How to Get a Custom Discord Vanity URL (discord.gg/YourName) in 2026

To get a custom Discord vanity URL like discord.gg/YourName, your server needs to reach Level 3 boosting (14 server boosts). Once you hit Level 3, a "Custom Invite Link" field unlocks in Server Settings, where you claim an available vanity name. Enabling Community first gives you the cleanest setup.

A vanity URL is the difference between handing someone discord.gg/aB3xY9z and handing them discord.gg/yourname. It looks cleaner in a bio, on a stream overlay, on TikTok, and on a business card. This guide walks through exactly what unlocks it, how to claim a good name, and how to keep it.

What a vanity URL is and why servers want one

A Discord vanity URL is a permanent, branded invite link that uses a name you choose instead of a random string of characters. Normal invite links look like discord.gg/x7Kp2mQ. A vanity link looks like discord.gg/peak.

The practical benefits are real:

• It's memorable. People can type it from memory after seeing it once.
• It never expires. Unlike a default invite that you can set to expire, the vanity link stays live as long as you keep the requirement met.
• It builds trust. A clean named link reads as an established community rather than a throwaway server.
• It's better for marketing. It fits on a stream banner, a YouTube description, a printed flyer, or a link-in-bio without looking like spam.

If you're running a brand, a creator community, or a growing public server, a vanity URL is a clear signal that the community is established.

The real requirement: Level 3 Server Boosts explained

There's one hard gate, and no way around it: your server must reach Boost Level 3.

Discord has three boost tiers, and each unlocks perks. Level 3 is the top tier, and it's the only one that includes a custom vanity URL. Here's the boost math:

• Level 1: 2 boosts
• Level 2: 7 boosts
• Level 3: 14 boosts

So you need 14 active boosts on your server at the same time to unlock the vanity URL. Boosts come from members using Discord Nitro. Each Nitro subscriber gets boosts they can apply to a server, and a member can apply more than one boost to the same server (each one counts toward your total).

Two ways people typically reach 14 boosts:

1. Organic boosting from a base of Nitro members who want to support the server. This is the healthiest path because it tends to stay stable.
2. A boost drive, where you rally enough members to boost at once, sometimes with a small reward (a "Booster" role, a color, perks).

For a deeper breakdown of what each boost tier actually unlocks at the member-limit and upload-quality level, see our guide on Discord server member limits and boost levels explained. And if you're weighing whether boosting is worth the cost at all, we walk through that math in whether Discord Server Boost is worth it.

Step 1: Enable Community on your server

Before the vanity field will appear, your server should have Community turned on. This is Discord's free feature set for public, growing servers, and it gives you the cleanest vanity setup.

To enable it:

1. Open Server Settings (click the server name at the top-left, then the gear).
2. Scroll to Enable Community in the left sidebar.
3. Click Get Started and follow the wizard.
4. You'll be asked to confirm two safety settings: requiring a verified email for members, and scanning media content for explicit material. Both are recommended anyway.
5. Set a Rules channel and a Community Updates channel (you can create simple ones if you don't have them).
6. Finish the wizard.

Community mode also gives you the Welcome Screen, Server Guide, and better discovery, all of which help you grow toward the boosts you need. A strong first impression matters here: clean welcome messages and auto-roles make new members stick. PeakBot handles welcome messages with embeds, DMs, and auto-roles for free, which is a simple way to convert more visitors into members (and eventually boosters).

Step 2: Reach 14 boosts (Level 3) and claim your custom invite

Once your server is sitting at 14 boosts (Level 3), the vanity option appears.

1. Open Server Settings.
2. Go to the Custom Invite Link section (it lives near the top, often under the server overview or the Boost status area).
3. You'll see a field showing discord.gg/ followed by an empty box.
4. Type the name you want.
5. Discord checks availability in real time. If it's free, you can Save and it's yours immediately.

That's it. The link goes live the moment you save, and you can start sharing discord.gg/yourname right away. If the field is greyed out or missing, double-check that you're actually at Level 3 (14 boosts) and not Level 2 (7 boosts) — that's the most common mix-up.

How to pick a vanity name that isn't taken

Good vanity names go fast, and they're first-come, first-served across all of Discord. A few rules and tactics:

• Allowed characters: lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens. No spaces, no capital letters in the actual link, no special symbols.
• Shorter is better. discord.gg/peak beats discord.gg/peak-gaming-community-official.
• Match your brand. Use the exact name people already search for. Consistency with your Twitch/YouTube/X handle pays off.
• Have backups ready. If your top choice is taken, try a tight variation: add your niche (peakgaming), drop a vowel, or add hq / gg (peakhq, peakgg).
• Avoid trademark trouble. Don't grab a name that belongs to a brand you don't own; Discord can reclaim it.

