Discord server template

Coding Discord server template

A programming server is a help desk with a social life. The help part only works if questions land in the right place with enough detail to answer, and if the people answering do not burn out. This template splits help by language and area, makes good questions the rule, gives regular helpers a role that is visible and earned, and keeps showcases and job posts out of the help channels so they stay readable.

Build this server in Discord

Free. Adds channels and roles, deletes nothing.

Customise it first

Channels: 23
Roles: 8
Rules: 8

Who this template is for

Programming learning communities and bootcamp cohorts
Open-source project and developer tool communities
Coding clubs, hackathon teams and dev meetups

A support server for a commercial software product fits the business template better. A small team building one project together only needs a few private channels.

Channels and categories

Every channel, its purpose and who can post. Read-only and private channels are set up with the right permission overwrites, so you do not have to configure them by hand.

Start Here

rulesRead-only (Owner can post)
Server rules and how to ask a good question.
announcementsRead-only (Owner, Moderator can post)
Server news, events and hackathons.
how-to-askRead-only (Owner, Moderator can post)
Question template, code blocks and how to share errors.
introductions300s slowmode
Who you are, what you build and what you want to learn.

Help

python-help30s slowmode
Python questions. Use code blocks with ```py.
javascript-help30s slowmode
JavaScript, TypeScript and Node.js questions.
web-dev-help30s slowmode
HTML, CSS, frameworks, hosting and deployment.
game-dev-help30s slowmode
Unity, Godot, Unreal and game programming.
other-languages-help30s slowmode
Everything else: Java, C#, C++, Go, Rust and more. Name the language first.
databases-and-devops30s slowmode
SQL, Docker, CI, cloud and servers.

Review and Showcase

code-review120s slowmode
Ask for a review. Link the repo or paste a focused snippet and say what you want reviewed.
showcase3600s slowmode
Projects you built. Say what it is, the stack and a link.

Community

general
Developer chat and anything off-topic.
career-advice60s slowmode
CVs, interviews, first jobs and freelancing.
jobs21600s slowmode
Paid roles only, using the pinned format: role, pay, location, how to apply.
resources
Docs, courses and tools worth sharing. Explain why it is useful.

Voice

Pair Programming 1voice
Pair Programming 2voice
Loungevoice

Staff

staff-chatPrivate: Owner, Moderator, Mentor
Private staff and mentor discussion.
helper-nominationsPrivate: Owner, Moderator, Mentor
Nominate members who answer questions well for the Helper role.
mod-logPrivate: Owner, Moderator
Moderation actions and AutoMod alerts.
Staff VoicevoicePrivate: Owner, Moderator, Mentor

Why it is laid out this way

Help: Help channels by language and area keep answers searchable and let experts mute what they do not know. A 30-second slowmode stops the same question being posted in pieces.
how-to-ask: A pinned question template is the single biggest improvement to answer quality. Link to it whenever someone asks to ask.
Helper: Helper is earned, not self-assigned, and nominated in a staff channel. A visible role is the main reward that keeps volunteers answering.
showcase: A 1-hour slowmode and a required description keep it a showcase rather than a link dump.
jobs: Paid roles only with a fixed format. Unpaid "opportunities" and exposure offers are the most common complaint in developer servers.

Roles and permissions

Roles are listed from highest to lowest. Member and ping roles carry no extra permissions because @everyone already has Discord's defaults. Check any role in the permissions calculator.

Roles from highest to lowest, with what each can do
Role	What it can do
OwnerShown separately	Runs the server. Full management without Administrator. Key permissions: Manage Server, Manage Roles, Manage Channels, Manage Webhooks, Manage Expressions, View Audit Log, Ban Members, Kick Members, Timeout Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads and Posts, Manage Nicknames, Manage Events, Mention @everyone, @here and All Roles, Mute Members, Deafen Members, Move Members
ModeratorShown separately	Enforces rules, removes malware and handles reports. Key permissions: Kick Members, Ban Members, Timeout Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads and Posts, Manage Nicknames, View Audit Log, Mute Members, Move Members
MentorShown separately	Experienced developers who help and moderate help channels. Can time out and manage messages. Key permissions: Timeout Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads and Posts
HelperShown separately	Recognition role for members who answer questions well. Nominated by staff.
Python	Self-assigned interest role. Lets mentors ping people for Python events.
JavaScript	Self-assigned interest role for JavaScript and TypeScript developers.
Game Dev	Self-assigned interest role for game developers.
Events Ping	Opt-in ping for workshops, code jams and hackathons.

