFs even preview on the app so others can view them without leaving the platform. With Droplr you can share any content with anyone without them having a Droplr account. It’s all automatically saved to the cloud so it doesn’t clutter your desktop.
In addition to using Droplr or another service to create and paste your own GIFs, you can post GIFs to Discord by either uploading them or searching for them on GIF Picker. This helpful tool is available on Discord’s desktop app on the right side of the chatbox. GIF Picker provides a huge collection of GIFs from various sources sorted into various categories based on subject or emotion. You can browse through categories to select your perfect GIF or search for one in the search bar. You can also favorite any GIFs by clicking on the star in the top right corner of the GIF, thus allowing you to quickly access these GIFs again in your Favorites collection.
On Discord mobile, you can insert a GIF from your keyboard’s GIF collection into a text channel. These GIFs take longer to load onto the platform, but will still be embedded in the channel so all your friends will be able to view it.
b. Voice Channels
Voice channels can be used to speak with up to 99 users at once. To help manage such large numbers, Discord includes the ability to set a channel to “push-to-talk”, so that users have to push a button to use their microphone. While in voice chat, users can also continue to use text channels.
Within voice channels, users can turn on video chat and screen sharing. While in a voice channel, simply click on the video button to start sharing video. Typically, up to 10 people can enter the same video chat, though this limit has been temporarily extended to 50 people due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
You can start screen sharing either from within a voice channel or video chat by clicking on the screen share button. Discord will then prompt you to choose which application or screen you want to “go live”. You will then begin to share your screen with audio. If you want to screen share with no audio, click on the microphone button in the voice chat to mute yourself. While screen sharing, you can also continue to communicate via text channels. Like with video chatting, typically up to 10 people can participate in your live stream, but the limit has been temporarily raised to 50.
Typically, up to 10 other people can join your live stream and view what’s on your screen, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Discord has temporarily raised this limit to 50. If you want to go back to showing webcam video while sharing your screen, simply click on the video button.
If you want to view someone else’s Discord screen share, you can join their livestream if you are a member of the same server. To do this, go to the voice chat that they are in and click on their name. If they are currently screen sharing, you will notice the Go Live icon next to their name. While in the livestream, you can voice chat with the streamer and everybody else in the voice channel.
You can also join somebody else’s live stream while also sharing your own screen. Discord lets users switch between multiple Discord screens on the app. Though you cannot view both your own live stream and somebody else’s simultaneously, you can quickly switch back and forth between the two, thus allowing users to collaborate together on projects from a distance.
Do note that screen sharing is not available on Discord mobile, though you can view a live stream from your mobile device through the Discord app.
2. Bots
Another unique and important feature of Discord is its bots. These bots are AIs that can perform a number of useful automated tasks on your Discord server, such as welcoming new members, moderating content, and banning rule breakers. They can also add music, memes, games, and other content to your server. Discord bots can bring your experience to the next level whether you’re an admin looking for help moderating your server or a user looking for new ways to interact with fellow server members.
a. How to Find a Bot
You can find several websites that operate as bot lists. The top website for Discord bot lists is top.gg, though Bots on Discord and Discord Bots also provide good Discord bot lists. Top.gg sorts bots into lists based on rating, subject, newness, and certification by the Discord platform. If you’re new to bots and want to find all the best bots for your server, then you should search through the above lists to find bots that you’re interested in.
Here are some quick recommendations for the best Discord bots. MEE6 is the top moderation bot. MEE6 can automatically scan your server for foul language, bad links, spam, and spoilers and warn users of rule violations. You can also configure MEE6 to mute, kick, or ban users after a certain number of infractions. MEE6 can also “level up” users on your channel for participation and reward them with custom roles, and search for and play music.
