A forwarded invite can admit someone you never intended to invite. Check expiry and use limits before sharing; know whether you need to retire one link or temporarily pause new joins.
Create a link, then check its settings
If you have the required permissions, hover over the right side of a channel and select Create Invite. You can copy the link from the invite panel, but first open Edit Invite Link to review its duration and maximum uses. After choosing your settings, select Generate a New Link. These are the steps in Discord’s official Invites 101 guide.
Discord documents a seven-day default when you have not already adjusted the invite settings for that channel; previous channel settings can change what appears. It also documents never-expiring links for Community servers. Do not assume a link is short-lived just because you created it quickly—read the settings before copying it.
Expiry, maximum uses, and temporary membership are different
Expiry controls how long an invitation remains valid. Maximum uses controls how many times it may be used. Check both: a generous time limit is not the same as unlimited uses, and a short time limit does not tell you how many people may use the link while it is active.
Grant temporary membership is a separate option. Discord says members joining that way are automatically kicked when they disconnect unless a role has been assigned. It affects membership after joining, not when the invite link expires. Read the temporary-membership explanation before enabling it, especially if you expect guests to stay.
Match the invitation to the occasion
For a small private gathering, consider a short expiry and limited uses. For example, a weekend game night may not need an invitation that remains usable long after the event. These limits are helpful housekeeping, not proof of identity: a recipient can still forward a working link.
- Private gathering: share directly with the intended group and choose limits that fit the occasion.
- Public community: decide where a longer-lived invitation should be advertised and who will review it.
- One-off collaboration: make a note of which link was shared where, so you can identify it later.
Keep a lightweight record of the destination channel, purpose, and posting location. You do not need a complicated tracking system; a short moderator note can prevent confusion when several invitations exist.
Delete one invite when its code should stop working
Someone with the appropriate server permissions can open Server Settings > Invites and remove an individual generated invite. Discord warns that a deleted invite cannot be recreated with the same code, so treat deletion as retiring that particular invitation. See the removal section of Invites 101.
Use this when an event is over or a particular link has been shared somewhere it should not be. Check which invitation you are removing, and update any legitimate places where that link was posted. Revoking a link is not the same as removing people who have already joined.
Pause new joins when a Community needs a breather
For Community servers, Discord’s Pause Invites FAQ describes a different control: on desktop, someone with Manage Server permission can go to Server Settings > Invites > Pause Invites. It stops new joins, including through Server Discovery, without changing existing invitation links or vanity URLs.
To resume, return to that menu and choose Enable Invites. Discord says people who tried to join are not notified when invitations resume. The FAQ also says AutoMod cannot be configured to pause invites. This Community-server control can help during a raid or maintenance period, but it does not resolve disruption by people already inside.
A quick checklist before sharing
- Confirm the destination channel and intended audience.
- Review expiry and maximum uses separately.
- Leave temporary membership off unless its disconnect-and-role behavior fits your plan.
- Generate and copy the link after checking the settings.
- Note where it was shared, then review or retire it when its purpose ends.
The simplest distinction is this: use sensible limits for an invitation, delete a particular code when it should be retired, and use a Community-server pause when new joins need to stop temporarily. For filtering messages after members arrive, see our separate beginner’s AutoMod guide.
Discord’s Invites 101 and Pause Invites FAQ reviewed October 19, 2026.