How to Make a Stage Channel in Discord

To make a Stage in Discord, click the + next to a category (or open the server name menu and pick Create Channel), choose Stage as the channel type, name it and click Create Channel. You need the Manage Channels permission. If Stage is not in the list, your server most likely needs Community turned on first in Server Settings.

The steps below work in Discord itself, no bot needed. After that is a short section on what PeakBot can and cannot do around a Stage, and a FAQ.

What a Stage channel is

A Stage is a voice channel built for talks, AMAs, panels and live Q&A. A few people speak, everyone else listens. Listeners join muted and can raise a hand to ask to speak. Stage moderators decide who gets on stage. A normal voice channel lets everyone talk at once, which falls apart once a crowd shows up.

Step by step: make a Stage in Discord

1. Check your permissions

You need Manage Channels in the server (owners and administrators have it). If you cannot see any option to create channels, ask an admin to give your role that permission.

2. Turn on Community if Stage is missing

If the channel type list only shows Text, Voice and maybe Forum, enable Community:

1. Click the server name, then Server Settings.
2. Open Enable Community (or Community in the sidebar) and click Get Started.
3. Follow the checklist. Discord asks you to set a verification level, turn on the explicit media content filter, and pick a rules channel and a community updates channel.
4. Finish setup. Community servers get extra channel types, including Stage.

If you already see Stage in the list, skip this step.

3. Create the Stage channel

On desktop:

1. Hover over a category and click the + next to its name, or click the server name and choose Create Channel.
2. Under Channel Type, select Stage.
3. Type a name, for example town-hall or weekly-ama.
4. Click Create Channel.

On mobile:

1. Tap the server name at the top of the channel list.
2. Tap Create Channel.
3. Pick Stage, enter a name and tap Create.

4. Choose your Stage moderators

A Stage moderator is anyone with all three of these permissions on that channel: Manage Channels, Mute Members and Move Members. To set them:

1. Hover over the Stage channel and click the gear icon (Edit Channel).
2. Open Permissions.
3. Add the role you want as hosts, for example Event Host.
4. Allow Manage Channels, Mute Members and Move Members for that role.
5. Save.

Keep this list short. Moderators can bring anyone on stage, move people back to the audience, and end the Stage.

5. Decide who can listen and who can ask to speak

In the same Permissions screen, check the @everyone role (or your member role):

• Connect controls who can join as a listener.
• Request to Speak controls who can raise a hand. Turn it off if you want a talk with no audience questions.

6. Start the Stage

1. Join the Stage channel as a moderator.
2. Click Start Stage.
3. Set a topic. This is what people see in the channel list and in invites, so make it clear: "Q&A with the mod team".
4. Start it. You are now on stage as a speaker.

During the Stage, listeners who raise a hand appear in a requests list. A moderator clicks their name and invites them to speak. To move someone back, click their name and move them to the audience. When you are done, click End Stage.

7. Schedule it as an event (optional)

If you want people to show up, schedule it:

1. Click the server name and choose Create Event.
2. Pick your Stage channel as the location.
3. Set the topic, date, time and a description, then create it.

Members can mark themselves as interested, and the event shows at the top of the channel list. When the time comes, a moderator starts the event from the event card.

How PeakBot fits in

We make PeakBot. To be direct about it: PeakBot does not create, start or moderate Stage channels. There is no PeakBot command for Stages, and Discord's own steps above are the way to do it. Where PeakBot can help is the work around an event.

Announce the event. On the dashboard at peakbot.pro, open the Messages page to build an embed visually (title, description, image, colour) and post it to your announcements channel. The Embed library has ready-made embeds to start from if you do not want to design one from scratch.

Give people an opt-in ping role. Pinging @everyone for every Stage annoys people. On the Roles page you can set up a self-assign role, for example Stage Alerts, so only members who want to hear about events get pinged.

Run a poll before the event. The Polls page lets you post a timed poll, for example to pick the topic or the time slot, with results shown always, after voting, or only when it ends.

Moderate the text side. Stages often have a busy text chat next to them. Auto Moderation covers anti-spam, invite and link filters, a word filter and mention spam, each with its own action and exempt roles. AI Moderation, which reads what a message means rather than matching words, is on Pro.

Do not confuse it with Voice Channels. PeakBot's Voice Channels page gives a member their own temporary voice channel when they join a trigger channel. That is useful for small breakout chats after a Stage, but it is not a Stage.

All of this is configured on the dashboard rather than by commands. Setup guides are in the PeakBot wiki. The free plan includes 30+ features with no time limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see the Stage option when creating a channel?

The two usual reasons are that your role lacks the Manage Channels permission, or that Community is not enabled on the server. Turn on Community in Server Settings (step 2 above), then try creating the channel again.

What is the difference between a Stage channel and a voice channel?

In a voice channel, everyone who joins can talk if they have permission. In a Stage, people join as listeners, and only speakers chosen by Stage moderators can talk. Listeners raise a hand to request to speak. Use a Stage for talks and Q&As, and a voice channel for casual hangouts.

How do I let someone speak on my Stage?

The listener clicks Request to Speak to raise a hand. A Stage moderator opens the requests list, clicks their name and invites them to speak. Moderators can also click any listener and invite them directly.

Can I turn an existing voice channel into a Stage?

The simplest approach is to create a new channel and choose Stage as the type, then copy over the permissions you need. Set your moderator role with Manage Channels, Mute Members and Move Members on the new channel.

Can I make a Stage on my phone?

Yes. Tap the server name, tap Create Channel, pick Stage and name it. You can also join, start and end Stages from the mobile app.

Can a bot create or run a Stage for me?

PeakBot does not create or run Stages. Make the channel and host it with Discord's built-in tools, then use a bot for the surrounding jobs: announcement embeds, an opt-in ping role, polls and chat moderation.