2 min read
By Mike
What Is a Discord Guild? Server vs Guild Explained
A guild is Discord's internal name for a server. Players say server, but the developer docs, API and bot code say guild, so a guild ID is simply a server ID and a guild command is a command that works in one server.
Guild and server mean the same thing
Discord started as a chat app for gamers, and "guild" was the word for a group of players. The name stayed in the code long after the app grew past gaming. Today the interface says server, while every developer document, error message and library says guild.
If you see "guild" in a bot's docs, read it as "your server". There is no difference in what it is.
Where you will see the word
- Guild ID: the server's snowflake ID. Bots store settings under it.
- Guild commands: slash commands registered for one server only, as opposed to global commands that appear everywhere the bot is.
- Guild members: a user's membership in one server, with their nickname and roles. The same person is a different guild member in every server.
- Guild tags: a small tag next to a username that shows which community a member belongs to. See the guild tags guide.
Why it matters for server owners
Everything a bot does is scoped to a guild. Settings, tickets, shop items and roles are saved per guild, so adding the same bot to two servers gives you two separate setups. Nothing leaks between them.
The guild also sets the limits. Channel counts, emoji slots, upload size and perks depend on the guild's boost level. And a guild's role hierarchy decides which roles a bot can hand out.
When you report a problem to a bot's support, the guild ID is the first thing they will ask for. Turn on Developer Mode, right-click the server icon and choose Copy Server ID.
How Noxyr treats guilds
In the Noxyr dashboard you pick a server from your list and manage everything for that one guild. Admins can copy settings from one server to another with Copy Settings, which leaves out anything that names a channel or role in the source server, since those do not exist in the target. If you run several servers, the one dashboard for many servers article shows the flow.
Next step
If you are new to the vocabulary, read about slash commands and the permissions integer. Both build on the guild idea.
Common questions
Is a guild the same as a server?
Yes. Guild is the technical name, server is the name used in the app.
How do I get my guild ID?
Enable Developer Mode in Advanced settings, then right-click your server icon and choose Copy Server ID.
Do bot settings carry over between guilds?
No. A bot stores settings per guild. Noxyr has a Copy Settings option to duplicate the safe ones into another server.