If you want to spice your server up with some fun game bots, I recommend IdleRPG or RockPuppy. IdleRPG is a complex roleplaying game bot that lets you create a character, go on adventures, and level up alongside other server members. RockPuppy adds basic games to the server such as ConnectFour, Truth or Dare, Tarot, and an 8ball. Both game bots provide fun ways to get members more involved in your server by facilitating interactions through text-based games.
You can find more moderation bots, music bots, game bots, and more on any of the above Discord bot lists. There are also bots that provide features important for businesses and planning meetings like polls and calendar bots. For whatever you need on your server, there should be a bot for it.
b. How to Add a Bot
To add a bot to your Discord server, find it either on an online bot list or through the creator’s website. After clicking on your desired bot, click the “invite” button to be redirected to Discord’s browser application. There, as shown above, you will be able to decide which server to invite the bot to, though do keep in mind that you can only add a bot to a server that you are an admin or moderator of. After authorizing access, the bot will appear on your server and will be usable right away.
Every bot has a series of commands you can use in-server to get it to perform certain tasks. Some bots will display a tutorial in-server once you add them, while others will need to be looked up online on the bot’s website. To use a command, simply type it into the text box on a text channel and press “enter”. The bot will prompt you for any follow-up commands. See the GIF above for a quick example of how to use the “status” command on the IdleRPG bot.
If you want to remove a bot from your server, simply right-click on the bot’s name under the server’s member list and click either “kick” or “ban” depending on if you want to simply remove the bot or ban it permanently from your server.
c. How to Make your own Bot
If you cannot find the right bot for your needs, you can always make your own! To start off, go to the Discord Developer Portal and create a “New Application”. Then, click on the “Bot” tab on the left side of your application screen. Name your bot, and click on the “Generate” token button to create a “token”, a series of numbers and letters, for your bot. It is necessary to input this token at the end of the coding for your bot in order to verify it for Discord.
For the rest of the coding, you can begin by using an application such as Node (for network applications) or Pylon (a new application specifically for building bots). These applications will run your program after you write it using JavaScript. You can also find thousands of examples of code on GitHub if you search “discord bots”.
If you want more specific instructions or advice on how to write Discord bots in Python, Java, or C#, you can check out this article on WriteBots.
3. Roles
Another good way to organize users on your Discord server is by assigning different roles. Roles can be used to define a user’s role in the server, such as moderator or administrator. You can also create and set custom roles. Roles can be used to create private channels that only allow in members with certain set roles. This lets admins and others in charge hold private discussions away from the rest of the group. A server can have up to 250 different assigned roles.
4. Discord Nitro
Finally, one of the best ways to get the most out of your Discord experience is by purchasing Discord Nitro. Discord Nitro costs $99.99/year or $9.99/month and includes higher quality video and screen sharing, custom emojis and GIFs, a custom Discord tag, and an upgraded file upload limit from 8MB to 100MB. With Nitro, more users will want to become a part of your server and participate more frequently.
Nevertheless, even without Discord Nitro, you can access all of Discord’s base features and create an attractive server, completely for free.
How to Use Discord Like a Pro
While the above introduction to Discord should be enough to get your server up and running, there are other features geared towards specific types of Discord users that they should take advantage of. In this section, we will be discussing specific features that you should use if you are on Discord as a game developer, influencer, or part of a business team.
“If you already have a sizable following as an influencer on a different platform, then you can become a Discord Partner.”
1. Developers on Discord
Game developers can use the above advice to form a stellar server for fans to connect with their team. Discord has been used by several game developers to connect with fans and sell their product, such as Minecraft and Terraria. In fact, Discord lets developers sell their game from within the platform!
Developers can pay a small fee to unlock a Store Channel in your server from which members can directly buy your games. You get to keep 90% of the profits from all sales–significantly more than in big sale platforms like Steam. You get to fully customize your store without any competition from other developers. Discord also offers daily metrics and reports so you can analyze your sales and conversion rate.
Connecting your game to your server also lets you run private alphas and betas of new games for chosen fans. Discord is the only way to connect with fans, build a fan community, share development progress, and sell your games all within the same app.
