Content from public Discord servers will soon appear in Google search results
Discord is opening its platform to search engines. Starting in November, all public servers will have their own websites, and from December, selected posts will be gradually indexed by Google.
In a few weeks, your posts on public Discord servers could appear directly in Google search results. While these Discord-termed «Discoverable Servers» are already accessible to everyone today, you currently need to be logged in and have formally joined the server to view the content.
Now, Discord has announced that all public servers—more than 63,000 according to the announcement—will receive a website indexable by search engines starting November 16. It is intended to give interested users an impression of the community and show which topics are discussed on the server. Starting in mid-December, individual posts will also be gradually published there, which may then appear in Google search results.
Private friendship and community servers are explicitly not affected.
Source: Discord
Server websites are becoming standard, indexing is not
Server websites are not entirely new. Discord has offered public servers the option to create a website for some time. According to the announcement, however, this currently involves some effort. Therefore, every public server will now receive a website, regardless of whether it is desired or not. «If you don't want one,» Discord writes, «you can switch back to a community server at any time.» That is unlikely to be an option for operators of large public servers.
However, according to Discord, they can already determine starting today which channels of their server will be considered for the website (and consequently for search engines). These channels are to be marked so that users on the server know which channels are public and which are not. Incidentally, user names and profile pictures will not be displayed on the website.
Anyone concerned that years-old posts might suddenly appear on Google need not worry. Discord states that only posts written from mid-December onwards can be indexed.
For minors as well as users in the EU, the UK, and some countries outside Europe, nothing will change for the time being, as indexing is disabled by default for legal reasons. Everyone else can also disable it under User Settings > Data & Privacy. The option is supposed to be available now, though I do not see it in my Discord web version yet.
Source: Discord
More reach and faster answers to questions
Several groups are likely to benefit from the indexing of public Discord servers. For example, people searching for very specific questions who can now find answers on Discord without using Discord themselves. Discord servers are often home to people who are very knowledgeable about their topics. Those seeking help often receive quick and well-founded answers on Discord.
Administrators of public servers can also be happy about the news. Their «Discoverable Servers» are now easier to discover outside the Discord community. And finally, Discord itself should also benefit if people encounter relevant discussions via search engines and thus come into contact with the platform for the first time.
The change also marks a shift in strategy for Discord. Previously, many discussions took place largely shielded from open web search. Through indexing, public servers are becoming more of a source of publicly accessible information, thereby partially competing with forums like Reddit or Stack Overflow.
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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