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Discord messages in public discoverable servers to appear in search results

Discord will allow messages from public channels in discoverable servers to be indexed by search engines starting in mid-December, with opt-out options for admins and members.

A smartphone screen displaying the white Discord logo and wordmark against a dark background.
Image: @IGN

Discord announced that public-channel messages from servers listed in Server Discovery will soon begin appearing in web search engine results, according to reporting by TechCrunch. Starting in mid-December, public conversations will be indexed by Google and other search engines to make discussions easier to discover online.[1][2][3][5]

The indexing applies strictly to public channels located inside discoverable servers, while private servers and direct messages remain completely excluded. In addition, usernames and avatars will not be displayed alongside indexed messages, and messages sent prior to the mid-December rollout will not be cataloged. Both server administrators and individual users will have the ability to opt out of the indexing.[2][4][5]

Default settings for the feature will vary by region. Indexing will be enabled by default for adult users in the United States and most countries, but will remain switched off by default for users located in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and South Korea.[2]

Key facts

  • Public-channel messages from discoverable Discord servers will begin appearing in web search results in mid-December.
  • Google and other search engines will index the messages, but private servers and direct messages are excluded.
  • Usernames and avatars will not appear alongside indexed messages, and messages sent before the rollout will not be indexed.
  • Discord administrators and members can opt out of having messages indexed in search results.
  • Search indexing is on by default for adult users in the US and most countries, but off by default in the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and South Korea.

Sources · 5 sources

  1. TE

    TechCrunch@TechCrunchPost on X ·

    In December, messages from Discord's public discoverable servers will begin appearing in search engine results. https://t.co/qm2eilfRe0

    Open source
  2. UW

    unusual_whales@unusual_whalesPost on X ·

    Your Discord messages could soon show up on Google. Starting in mid-December, Discord will let public messages from “Discoverable” servers be indexed by Google and other search engines, per TC. It’s on by default for adult users in the US and most countries It’s off by default in the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia and South Korea Only public channels in Discoverable servers are included, not private servers or DMs Usernames and avatars won’t appear next to indexed messages Messages sent before the rollout won’t be indexed

    Open source
  3. IG

    IGN@IGNPost on X ·

    Discord messages in public, discoverable servers will soon be searchable on Google. https://t.co/uVN2l5ct2K https://t.co/71Do95KhSY

    Open source
  4. KO

    Kotaku@KotakuPost on X ·

    It's only for discoverable servers and admins and users can choose to opt-out, but "Discord messages will show up in web search" just *feels* weird to hear https://t.co/UAVju5tkaN

    Open source
  5. TE

    TechmemeArticle ·

    Discord says it will let public-channel messages from servers listed in Server Discovery appear in web search from mid-December; admins and members can opt out (Lauren Forristal/TechCrunch) Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch : Discord says it will let public-channel messages from servers listed in Server Discovery appear in web search from mid-December; admins and members can opt out — Discord announced on Tuesday it will make some conversations in its public servers searchable and easier to find on the internet.

    Open source