Discord will make some channels and messages searchable on Google

Discord is set to launch a new feature, beginning November 16, that will allow Google to index and search messages in certain large, discoverable servers. In a blog post, Discord explained its plans to create "Server Web Pages" for these servers, which will serve as previews of the server's contents before users decide to join.

These pages will be easily discoverable on Google and will display a summary of the discussions happening within the server. The goal is to make it easier for users to find answers to questions that have been asked in these servers. However, server administrators have the final say in which channels are included in this process.

Server admins can choose to include or exclude specific channels from being indexed on Google by navigating to Server Settings, then Web Presence, and selecting their desired channels. If no action is taken, public channels will have this setting enabled by default.

For users, there is a way to opt out of having their messages indexed by Google. By going to User Settings, then Data and Privacy, users can disable the option to show their message content from discoverable channels on web pages.

Discord's decision to introduce this feature stems from the company's observation that message boards, once popular for hosting long-form, structured conversations, have largely migrated to Discord servers. This migration has resulted in valuable information being locked away within Discord conversations, inaccessible to the wider internet. Discord aims to bridge this gap by making these conversations searchable and accessible to everyone.

While the new feature promises to make it easier to find answers to questions, it also raises privacy concerns. Users who do not wish to have their messages indexed by Google can disable the feature in User Settings, Data and Privacy, under the option to show their message content from discoverable channels on web pages.

These changes will initially be exclusive to large public servers with over 1,000 members. Discord hopes to maintain this exclusivity moving forward, ensuring that smaller communities remain unaffected by these changes.