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Discord Announcement Channels Explained: Publishing, Following and Tips

What Discord announcement channels are, how publishing and following work, how to create one, and how to get your news in front of members without pinging everyone.

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In this post

An announcements channel with a Follow button, sending its posts to channels in two other servers

Every server has news to share: updates, events, new releases. You can post it in a normal text channel, but Discord has a channel type built for exactly this: the announcement channel.

What an announcement channel is

An announcement channel (shown with a megaphone icon) is a channel for news that:

  • only staff can post in by default
  • can be followed by other servers, so your posts appear in their channels too
  • has a Publish button that sends a post to every server following it

It's available on Community servers. See how to turn on Community.

How following works

Someone who manages another server clicks Follow on your announcement channel and picks a channel in their own server. From then on, every post you publish is copied into that channel, with your server's name and icon.

That's powerful for:

  • Game studios and apps: patch notes appear in fan servers.
  • Bots and tools: users get update notices in their own servers.
  • Networks of servers: one main server feeds news to partner servers.
  • Creators: fan servers carry your announcements.

How to create one

A new channel: Create Channel → Announcement.

Turn an existing channel into one: Edit Channel → Overview → Announcement Channel, and turn it on. Your existing messages stay.

Publishing a post

Posting in an announcement channel doesn't automatically send it to followers. To send it:

  1. Post your message as usual.
  2. Click Publish on the message.

Only published messages reach following servers. Discord limits how often a channel can publish, so save it for real news rather than every small message.

Who can post

By default, members can read but not post. Staff with Send Messages in the channel can post, and publishing someone else's message needs Manage Messages. Check the channel's permissions so only the right roles can post. Our read-only channel guide covers the details.

Tips for announcements people read

  • Lead with the news. "New: forum for game clips" beats "Hey everyone, so we've been thinking…"
  • One announcement, one topic. Several small ones are easier to read than one wall of text.
  • Use headings and bullet points. Discord's formatting works in announcements.
  • Don't ping @everyone every time. Create an opt-in role like Announcements Ping and mention that instead. Save @everyone for things everyone really must see.
  • Link onward. Point to the channel or page with more detail.

Announcement channel vs. a read-only text channel

Announcement channel Read-only text channel
Members can post No (by default) No (once set up)
Other servers can follow Yes No
Needs Community Yes No
Good for News you want shared beyond your server Rules, FAQ, info

Let Cordary set it up

Cordary can create announcement channels or convert existing ones in a server plan, with the right permissions for your staff, and you review it before anything changes. It can also write and post a first announcement for you to approve.

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