Server rules

Posted to #rules when you build with Discrofy, or copy them.

Ask answerable questions
Post in the right language channel, say what you expected, what happened and what you tried. Include the error and a minimal code sample as text in a code block, not a screenshot.
Do not ask to ask
Skip "can anyone help with Python?" and post the question. Do not DM people for help unless they offer.
No homework or interview cheating
We help you understand; we do not write graded assignments or answer live assessments for you.
No malware or account abuse
No malware, token grabbers, cheats, credential stuffing or tools that break Discord’s or any platform’s terms. Security research talk is fine; weaponised code is not.
Never share secrets
Remove API keys, tokens and passwords before posting code. If you leak one, rotate it immediately.
Be kind to beginners
Everyone started somewhere. No mocking questions, languages or tools.
Self-promotion in #showcase only
Share projects you built in #showcase. Job posts go in #jobs with the pinned format. No unsolicited DMs selling services.
Follow Discord’s rules
Follow the Discord Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, including the minimum age in your country.

Want a different tone or stricter rules? Use the Discord rules generator.

Welcome message and onboarding

**Welcome to Dev Commons, {user}!** 💻

1. Read #rules and #how-to-ask.
2. Pick your languages in Channels & Roles.
3. Introduce yourself in #introductions.
4. Stuck? Post your question, error and code in the right help channel.

Pin a question template in #how-to-ask and in each help channel.
Pin a job post format in #jobs and remove posts that skip pay.
Add the language roles and Events Ping to Onboarding.
Recruit two or three mentors before launch so early questions get answers.

Moderation and AutoMod

Discord AutoMod rules to turn on

Block common token-grabber and fake "free Nitro" link phrases everywhere.
Block invite links outside staff channels.
Block messages containing patterns that look like Discord bot tokens to protect members who paste secrets.
Block mention spam at 5 unique mentions.

How to moderate it

Delete leaked secrets immediately and tell the author to rotate them.
Never run files or executables posted by members; remove compiled binaries from help channels.
Close duplicate questions with a link to the original channel.
Review Helper nominations monthly so the role stays meaningful.

Recommended server settings

Setting	Value	Why
Verification level	Medium	Token-grabber and fake job spam usually comes from brand-new accounts.
Explicit media filter	Filter for members without roles	Developers share many screenshots; filter new accounts only.
Default notifications	Only @mentions	Help channels move fast; members follow threads they care about.
Onboarding	On with language questions	New members choose languages so they see the right help channels first.

Suggested bots

Discrofy: Builds this layout and manages AutoMod and moderation from a dashboard.
A code runner bot: Runs short snippets in a sandbox so helpers can show output.
A GitHub integration: Posts releases or commits from your project to an announcements channel via webhooks.

Build it in about a minute

Discrofy creates every category, channel, role and permission above in your server, then posts the rules. It only adds, so existing channels are kept, and you can undo the build from your dashboard. Your first build each month is free.

Build this server Describe your own with AI

Frequently asked questions

Should I use forum channels for help?+

Forum channels work well for help once your server has Community enabled, because each question becomes its own post. This template uses text channels so it works on any server; you can convert busy help channels to forums later.

How do I keep helpers from burning out?+

Make good questions the rule with a pinned template, give regular helpers a visible earned role, recruit several mentors so no one carries the server, and let people mute languages they do not know.

How do I protect members from token grabbers?+

Block known scam phrases and token-like patterns with AutoMod, remove executables posted in help channels, and remind members never to run code they do not understand.

Can I add more languages?+

Yes. Add a help channel and a matching self-assigned role. Start with the languages your members actually use and split channels only when one gets too busy to follow.

Template