Want to integrate your Discord community directly into your WordPress website? You‘re in the right place. In this in-depth guide, we‘ll walk you step-by-step through embedding a Discord widget in WordPress.
By following this tutorial, you‘ll be able to display an interactive preview of your Discord server right on your site. Your visitors will be able to see your server‘s channels and online members, and join in on the action with just a click.
But before we jump into the technical steps, let‘s talk about why you‘d want to connect Discord and WordPress in the first place.
Why Embed a Discord Server in WordPress?
If you‘re not familiar with Discord, it‘s a powerful communication app popular among online communities, particularly in the gaming world. Discord allows users to chat via text, voice, and video in real-time, all within dedicated server communities.
How big is Discord? According to the company, as of 2023:
- Discord has over 150 million monthly active users
- 4 billion server conversation minutes happen each day
- The average user spends 4 hours per day in Discord
Needless to say, Discord is a massive platform for community interaction. And by embedding your Discord server directly into your WordPress site, you can tap into that engagement potential.
Here are some of the key benefits of integrating Discord with WordPress:
Drive new member sign-ups
An embedded Discord widget acts as a window into your community. When visitors see an active, thriving server on your site, they‘ll be more motivated to join in themselves.
Boost your site‘s time on page
By providing an easy way for visitors to engage with your community without leaving your site, you‘ll likely see an uptick in key metrics like time on page and pages per visit.
Provide instant support and feedback
With a Discord server connected to your site, visitors can ask questions and get help directly from your team or other community members. This can save you time versus responding to emails or contact form submissions.
Deliver exclusive content for members
Your Discord server can be a great place to share exclusive content, like downloadables, courses, or livecast events, that you promote on your WordPress site.
Build a thriving branded community
Ultimately, integrating Discord with your WordPress site is all about fostering a sense of community around your brand. Members can connect with each other, build relationships, and keep coming back to your site as their go-to community hub.
Now that you know the "why" behind embedding Discord in WordPress, let‘s get into the "how". We‘ll start by walking through some prerequisites you‘ll need.
Prerequisites for Embedding Discord in WordPress
Before you can display your Discord server on your WordPress site, you‘ll need a few key ingredients in place:
A Discord account: If you don‘t already have one, head to Discord.com and sign up for a free account. All you need is an email address and a password.
A Discord server: You‘ll need to create your own Discord server to embed in WordPress. If you already have a server set up, you can skip ahead to the next section.
A WordPress website: This probably goes without saying, but you‘ll need a WordPress site to embed your Discord widget on. This can be a self-hosted WordPress site or a WordPress.com hosted site.
With these elements ready to go, it‘s time to set up your Discord server.
How to Set Up a Discord Server for Your WordPress Site
Setting up a new Discord server is a quick process. Here‘s how to do it, step-by-step:
Log in to your Discord account and click the plus "+" icon in the left sidebar.
Select "Create a Server" from the pop-up menu.
In the "Create your server" window, enter a name for your server and select a region. The region determines which Discord data center your server will live in. Choose one close to where the majority of your members are located.
Click "Create" to finish setting up your server. Discord will automatically create a few default channels, like #general and #welcome.
Customize your server by adding or editing channels, creating roles for different user types, and setting up moderation bots. Some Ideas:
- Use the #welcome channel to greet new members and share guidelines for participating
- Create channels around different topics, like #intros, #feedback, #off-topic
- Set up roles with varying permissions, like @admin, @moderator, @member
- Integrate moderation bots like MEE6 or Dyno to automate tasks like message deletion and user muting
Invite team members or friends to join your server and start posting to give new members an active server to jump into.
Now that your server is set up and ready to grow, the next step is generating the embed code to display it on WordPress.
Generating Your Discord Server Widget Code
With your server created, you can generate a snippet of code called a widget that will allow you to embed a preview of your Discord server on your WordPress site. Here‘s how to find and generate that code:
Open Discord and navigate to your server. Click the dropdown arrow next to your server name and select "Server Settings" from the menu.
In the server settings sidebar, select the "Widget" tab.
Toggle the "Enable Server Widget" switch to turn it from gray to green.
Use the "Invite Channel" dropdown to select which channel users should land in when they join from your site. This will be the first channel they see when they join your server.
Click the "Copy" button in the "Server Widget" section to copy the full widget code to your clipboard.
Here‘s an example of what your server widget code will look like:
<widgetbot
server="000000000"
channel="000000000000"
width="800"
height="600"
></widgetbot>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@widgetbot/html-embed"></script>The widget code consists of a <widgetbot> element specifying your server and channel IDs, plus sizing parameters. It also includes a separate <script> tag that loads the Discord widget functionality.
Embedding Your Discord Widget in WordPress
Now for the fun part: adding your Discord widget code to your WordPress site! There are a couple ways you can go about this, but we‘ll focus on the most versatile method using the Custom HTML block. Here‘s how to do it:
Open up the WordPress editor for the post or page where you want to display your Discord widget.
Add a new block by clicking the "+" icon in the top left of the editor.
Search for the "Custom HTML" block and click to add it to your post.
Paste the Discord widget code you copied in the previous section into the Custom HTML block.
Use the sizing handles on the block to adjust the widget size as needed. You can also tweak the
widthandheightvalues directly in the code.Click "Preview" to see how your embedded Discord widget looks. If you‘re happy with it, click "Publish" or "Update" to push your changes live.