Rich Presence provides another way for developers to connect their games to Discord. Rich Presence lets players launch your game and invite others all from within the platform. Players can also choose to “spectate” and watch gameplay instead of joining in. The feature also expands your game’s description in-app, thus providing more details on a player’s Discord status while they’re in-game.
Rich Presence is a free add-on feature for games on Discord. You can include it by adding the Rich Presence open source code into your game code using C, C++, Unity, or Unreal. For more detailed instructions on how to integrate Rich Presence into your games, click here.
2. Influencers on Discord
Influencers know the importance of building up a fanbase for their brand. As such, Discord has become so popular among influencers because it offers an enclosed space to interact directly with fans walled off from the rest of the internet. It is considered safer than most social media platforms because servers can be set to invite-only, meaning you have to be approved by a server’s moderators before you can join. Discord enforces community guidelines that are more expansive than most, banning activities like doxxing and the releasing of private information. Servers can also enforce their own rules on top of the community guidelines. As stated in The Atlantic, influencers have flocked to Discord because it “provides a respite from the trolls they encounter on the broader internet”.
The best way to build a following on Discord as an influencer and attract fans to your server is to get verified (verification is a good idea for game developers as well). Verification confirms that your server is legit and that you are who you say you are. Verified servers are identified by a purple checkmark located next to the server’s name.
Verified servers also get a few exclusive perks. You can promote your custom brand through custom splash art and a custom invite link to your server. Verified servers also have access to VIP voice servers with higher performance than average voice servers.
Influencers should also make use of the ability to form role-exclusive channels, as described above. They can be used to set aside special channels for specific fans who have been very active on the server or contributed to you monetarily on another site. You can use these private channels for exclusive events or personal interactions between fans and you, the influencer. This is a great way to encourage server participation and outside support for your brand by offering special perks for fans who offer you the most support. For more information about how to set up a private text or voice channel, you can check out this article by Discord support.
If you already have a sizable following as an influencer on a different platform, then you can become a Discord Partner. Discord Partners get several special perks such as personalized servers, high performance voice servers, an exclusive badge, a free hoodie, and free access to Discord Nitro. Top partners can be promoted to premium status and even get paid by Discord!
To become a Discord Partner, you have to apply online. Discord chooses people to become partners who already have a robust server or presence on another social media site–the typical Discord Partner has a server size of 820 members as well as 11,642 followers on Twitter, 10,425 followers on Twitch, or 113,638 YouTube subs.
3. Business Teams on Discord
Several businesses have recently switched from using other communication apps like Slack or Microsoft Teams to Discord. The main draw is that Discord’s base product is 100% free, as stated above. You can create a Discord account, build a server, and add others to it with a Discord invite link for no cost. Text, voice, and video chat, along with screen sharing, are likewise entirely free.
Another great feature of Discord for businesses is its high server limits. Servers can support up to 250,000 members and 25,000 simultaneous online members–more than enough for most business teams, as well as great for open source projects that bring in many collaborators. Servers can also support up to 500 separate channels, so you can keep conversations organized under hundreds of different topics.
Likewise, bots can be used by businesses to keep employees on track or add some fun into the work day. Bots can be used to moderate content on your server so that conversations stay on track and workers refrain from sharing outside links or spam. Poll and calendar bots can be integrated to help schedule meetings. Other bots let you share music and videos with co-workers, conduct polls, or even play games. Take a break from your work by playing a quick Discord game such as Mafia or The Hunger Games as a group bonding activity!
In terms of security features, Discord has you covered with 2FA and a client-server architecture that keeps your IP securely locked down. Any login attempts into your account from a different IP than what you normally use must be verified over email. Additionally, setting your server to invite-only ensures that nobody else can get into your remote workspace.
