It’s been nearly a year since the Partner & Verified Server programs were paused to new applicants. Since then, we’ve gotten daily questions asking “When’s the Partner Program opening up?,” or “How can I get my server Verified?”
Rather than quickly opening up the programs in the same state they were in before, we spent the last few months taking a step back and rethinking the program.
We asked ourselves: What truly makes a Discord Partner? What does it mean to be Verified on Discord, and how can we improve both programs without losing focus on what makes them important?
Multiple teams within the company got together to understand what makes great communities on Discord and how that should be reflected in the Server Verification & Partner Programs. Some of the solutions we came up with have been shared in our recent Community blog, including Welcome Channels and Server Insights.
For the best of the best, we’d like to introduce the revamped Partner & Verified Server Programs:
The Discord Partner Program
We believe Partnered servers should be welcoming for both newcomers to Discord and longtime users. Whether you’re a content creator connecting with your followers, owner of a large cooking server, or if one day you decided to start a group dedicated to birdwatching that happened to grow like crazy, building a successful community isn’t easy. But if you’ve managed to overcome those challenges and fostered a great place to talk, you should be rewarded for it.
With newly-released tools like Server Insights we are now able to provide tangible goals for Partnered servers. It’s now finally possible to get an objective look at how your community is performing at any time, and how your server compares to what we look for in the Partner Program.
Starting today, we’re shifting our Partnership Program to reward active and engaged servers with recognition and extra tools to help them invest in their communities. This means that Partner requirements will now focus on the success of your Discord server rather than your performance on other platforms.
How do you get to the Partner application? In order to apply for the Partner Program, you’ll have to mark yourself as a “Community” in Server Settings. This will allow you to access Server Insights, which includes a new Partner Program section dedicated to letting you track your progress towards applying for Partnership.
Once your community reaches our engagement requirements, you’ll be able to apply directly within your Discord server when we reopen applications in the summer — no need to open an external website to submit an app for Partnership. If you’d like to see what we look for in Partnered servers to prepare for when applications open, check out the Discord Partnership Requirements help article.
The Verified Server Program
The Verified Server Program started as a way for game developers to distinguish themselves from community-run servers to let the world know they’re in the official home for their game. Over the years, companies outside of just gaming have expressed interest in a Verified Discord server. However, our existing gaming-focused Verification requirements were holding us back from expanding further.
We want to continue supporting Discord as a platform where anyone can talk, no matter what your interest may be. Because of this, we’re expanding the Verification Program to include businesses, brands, and figures of public interest. If you’re the official server for your company, organization, or public figure with a massive following (we’re talkin’ way massive) you can qualify for Verification.
Along with a snazzy “Verified” badge next to the server’s name, servers accepted will receive access to a Vanity URL and custom invite splash art to help spread awareness. There’ll still be a few prerequisites to hit, so not everyone will get Verification for just being a “company.”
We’re super excited to finally be able to open the program up to include more from all our friends outside of gaming. Check out our Verified Server requirements for the full scoop.
Verified or Partnered? You can be both.
Previously, we considered the Partner & Verified servers to be independent of one another. This would mean if you were a Partner, you couldn’t be Verified and vice versa. The Partner Program is considered to be the “best of the best,” but this restriction meant that Verified servers who were fostering amazing communities couldn’t be recognized for their work.
Starting soon, that’s changing. If you are a Verified server, you can apply for Partnership and be part of both programs. The Partner Program is designed to reward active and engaged communities, and if your Verified Server is fostering a great community, you can now be properly rewarded for it.
Acceptance for Server Verification grants your server access to the following perks:
- A Vanity URL
- Invite splash backgrounds
- The Verified Server badge
Acceptance for the Discord Partner Program includes both the Vanity URL and invite splash, along with additional perks, including:
- A Server Banner displayed at the top of your server’s channel list.
- An animated Server Icon
- A Discord Partner badge on both the server and you, the server owner.
- Access to Discord Nitro for the server owner, on the house.
Since both programs offer a Vanity URL and invite splash images, if you are a Verified Server that joins, then leaves, the Partner Program, you will retain that same Vanity URL and invite splash throughout moving between programs.
I’m hyped! When can I apply?
We’re planning to open up Verification & Partner applications this summer. Our Verification & Partnership requirements have been updated with what you’ll need to apply to each program. Take a look at both and make any preparations before applying:
We’ve been eagerly waiting for the day when we can finally start accepting applications again. Let us know how you’re preparing your applications, or how close you are to applying to the Partner Program, by tweeting at us at @discord. If you have additional questions not covered in the above, shoot us a message at our Community Program support form.
It’s been a long time comin’, but we believe we’re ready to fully support our Discord Partner & Server Verification programs, and the wonderful communities they bring to life, for years to come.
