Discord is set to enhance the discoverability of its large, public servers by making content searchable on Google. Beginning November 16, the platform will roll out 'Server Web Pages' for every discoverable server, providing a preview of the server's content before a user joins. Several of these pages are already active, showcasing discussions from major game communities like Rust and Dead by Daylight.
Message Indexing and User Control
A further update in December will enable answers to questions posted in public channels to appear directly in Google search results. Server administrators will have control over which channels are included in this feature, and individual users can opt out of having their messages displayed. Usernames and avatars will not be associated with these searchable messages.
These changes primarily affect large, discoverable servers, generally those with over 1,000 members. Smaller communities, such as private friend groups or guild servers, will not be impacted. Server administrators can manage visibility settings through Server Settings under the 'Web Presence' section, choosing to opt out entire servers or specific channels. By default, public channels will have web presence enabled.
Users who wish to prevent their messages from appearing in Google search results can do so through their User Settings. By navigating to 'Data and Privacy' and disabling the 'Show my message content from Discoverable channels on web pages' option, individuals can maintain privacy.
Expanding Information Access
Discord aims to replicate the success of platforms like Reddit in providing readily accessible answers to user queries via search engines. The company stated that historically, message boards served as hubs for structured conversations, a role that has increasingly shifted to Discord servers. This new feature seeks to unlock valuable information from these conversations, making it accessible to a wider audience. While this move promises to surface useful information, users are advised to review their privacy settings to manage the visibility of their messages in these large public servers.