Although Discord has few native integrations, there are a few that prove useful to businesses. Droplr’s integration with Discord ensures that any screenshots, GIFs, or screen recordings you take can be shared directly with co-workers on the platform. Droplr includes enterprise-level security as well, so your drops will stay safe from security breaches or spammers.
Discord also integrates with Zapier, which automatically connects the platform with thousands of other work productivity apps. Zapier lets your Discord account integrate with apps like Trello, Google Drive, Zoom, and Stripe. For detailed information on each integration, visit Zapier’s Discord page.
Discord + Droplr
Level up your Discord experience even further with Droplr! Droplr helps you communicate faster with your Discord friends. With Droplr, you can quickly make and share screenshots, GIFs, and screen recordings on Discord. Sharing a screenshot from Droplr takes only seconds, so you can reply to a conversation with an informational screen capture or funny GIF right away.
How does this work? Well, whenever you take a screen capture with Droplr, it automatically saves to the cloud. Droplr then generates a short link associated with your capture. Simply paste this link into Discord for your screenshot or recording to appear on the channel. Your friends can also click the link to see the full version of your screen capture in-browser.
This method of cloud sharing works with any file you upload to Droplr! Your page on the Droplr cloud stores not only your screenshots and recordings but also any other file you upload. This is a great way to share larger files on Discord. Discord’s file upload limits are notoriously low (8GB on most servers and 50MB on paid Discord Nitro servers). To get around this limit, you can upload a file to Droplr and then share it on Discord by pasting its associated short link into the chat.
Finally, Droplr lets you create your own memes and GIFs, which you can then share on Discord using the same method. To make a GIF with Droplr, all you have to do is click “screen record as GIF”. Then, capture the portion of your screen that you wish to turn into a GIF. You decide how long you record–there is no limit to your GIF length! Then, paste your GIF’s short link into Discord and it will appear right in your chat.
The process for creating and sharing memes with Droplr is pretty similar. First, take a screenshot of the screen image you wish to turn into a meme. Then, you can edit your screenshot in Droplr with markup tools. You can add text, draw on your image, blur out anything you don’t want, and even paste on emojis! After you finish editing, Droplr will create a short link for your image that you can paste into Discord. You can create and share the perfect meme for any conversation with Droplr + Discord!
This is just a glance of all you can do with Droplr. For more information, check out our website or YouTube channel. We regularly update our knowledge base on Discord, so be sure to follow us through email if you want to stay up-to-date on everything you need to know to run an awesome Discord server!
Discord vs. Other Apps
Discord’s free multi-level communication platform is a great solution for various groups looking for a place to collaborate online. However, it is not without competitors. Let’s go over a few alternatives to Discord and consider which platform works best for what purposes.
“Discord is the better choice for extremely large teams, like open source projects, that need voice and video chat with higher user limits or for game development teams who need access to Discord’s various features for gaming.”
For Gamers: TeamSpeak
TeamSpeak is a voice chat app specifically designed for gaming and esports. TeamSpeak features the best voice quality of any competitor as well as advanced security such as military-grade encryption and anonymous usage. TeamSpeak also includes unlimited subchannels and file transfer. The Teamspeak client can be downloaded for free.
On the other hand, TeamSpeak’s interface is much less appealing and intuitive and doesn’t support video. TeamSpeak’s text chat is also much more basic in terms of both visuals and function. In all, TeamSpeak is a competitive option for esports and competitive gamers but not for any other Discord users.
For Meetings: Skype
Skype’s voice and video chat service is very popular for both individuals and businesses. Skype can be used to call both other users and phone numbers (at cheaper international rates than most networks). Users can also get a local phone number on skype, use skype voicemail, and automatically translate calls in a different language using skype’s translator. Skype’s video service is more reliable than Discord’s, but it includes none of Discord’s server and channel options. Skype’s popular skype for business app has recently been replaced with Microsoft Teams (see below).