And that‘s it! Your Discord server widget should now be displaying on your WordPress post or page, giving your visitors an interactive preview of your server.
Here‘s an example of what an embedded Discord widget looks like on a WordPress site:
Tips for Customizing Your Embedded Discord Widget
While the default Discord widget provides a clean, functional way to display your server, there are a few ways you can customize it to better fit your site‘s design and needs. Here are some ideas:
Adjust widget sizing
You can modify the width and height of your widget by editing the width and height parameters in the <widgetbot> element. For example, setting width="100%" and height="800" would make the widget full-width and 800 pixels tall.
Set a custom background color
By default, the Discord widget has a dark semi-transparent background. You can change this to any color using the style attribute. For example, adding style="background-color: #ff0000;" would give the widget a red background.
Hide channels or categories
If you only want to display certain channels in your embedded widget, you can hide others by editing their permissions in your Discord server settings. Set the "Read Messages" permission to off for @everyone to hide a channel.
Use a WordPress plugin
For even more customization options, you can use a dedicated Discord integration plugin like WP Discord Post Plus or Discord Integration. These plugins add easy-to-use widgets and shortcodes for embedding Discord servers, channels, and individual messages.
Here‘s a quick comparison of what you can do with Discord WordPress plugins versus the standard widget embed:
| Feature | Discord Widget | WP Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Display server name and icon | ✓ | ✓ |
| Preview public channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Show online/total member counts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embed individual channels | ✓ | |
| Embed specific messages | ✓ | |
| Customize colors and fonts | ✓ | |
| Add custom CSS | ✓ | ✓ |
As you can see, WordPress plugins provide some additional flexibility if you want tighter integration between Discord and WordPress. But for most embedding needs, the standard Discord widget gets the job done nicely.
Best Practices for Integrating Discord and WordPress
Embedding a Discord server on your WordPress site is a great first step toward building an engaged community. But to really make the most of integrating these two platforms, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
Promote your Discord community
Make sure your site visitors know what your Discord server is all about and why they should join. Describe the kind of discussions and events that happen there, showcase any exclusive offers for members, and highlight community guidelines.
Make your Discord link obvious
In addition to embedding your Discord widget, place prominent links to join your server in your site header, navigation menu, and sidebar. You want it to be super easy for people to find and join.
Welcome new members personally
Set up a welcome message for new members that explains what your server is about, lays out the rules, and points to key channels. Even better, have a moderator or team member personally reach out to new folks to make them feel at home.
Sync announcements on Discord and WordPress
When you post a new article or update on your WordPress site, share it in your Discord server too. You can even use a plugin like WP Discord Post Plus to automatically post new WordPress content to a dedicated Discord channel.
Engage regularly with your Discord community
Don‘t just set your Discord server and forget it. Schedule regular community events like AMAs or watch parties, prompt discussions around hot topics in your niche, and participate actively in conversations.
By weaving your Discord presence throughout your WordPress site and regularly engaging with your server members, you‘ll be well on your way to growing a vibrant branded community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have some lingering questions about using Discord with WordPress? We‘ve got answers to some of the most common ones:
What‘s the difference between Discord and Slack?
While Discord and Slack are both real-time chat applications, Discord is more oriented around community building. It offers voice and video chat, plus more robust moderation and customization options. Many startups and remote teams use Slack for internal communication, while Discord is hugely popular for topical communities.
Can I use a different chat app with WordPress?
Absolutely! In addition to Discord and Slack, you can embed chat widgets from apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Intercom. If you already have a community on another platform, you can still bring those engagement benefits to WordPress.
How can I keep my Discord community safe and friendly?
Moderation is key for maintaining a positive Discord community. In addition to clearly posting your community rules, use Discord‘s moderation features like assigning moderator roles, muting or kicking bad actors, and setting up automated moderation bots. Stay vigilant and don‘t tolerate harassment or hate speech.
What cool things are people doing with Discord communities?
There are so many awesome ways people are using Discord to build communities around their brands and interests. Some examples:
- Fortnite runs massive servers for its playerbase, with dedicated channels for discussing the latest season updates and in-game events.
- Cryptocurrency enthusiasts congregate in servers to speculate about Bitcoin prices, share altcoin tips, and host Q&As with blockchain experts.
- The academic philosophy community has set up a popular server for discussing and debating philosophical theories, with channels organized by branch and topic.
- Many Patreon and Substack creators offer access to private Discord servers as a perk for their paid subscribers, creating tight-knit communities to interact with their most engaged fans.
The possibilities are endless—what unique community could you build on Discord?
Start Growing Your Community with Discord + WordPress!
You now have everything you need to start integrating one of the web‘s most powerful community platforms with your WordPress site. Let‘s quickly recap the key steps:
- Create a Discord account and server
- Generate your Discord widget code
- Embed your widget code in a WordPress page or post using the Custom HTML block
- Customize your widget‘s appearance to match your site
- Promote your Discord community and engage with members regularly
It may take some experimentation to dial in the perfect Discord setup and embedding strategy for your unique community. But by following the steps and tips in this guide, you‘ll be off to a strong start.
Remember: a thriving Discord presence can bring more engagement, trust, and enthusiasm to your WordPress brand.
So what are you waiting for? Go embed that Discord server and start building your community!
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