Discord is one of the most popular text and voice chat services in the world, with good reason: it’s packed full of various unique and powerful features. But it can take some time for newer users to learn how to use all of Discord’s amazing features.
This article will teach you how to create and manage a Read-Only chat. We’ll also give you some other helpful tips and answer some of your frequently asked questions below.
What is a Read-Only Chat
You’ve probably seen read-only chats without knowing exactly what they are called. It is a Discord channel that shows a bunch of information but doesn’t allow you to comment or speak.
These channels are great for consolidating information such as the basic server rules, group and raid information concerning gaming, future events, and many other things. We often use these chats to educate new users before permitting them to comment.
Fortunately, creating a Read-Only chat is one of the easier features to use in Discord and is more about what you don’t do than what you’re actually required to do. Though as simple as it is, there are quite a few more steps than you’d imagine.
Below, we’ll give you all the instructions that you’ll need for setting up a read-only “Announcements” style channel on your Discord server.
How to Create a New Read-Only Channel in Discord
Perhaps you’re creating a new channel on Discord solely for providing information to your members. In this section, we’ll review how to start from scratch.
Here’s how to create a brand new channel in your server where no on can comment:
- Open Discord and tap on your server in the left-side menu.
- You can quickly access the server’s menu by right-clicking the Server icon. Then, click Create Channel.
- Select the bubble to the right of Text, name your channel, choose whether it should be private or not, and click Create Channel. Note: Don’t select Private Channel if you want everyone to join.
- Now, click on the Settings cog to the right of #[Channel Name].
- Select Permissions in the menu to the left.
- Click the red X next to Send Messages.
- Scroll down a bit more and click the red X next to Send Messages in Threads and Create Public Threads.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom.
Now, you have a channel that won’t allow anyone without special permissions to send messages.
How to Make an Existing Channel Read-Only
If you already have a channel you’d like to turn into Read-Only, you can. Here’s how:
- Open Discord and right-click on the Discord server with the channel you’d like to make Read-Only.
- Click on the Settings cog to the right of the channel you’d like to manage.
- Click on Permissions.
- Click on the red X next to Send Messages, Send Messages in Threads, Create Private Threads, and Create Public Threads.
Now, no one can send messages in this channel anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is some more information to help you customize your Discord servers.
What if I want to restrict messages?
If you want users to be able to send messages but don’t want newbies spamming your chat, you can use the ‘Slow mode’ feature in the Server’s settings. Go to the server ‘Overview’ tab and move the slider between five seconds and six hours. The newest users will only have the option to send messages every five seconds or whatever time you set.
Can I open the channel for messages again?
Absolutely, simply follow the same instructions as above but click the green checks rather than the red X’s.
Where can I add people who can send messages in Read-Only chats?
If you want to assign others permission to comment in your chats, you can create a special role for them. To do this right-click on the server on the left-hand side of Discord’s main page. Then, click Server Settings and Roles.
On this page, click Create Role at the top and name your role, choose a color, and grant special permissions under the Permissions tab.
Head back to the Read-Only channel’s Settings. Click on Permissions in the left menu. Use the dropdown to the left to select the Role you’d like to have authority to comment.
Click the green checkmark next to the Messaging options. Then, Save Changes.
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