How To Make a Channel Read Only in Discord

Cassandra McBride August 17, 2022

Discord contains unique and powerful features, but it takes time for new users to learn how to use everything it offers.

This article teaches you how to create and manage a Read-Only chat. You’ll also find helpful tips and answers to some of your frequently asked questions below. Let’s get started.

What is a Read-Only Chat

You’ve probably seen read-only chats and may not have realized what they are. 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 server rules, group and raid information concerning gaming, future events, and many other things. Read-only chats often get used to instruct new users before permitting them to comment.

Fortunately, creating a Read-Only chat is one of the more specific features to use in Discord and is more about what you don’t do than what you’re 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 Discord channel solely to provide information to your members. This section covers how to start from scratch.

Here’s how to create a brand new channel in your server where no one can comment:

Open “Discord” and click on your “server” in the left-side menu.
Access the menu by right-clicking the “Server icon,” then click on “Create Channel.”
Select “Text” in the “Create Channel” menu, add a label in the “CHANNEL NAME” section, slide “Private Channel” on if desired, then click on “Create Channel.”
Click on the “Gear icon” (Settings cog) to the right of “#[Channel Name].”
Select “Permissions” in the menu to the left.
Click the “red X” next to “Send Messages” to turn the option off.
Scroll down a bit more and click the “red X” next to “Send Messages in Threads” and “Create Public Threads” to disable both options.
Click on “Save Changes” at the bottom.

Now, you have a channel that won’t allow anyone without special permissions to send or create messages.

How to Make an Existing Channel Read-Only

If you already have a Discord channel you’d like to turn into Read-Only, here’s how to do it.

Open “Discord” and right-click on the “Discord server” with the channel you want to make Read-Only.
Click on the “gear icon” (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” to disable them.

Now, no one can send messages on your existing channel.

Discord Read-Only Channel FAQs

Can I open the read-only channel for messages again?

Yes, you can still allow messages in your read-only channel. Go to the channel’s “Settings Menu,” then go to “Permissions” and click the “green X” next to each feature you want to allow.

Can I allow existing users to send messages in my read-only channel while preventing spam?

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.

Where can I add people who can send messages in Read-Only chats?

If you want to assign other users permission to comment in your chats, you can create a unique role for them. To do this, right-click on the “server name” on the left-hand side of Discord’s main page, then click on “Server Settings -> Roles.”

On this page, click “Create Role” at the top, name your role, choose a color, and grant special permissions under the “Permissions” tab.

Return to the Read-Only channel’s “Settings” and click on “Permissions” in the left menu. Use the dropdown to the left to select the role/member you want to authorize for comments.