Type a few candidates into the field before saving — the live availability check tells you instantly what's open.

Faster path: growing boosters and members so you actually hit Level 3

The honest bottleneck for most servers isn't the settings, it's getting to 14 boosts. Boosts follow members: the more active, invested people you have, the more Nitro users you'll have, and the more likely they are to boost. So the real job is growth and retention.

Things that move the needle:

• Give people a reason to stay. XP and leveling turns lurkers into regulars. PeakBot's free XP and leveling system tracks both messages and voice activity, with leaderboards and role rewards, so active members earn status they don't want to lose.
• Make joining feel rewarding. Reaction roles, a clean welcome flow, and visible perks for boosters (a special role, a color, a private channel) make boosting feel like buying into something.
• Run boost drives with a goal. "We're 5 boosts from Level 3 and a custom link" is a concrete, shareable target. A giveaway tied to the milestone helps.
• Keep the server safe and clean. Nobody boosts a server full of spam and raids. Solid moderation and anti-raid and anti-nuke protection keep the community worth investing in.
• Track where members come from. Invite tracking shows which channels and creators actually bring people in, so you double down on what works.

If you're starting from scratch, our full playbook on how to grow a Discord server from 0 to 1,000 members covers the member-growth side in depth — and more members is the most reliable route to more boosts.

A practical note: setting all of this up by hand takes time. PeakBot is a free, AI-powered Discord bot that bundles moderation, XP, tickets, welcome messages, reaction roles, giveaways, and invite tracking into one bot, replacing MEE6, Carl-bot, Dyno, and TidyCord. Over 30 features are free with no time limit, so you can stand up a retention-focused server without paying for four separate premium bots. For honest comparison, MEE6 premium runs $11.95/mo and Carl-bot premium $7.99/mo; PeakBot's optional Pro is $8.25/mo per server (or $69/year) and includes an AI Server Builder that generates a full custom server structure from a plain-English description in under 60 seconds.

What happens to your vanity URL if boosts drop

This is the part people forget. The vanity URL is tied to maintaining Level 3. If your boost count falls below 14 and your server drops to Level 2, the custom link stops working — anyone who clicks it gets an invalid invite.

A few specifics worth knowing:

• Your name isn't instantly lost forever. Discord generally holds your claimed vanity for a grace period after you fall below the threshold, so a brief dip won't always cost you the name. But you can't rely on this; the link won't function while you're under Level 3.
• Re-reaching Level 3 reactivates it. Get back to 14 boosts and your existing vanity link works again (assuming the name wasn't released and re-claimed by someone else in the meantime).
• Plan for buffer. If you're sitting at exactly 14 and a couple of boosters cancel Nitro, you'll drop. Aim for a small cushion (15-16) so normal churn doesn't knock out your link.

The lesson: a vanity URL isn't a one-time unlock, it's an ongoing one. Keep your booster base healthy and your link stays live.

FAQ

How much does a Discord vanity URL cost?

The vanity URL itself is free to claim once you reach Level 3 — Discord doesn't charge for the link. The real cost is reaching 14 boosts, which depends on members buying Discord Nitro and applying boosts. If you buy boosts yourself, that's the expense; if members boost organically, it can cost you nothing directly.

Can I change my vanity URL later?

Yes. As long as you're still at Level 3, you can go back into Server Settings and edit the Custom Invite Link to a different available name. Changing it releases your old name (someone else could then claim it) and points to the new one, so old links using the previous name will break.

Can I transfer a Discord vanity URL to another server?

Not directly. There's no built-in transfer tool. To move a name, you'd change the vanity on the original server (releasing the name) and then quickly claim it on the destination server, which must also be at Level 3. There's a risk someone grabs it in the gap, so it isn't guaranteed.

Do I need Community enabled to get a vanity URL?

In practice, yes — the cleanest and most reliable way to get the custom invite field is to have Community turned on and be at Level 3. Enabling Community is free and also unlocks growth features (Welcome Screen, Server Guide, discovery) that help you reach the boosts you need.

Why isn't the Custom Invite Link option showing up for me?

The most common reason is that you're at Level 2 (7 boosts), not Level 3 (14 boosts). Check your exact boost count in Server Settings under the Boost status area. Also confirm you're an admin with Manage Server permission, since the field is hidden from members who can't manage the server.

Is buying boosts to hit Level 3 worth it just for the vanity link?

It can be, if a memorable link genuinely helps your marketing — but boosting buys more than the link (better upload quality, more emoji slots, higher member-limit headroom). We break down the full cost-benefit in our guide on whether Discord Server Boost is worth it so you can decide based on your server's actual size and goals.