The simplest way to invite someone to your Discord server
To invite someone to a Discord server, you generate a unique link from the server settings and send it to them. They click the link, and they join — no approval needed unless you set it up that way. The whole process takes about two minutes and works the same way on phone, tablet, or computer.
Discord calls these links invite links. Each one is tied to your server and can be set to expire after a certain time or number of uses, or to never expire. You control whether people join when ready or wait for a moderator to let them in.
Key Takeaways
- You create an invite link from your server settings, and anyone with that link can join unless you require approval first.
- The link can be set to expire after a time limit or number of uses, or to stay active forever.
- You can create multiple different links for different purposes — one for friends, one for a community, one that expires after a week.
- If someone loses the link or it expires, you can always create a new one and send it again.
How to create an invite link on desktop or web
Open Discord and find the server you want to invite people to. Right-click the server name at the top left, or click the small arrow next to it. A menu will appear. Look for an option that says "Invite People" or a plus-sign icon — click that.
A window will pop up showing an invite link that starts with "discord.gg/" followed by random letters and numbers. This is your invite link. You can copy it by clicking the copy button (usually a small clipboard icon next to the link), then paste it into a text message, email, or anywhere else you want to share it.
If you want to change how the link works — for example, to make it expire after one week or after 10 people use it — look for a button that says "Edit Invite" or a gear icon. Click that to set limits. Once you save, the link will follow those rules.
How to create an invite link on phone
Open the Discord app and tap and hold on the server name at the top. A menu will appear. Tap "Invite People" or the icon that looks like a person with a plus sign.
You will see the invite link. Tap the copy button next to it, then open the app or message where you want to send it and paste the link. If you want to set an expiration time or use limit, tap "Edit Invite" before you copy it.
What happens when someone clicks your invite link
When someone clicks the link, they will see a page showing your server name and a preview of what channels are inside. They click a button to join, and they are added to the server when ready — unless you turned on membership screening, which requires a moderator to approve them first.
Once they join, they can see all the channels you have set them to see. If you have set some channels to be private (visible only to certain roles), they will not see those until you give them the right role.
Setting limits on your invite link
When you edit an invite link, you can set two kinds of limits. The first is expiration time — you can make the link stop working after 30 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, or 7 days. After that time passes, the link is dead and you have to create a new one.
The second is maximum uses — you can set the link to work only for the first 1, 5, 10, or 25 people who use it. After that many people join, the link stops working. You can also set it to unlimited uses, which means anyone can use it anytime.
These limits are useful if you want to invite a specific group of people and then close the door, or if you want to share a link that only works for a short time. You can always create a new link later with different settings.
Creating multiple invite links for different purposes
You can create as many different invite links as you want, each with different settings. For example, you might create one link that never expires for your close friends, another link that expires after one week for a public community event, and a third link that only works for 5 people for a small group project.
To create another link, go back to the invite menu and click "Create New Invite" or a plus-sign button. Each new link will be different, so you can track which link you sent to which group. If one link gets shared somewhere you did not want, you can delete just that link without affecting the others.
What to do if someone cannot join
If someone clicks your link and sees an error message, the most common reasons are that the link has expired, the link has reached its maximum number of uses, or the server is full (though this is rare). Ask them what error message they see, then create a new invite link and send it to them.
If they click the link and it takes them to a page asking them to prove they are not a bot, that is Discord's safety check — they just have to complete it to join. If they are already in the server and cannot see certain channels, that is a permissions issue, not an invite problem, and you will need to adjust their role or channel settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who joined using a specific invite link?
Yes. In your server settings, go to the invite section and look at the list of links. Next to each link, Discord shows how many people have used it. If you click on a specific link, you can see the names of people who joined through that link.
What if I delete an invite link?
Once you delete a link, it stops working when ready. Anyone who has that link will not be able to use it anymore. You can always create a new link to send to people instead.
Can someone use an invite link more than once?
No. Once someone joins your server using a link, they are already in the server. If they click the same link again, Discord will just take them to the server they are already part of. They do not join twice.
Do I need to be a server owner to create an invite link?
No. Anyone with the "Manage Server" or "Create when ready Invite" permission can create invite links. The server owner can give these permissions to moderators or trusted members.
Can I see if someone is still in the server after they joined?
Yes. Go to your server settings and look at the member list. You can see everyone currently in the server. If someone leaves or gets removed, they will disappear from that list.