Discord Create Channel

Create new channels in Discord guilds (servers) using the Discord API v10. This skill supports creating text channels, voice channels, announcement channels, stage channels, and categories.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• Create a new text channel in a Discord server
• Create a new voice channel for meetings or discussions
• Create an announcement channel for server updates
• Create a category to organize channels
• Set up a new channel with specific permissions
• Create a stage channel for large audio events

Prerequisites

• DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN environment variable must be set
• Bot must be a member of the target server
• Bot must have "Manage Channels" permission in the server
• Valid Discord guild ID (18-19 digit snowflake ID)

Channel Types

Discord supports the following channel types (use numeric value):

Instructions

When the user requests to create a Discord channel:

1. Validate Requirements

   • Confirm DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN is set in environment
   • Verify guild ID is provided (18-19 digit number)
   • Ensure channel name is valid (2-100 characters, lowercase, hyphens/underscores only)
   • Determine channel type (default to text channel if not specified)

2. Prepare Channel Properties

   • name: Channel name (required, 2-100 chars)
   • type: Channel type (0=text, 2=voice, 4=category, 5=announcement, 13=stage)
   • topic: Channel topic/description (optional, max 1024 chars for text channels)
   • parent_id: Category ID to place channel in (optional)
   • nsfw: Whether channel is NSFW (optional, default false)
   • position: Sort position (optional)
   • permission_overwrites: Permission overrides (optional, array)

3. Make the API Request Use the following curl command structure:

   curl -X POST "https://discord.com/api/v10/guilds/{GUILD_ID}/channels" \
     -H "Authorization: Bot ${DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "name": "channel-name",
       "type": 0
     }'
   

   Replace:

   • {GUILD_ID} with the actual guild ID
   • "channel-name" with the desired channel name
   • 0 with the appropriate channel type

4. Handle Response

   • 201 Created: Channel created successfully, return channel ID
   • 400 Bad Request: Invalid channel name or parameters
   • 401 Unauthorized: Invalid bot token
   • 403 Forbidden: Missing "Manage Channels" permission
   • 404 Not Found: Guild doesn't exist or bot not in server

5. Report Results

   • Confirm channel was created successfully
   • Provide the channel ID for reference
   • Include channel URL for easy access
   • If error occurs, explain the issue clearly

Channel Name Validation

Discord channel names must follow these rules:

• 2-100 characters in length
• Lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores only
• No spaces (use hyphens instead)
• No special characters or emojis

Valid names:

• general
• general-chat
• voice-room-1
• announcements

Invalid names:

• General Chat (has spaces and capital letters)
• chat! (has special character)
• a (too short)
• café (has accented character)

Creating Different Channel Types

Text Channel (Type 0)

{
  "name": "general-chat",
  "type": 0,
  "topic": "General discussion for all members"
}

Voice Channel (Type 2)

{
  "name": "voice-lounge",
  "type": 2,
  "user_limit": 10
}

Category (Type 4)

{
  "name": "Community",
  "type": 4
}

Announcement Channel (Type 5)

{
  "name": "server-updates",
  "type": 5,
  "topic": "Official server announcements"
}

Stage Channel (Type 13)

{
  "name": "community-stage",
  "type": 13
}

Setting Channel in Category

To place a new channel in an existing category:

{
  "name": "new-channel",
  "type": 0,
  "parent_id": "123456789012345678"
}

The parent_id is the ID of the category channel.

Channel Permissions

To set custom permissions when creating a channel:

{
  "name": "private-channel",
  "type": 0,
  "permission_overwrites": [
    {
      "id": "role_id_here",
      "type": 0,
      "allow": "1024",
      "deny": "0"
    }
  ]
}

Permission types:

• type: 0 = Role
• type: 1 = Member

Common permission values:

• 1024 = View Channel
• 2048 = Send Messages
• 8192 = Read Message History
• 65536 = Mention Everyone

Error Handling

Common Errors

400 Bad Request - Invalid Name

{
  "code": 50035,
  "errors": {
    "name": {
      "_errors": [
        {
          "code": "BASE_TYPE_BAD_LENGTH",
          "message": "Must be between 2 and 100 in length."
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Solution: Ensure channel name is 2-100 characters and follows naming rules

403 Forbidden - Missing Permissions

{
  "code": 50013,
  "message": "Missing Permissions"
}

Solution: Bot needs "Manage Channels" permission in the server

404 Not Found - Invalid Guild

{
  "code": 10004,
  "message": "Unknown Guild"
}

Solution: Verify guild ID is correct and bot is member of the server

400 Bad Request - Invalid Category

{
  "code": 50035,
  "message": "Invalid parent_id"
}

Solution: Ensure parent_id is a valid category channel ID in the same guild

Response Object

Successful channel creation returns:

{
  "id": "987654321098765432",
  "type": 0,
  "guild_id": "123456789012345678",
  "position": 0,
  "permission_overwrites": [],
  "name": "new-channel",
  "topic": null,
  "nsfw": false,
  "last_message_id": null,
  "parent_id": null
}

Best Practices

1. Naming Conventions

   • Use descriptive, lowercase names
   • Use hyphens to separate words
   • Keep names concise but clear

2. Organization

   • Create categories first, then channels within them
   • Use consistent naming across similar channels
   • Set appropriate permissions from the start

3. Channel Limits

   • Discord servers have a limit of 500 channels
   • Consider channel count before creating new ones
   • Archive or delete unused channels

4. Permissions

   • Set permissions during creation when possible
   • Use role-based permissions over member-specific
   • Inherit category permissions when appropriate

5. Voice Channels

   • Set reasonable user limits
   • Consider bitrate for quality
   • Use stage channels for large events

Security Notes

• Validate guild ID belongs to expected server
• Don't create channels programmatically without user confirmation
• Be cautious with permission overwrites
• Follow Discord's automation guidelines

Examples

See examples.md for detailed usage scenarios.

API Reference

• Endpoint: POST /guilds/{guild.id}/channels
• Discord API Version: v10
• Documentation: https://discord.com/developers/docs/resources/guild#create-guild-channel