The key to keeping your servers healthy and thriving is to ensure new members are having a welcoming experience that isn’t overwhelming, especially for those that are new to Discord. The larger the server, the more important it is for new members to find what they are looking for, and Community Onboarding can help with that!

Giving members the ability to focus on important channels will make it easier for them to engage and find value from your server! Let’s walk through how to set this personalized experience for your new members.

Step 1: Pick Default Channels

First, you’ll pick a set of Default Channels that every new member will get on their channel list. It’s recommended to think about what channels are relevant to or enjoyed by new and existing members, and select those as Default Channels.

To find what channels would be best, you can check out your Server Insights to see which channels your community is reading and talking in the most. Don’t hesitate to just ask your community either, especially new members! Channels like #polls, #giveaways, #general, and more are all great default channels.

Step 2: Create Customization Questions

Next, you’ll build on your Default Channels by creating Customization Questions that let members pick additional channels and their roles. This is a great way to help new members create a more customized experience in your server, so you can help them find the stuff that interests them.

Here you can create questions with multi-choice answers. . Member’s answers  will then add specific channels to their channel list and grant roles in an easily understandable way, even for new to Discord members!

It’s recommended you start with questions that assign all of your non-Default Channels to members. Here’s some example questions you can use:

A few best practices to keep in mind when creating these questions:

Keep it Simple! - Try to make the questions you’re asking understandable. Keep in mind that new members may not have all of the context and knowledge about your community. Encouraging them to get involved comes with them feeling comfortable knowing what they’re getting into!

Make it for them! - Remember that this is a tool for new community members. You, and the other admins, are going to gravitate towards specific channels; however, that doesn’t mean new members are going to want the same experience. We suggest checking in regularly with your community to see if these questions are helpful to send members to the right places.

Make the decision mean something! - Think about the gamut of channels your server has, and how those channels differ. When creating these questions consider asking yourself  “If someone selects this answer compared to that answer, how is their experience different? And does the question I ask make it clear the answer will deliver that experience?”

Step 3: Make sure your member channels are assignable through Onboarding

Now that you have Default Channels and your Customization Questions, it’s time to double check that most of your channels are included in onboarding.

If channels aren’t part of either Default Channels or Questions, newer members may have a harder time trying to find those channels! If you have lots of channels left out, try creating questions or answers that assign them. You’ll have channels that add value in their unique ways, so make sure they’re accessible!

To help identify which of your channels are not assigned the feature will point out those channels in the Channels Not Assigned section.

To learn more about Community Onboarding check out our FAQ!