I love the communities I’m part of on Discord. Threads are fairly confusing to the uninitiated, though, even for folks who have used similar chat-based platforms like Slack or IRC.
Hopefully this little guide will be helpful to you, if you’ve found yourself boggled by them, too.
What are Threads?
Threads are nested side conversations inside an existing Channel. Threads allow you to branch off from the main Channel conversation to discuss a sub-topic with other members.
For example, if the text Channel topic is “Gardening,” members can create a Thread called “Pests” to chat about how to deal with slugs invading their gardens. This keeps the Channel focused and prevents it from being dominated by issue-specific discussions.
Thread Duration
Threads are ephemeral, meaning they’re intended to be temporary. Every Thread is automatically archived after a certain duration of inactivity. (Inactivity is defined as the point at which no text messages have been posted.)
The default duration for Threads is 24 hours after inactivity.
After a Thread is archived, it will no longer be displayed in the Channel Sidebar, but remains discoverable via search and browsing.
Thread duration options vary by Server Level. Click here to learn more about Server Boosting pricing from the official Discord docs.
Thread Duration Options: All Servers
Members of all Servers have the following options when selecting a Thread’s duration:
1 hour after inactivity
24 hours after inactivity
Thread Duration Options: Level 1 Boosted Servers
If you’re a member of a Level 1 Boosted Server, you will have the following duration options:
1 hour after inactivity
24 hours after inactivity
3 days after inactivity
Thread Duration Options: Level 2 Boosted Servers
If you’re a member of a Level 2 Boosted Server, you will have the following duration options:
1 hour after inactivity
24 hours after inactivity
3 days after inactivity
1 week after inactivity
Level 2 Boosted Servers also have the ability to create Private Threads.
Creating a Thread
You can create a Thread either from a Channel or from a text message.
From a Channel
There are two ways to create a Thread from within a Channel.
From the Chat Bar:
Click the plus sign (+) to the left of the Chat Bar.
Select the Thread icon (a hashtag with a chat symbol on top of it).
Give your Thread a title and select a duration.
Click “Create Thread.”
From the Channel Menu:
Select the Thread icon (a hashtag symbol with a chat icon on top of it) to the right of the Channel name in the Channel Menu.
Click the purple “Create” icon.
Give your Thread a title and select a duration.
Click “Create Thread.”
From a Message
To create a Thread from a chat message:
Hover over the message text.
Select the Thread icon (a hashtag symbol with a chat icon on top of it).
Give your Thread a title and select a duration.
Click “Create Thread.”
Thread Permissions
A member’s ability to create a new Thread is determined by a) the server level; b) their account permissions for each Channel within the server.
Public Thread Permissions
A member’s Thread permissions in each Channel are determined by the Server Moderator.
Moderators can control the following member permissions in each Channel:
Send Messages in Threads: Allows members to send messages in Threads.
Create Public Threads: Allows members to create Public Threads.
Create Private Threads: Allows members to create Private Threads.
Manage Threads: Allows members to view Private Threads, as well as rename, delete, archive/unarchive, and turn on Slow Mode for Threads.
Click here to learn more about setting member permissions as a Moderator from the official Discord docs.
Private Thread Permissions
Only Level 2 Boosted Servers and above have access to Private Threads.
Creating a Private Thread
To create a Private Thread, check the option for "Only people you invite and moderators can see” when creating a new Thread.
Inviting Someone to a Private Thread
To invite someone to a Private Thread, simply @-mention them within the Private Thread.
NOTE: Keep in mind that all Server Moderators can view Private Threads, regardless of whether they have been invited.
Discovering Threads
To discover active and archived Threads, select the Thread icon (a hashtag symbol with a chat icon on top of it) to the right of the Channel name in the Channel Menu.
To Search: Click the magnifying glass icon to search for a specific term.
To Browse: Select either the Active or Archived tabs to scroll through a list of Threads.
NOTE: Depending on your Server Level and permissions, you may also have the ability to select and scroll through lists of Public and Private Threads within the Archived Threads menu.
Joining Threads
To join a Thread:
After searching or browsing for a Thread, click on the Thread name to open it.
Click on the three dots (...) to the right of the Thread name in the Channel Menu.
Select “Join Thread.”
You can also send a text message in the Thread to automatically join it.
Archiving/Unarchiving a Thread
There are two ways that a Thread can be archived.
Automatic Archiving
Because they’re designed to be temporary, all Threads are automatically archived after a certain period of inactivity. That duration is specified by its creator when creating the Thread.
Manual Archiving
Threads can also be manually archived. To manually archive a Thread:
Click on the three dots (...) to the right of the Thread name in the Channel Menu.
Select “Archive Thread.”
NOTE: Members will only be able to manually archive threads if the “Manage Threads” permission setting is turned on in the Channel by the Server Moderator.
Unarchiving
After a thread has been archived, a banner will display at the top of the Thread noting that it is archived. To unarchive a Thread, click on the “Unarchive” button within that banner.
Alternatively, you can post a text message within the Thread to automatically unarchive it.
Leaving a Thread
To leave a Thread:
Click on the three dots (...) to the right of the Thread name in the Channel Menu.
Select “Leave Thread.”
Deleting a Thread
To delete a Thread:
Click on the three dots (...) to the right of the Thread name in the Channel Menu.
Select “Delete Thread.”
NOTE: Members will only be able to delete threads if the “Manage Threads” permission setting is turned on in the Channel by the Server Moderator.