Quick answer: set the verification level in Server Settings → Safety Setup (Medium is a good default), then add a #verify gate: new members can only see the verify channel until they click a button or pass a captcha, and a bot gives them the Member role that unlocks the rest of the server. The level stops throwaway accounts from chatting. The gate stops bots and raids from ever seeing your channels.
Discord's built-in verification levels
| Level | What a new member needs before they can chat |
|---|---|
| None | Nothing. |
| Low | A verified email on their Discord account. |
| Medium | A verified email, and a Discord account older than 5 minutes. |
| High | All of Medium, plus being a member of your server for more than 10 minutes. |
| Highest | A verified phone number on their account. |
Change it under Server Settings → Safety Setup. On a Community server it's inside DM and Spam Protection. On mobile it's under Server Settings → Moderation.
What to pick: Medium for most communities. Go to High during a raid or for a crypto project launch. Highest blocks a lot of real people who don't want to add a phone number, so only use it if you're actively being attacked.
Add a verify gate
- Create a Member role. Give it View Channel on your normal categories.
- On those categories, deny View Channel for @everyone. New people now see nothing except what you leave open.
- Create #verify in your Start here category. @everyone can view it but not send messages.
- Add a verification bot and point it at #verify. It posts a button (or a captcha) and gives the Member role when someone passes.
- Leave #rules visible to @everyone too, so people read the rules before they verify.
- Test it with a second account: join, check you only see Start here, verify, check everything unlocks.
All three free Discord templates come with a read-only #verify channel and a Member role already in place.
Button, captcha or both?
| Type | Good for | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| One-click button | Friendly communities, streamers, most gaming servers | Stops simple bots, not determined spammers |
| Captcha | Crypto projects, servers that get raided, airdrops | A little friction for real people |
| Account age check | Servers hit by fresh alt accounts | New real users have to wait |
For crypto and trading servers, pair the gate with a read-only official links channel and a scam warning. Most scams there are fake support DMs, not raids.
Mistakes that break verification
- @everyone can still see a category. One unlocked category means bots skip the gate. Check every category as a new account.
- The bot's role is too low. A bot can only give roles below its own. Drag the bot's role above Member.
- Member has admin-level permissions. Keep Member to normal chat permissions so a verified spammer can't do damage.
- No one tested it. Always join with a second account before you invite people.
Common questions
Do I need a bot to verify members?
For a button or captcha, yes. Without a bot you can still use the built-in verification levels, and Community servers can make people accept the rules before they talk.
Will verification stop all raids?
It stops most automated ones. Combine it with a Medium or High level, slowmode on busy channels and moderators who know how to lock the server quickly.
Sources
Checked on 12 November 2026. Discord changes menus from time to time, so if a step looks different, the linked article is the reference.