A Discord leave message is an embed the bot posts to a channel you choose whenever a member exits the server, filled in with that member's name and the server's new member count. It is configured separately from the welcome message, even though the two look similar, because a server that greets people loudly but says nothing when they leave feels one-sided — and some servers want the opposite: a quiet welcome and a very visible leave count for raid-watching. This guide covers setting it up, what placeholders actually work, and where it can go wrong.
Welcome and leave are two separate settings
On Noxyr's dashboard, Welcome and Leave live on different pages with their own channel, enabled switch, embed title, message, color and image. They are saved through the same settings endpoint, but saving one never touches the other — turning leave messages on does not silently enable welcome messages, and editing the leave wording does not overwrite anything the welcome page has. Each also has its own module toggle, so a server can run one without the other: a common combination is welcome on (to greet new members and explain the rules) with leave off (so a quiet departure does not read as a callout).
Setting up a leave message
- Pick a leave channel. Without one, nothing posts, even with the toggle on.
- Turn on "Enabled". The channel alone does not activate it.
- Write the embed title and message. Defaults exist ("Member Left") but read as generic; a one-line message that actually mentions the server sounds less like a template.
- Set a color and, optionally, an image. The image needs a direct
https://link to a PNG, JPG or GIF — a page URL that merely shows an image will not render.
All of it is on the Leave page of the dashboard, with a live preview next to the form so you see the actual embed before saving, not just raw text.
Placeholders that actually work
Four placeholders are filled in automatically when the message sends: {user} (a mention of the person who left — note that a mention of someone no longer in the server renders as their name, not a live ping), {userTag} (their username without a ping, useful since pinging someone who just left does nothing anyway), {server} (the server's name) and {memberCount} (the count right after they left). Anything else typed into the message is left exactly as typed — there is no silent failure, but there is also no autocomplete, so a typo like {usertag} just prints literally.
A message built entirely around {userTag} and {memberCount} reads well for growth-focused servers: "{userTag} just left {server}. We're now {memberCount} strong." keeps the tone neutral instead of dramatic.
Image fallback: one banner for every message
If the leave page's own Image URL is left blank, the message falls back to a default image set once on the Setup page, the same fallback used by welcome messages, verification and a handful of other embeds. That means a server can ship one branded banner and have every join/leave/verify message use it automatically, and only needs a per-page override for the messages that should look different. See our guide to server-wide embed branding for how that default is set and where else it applies.
Common mistakes
- Channel set, toggle off (or vice versa). Both need to be true. The dashboard's Overview page flags this as a module that is "on but not finished" if it catches it.
- Pointing at a channel the bot cannot post in. Check the bot's permission overrides in that specific channel, not just its server-wide role permissions — a channel-level deny still blocks it.
- Expecting a leave message to explain why someone left. It cannot. Discord does not tell any bot whether a member left voluntarily or was kicked/banned — those are separate events entirely, and a kick or ban is something anti-nuke and moderation logging reports on, not the leave message.
Why bother with a leave message at all
Three real reasons servers turn it on: a live signal of member churn without opening Discord's own member list, a lightweight way to spot a mass-leave event (many leave messages in seconds is a symptom worth checking, alongside your security settings), and, for smaller communities, simple courtesy — regulars notice when someone they knew leaves. None of it needs to be elaborate; a plain one-liner with the member count does the job.
Common questions
Can I use the same channel for welcome and leave? Yes. Nothing stops it, though most servers prefer separating them so an active channel does not mix arrivals and departures.
Does the leave message show who banned or kicked the member? No. It only knows the member is gone, not why. For that, check the audit log or your log channel.
Can a leave message have a button, like the welcome message does? No — welcome messages support an optional link button; leave messages do not, since there is nothing left to click through to for someone who has gone.
Will disabling the Welcome module also disable Leave? No, they are separate modules (welcome and leave) in /module and on the dashboard's Modules page — turn either off independently.
What happens to messages already sent if I change the wording later? Nothing. Only new leave events use the updated message; past posts in the channel are untouched.
Set it up on the Leave page of your server dashboard, and pair it with a welcome message people actually read so both ends of the member lifecycle are covered.