For Developers and Influencers: Patreon
Patreon provides a way for independent studios, artists, and influencers to communicate directly with fans and receive financial support. Fans donate a set monthly price to the Patreon accounts of their favorite creators in return for new content, supporter-only posts and messages, and special events. Patreon takes a cut of the money made, from 5% to 12% depending on which plan you select.
Patreon is important in that it grants creators and influencers a source of income, which Discord only does for the top creators. However, Patreon does not help you connect with fans who support you in other ways apart from financial assistance, nor does it encourage communication between fans in the way that Discord’s channels do. It is recommended for developers and influencers have both a Patreon account and a Discord server to reach out to as many fans as possible.
For Business Teams: Slack
Like Discord, Slack includes multiple channel functions, voice and video chat, screen sharing, and direct messaging. Slack’s channels cannot be divided into text and voice channels, however. But Slack’s channels do have an advantage over Discord–threads. While in a channel, you can choose to reply directly to someone’s comment and start a new thread. This helps keep conversations on-topic and channels uncluttered. In Slack, if users start having multiple conversations in the same channel, they can just take those conversations to threads. This is not possible in Discord, so Discord channels quickly become confusing to navigate when different conversations occur at the same time.
In Slack, you can share your screen from within a voice or video call, though these calls are limited to only 15 participants. A special feature within Slack is the ability to mark up another person’s screen during screen share–you can make notes or highlight pertinent information. This makes it easy for team members to collaborate on projects even while remote.
However, Slack’s video services, unlimited team messages, and large user capabilities are only available on paid plans, which start from $6.67/month. Slack includes an impressive number of integrations with other apps such as Google Drive, Droplr, Zapier, and Giphy and hundreds more. Slack also uses bots to manage teams efficiently. Overall, Slack is an excellent pick for work teams who can afford the monthly price tag.
For Business Teams: Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is very similar to both Discord and Slack and is primarily used for business teams to communicate remotely over text, voice, and video. In both Discord and Microsoft Teams, you can divide your server or team messaging board into channels, though MS Teams does not include voice channels. Like Slack, in MS Teams, you can reply directly to a comment in a channel and start a separate thread. However, Microsoft Teams limits its server to 10,000 users, which should be enough for most businesses but may not be for huge open source teams.
In Microsoft Teams, you can call any of your contacts, regardless of if they are members of your team. Up to 20 people can join your voice or video call from chat, though up to 300 people can join a cloud meeting. MS Teams also lets you screen share while in a call as long as you are on Windows 10 or Mac OS. You can also share your system’s audio along with your screen. While screen sharing, others in the call can annotate your screen with Microsoft Whiteboard. This lets teams highlight pertinent information or add notes to a screen.
Microsoft Teams also makes it easy to share files through OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, or by uploading files directly to Teams. Up to 1 TB of files can be stored per organization and 25 TB per group, with a single file upload limit of 15 GB. Microsoft Teams includes 28 native apps available for integration on its platform with tools like Wikipedia, OneNote, and Azure. If you go online to the MS Teams website, you can integrate an additional 500+ apps with platforms like Salesforce, Google Analytics, and also Droplr.
Microsoft Teams provides a free version that includes all of the basic features of the platform. Microsoft Teams’ free plan includes unlimited text communication, audio and video calling, screen sharing, 10 GB of file sharing, and 250+ integrations. Paid plans come with Microsoft 365, which includes all Microsoft Office products like Word, OneNote, and Outlook. Paid plans are also necessary for advanced features like video conferencing meetings, 1 TB of file storage, more file storage and sharing with OneDrive, SSO and 2FA, and admin management tools. Paid plans start at $5/user/month. Overall, Microsoft Teams is an excellent choice for business teams in both its free and paid plans. However, Discord is the better choice for extremely large teams, like open source projects, that need voice and video chat with higher user limits or for game development teams who need access to Discord’s various features for gaming.
Appendix
Check out our series of articles on Discord for free on our website
You can also check out our Discord + Droplr playlist on YouTube: