Discord is bringing back Guild Tags, but there's a catch

Discord users, remember Guild Tags? That experimental feature allowing servers to create short identifiers members could display on their profiles? Well, after being removed not too long ago, it looks like they’re making a comeback, though not quite in the way everyone might have hoped.

Last month, the removal of the original Guild Tags experiment caused some disappointment among users who enjoyed the unique way to represent their favorite communities, as we covered previously here.

Now, recent discoveries within the Discord app suggest the feature, seemingly rebranded as “Server Tags,” is set to return. Leaked screenshots and experimental interfaces spotted by eagle-eyed users show Server Tags reappearing, confirming suspicions some users had based on earlier surveys. As Reddit user Jeremy974 exclaimed, “I KNEW IT, I knew trusting the survey leak was a good thing.”

But here’s the significant change: Server Tags won’t be a standard feature available to all servers. Instead, they are being introduced as a premium perk that requires Server Boosts to unlock. Early information indicates that enabling Server Tags for a community will cost 3 dedicated Server Boosts.

This is part of a wider experiment Discord seems to be running, sometimes referred to as a “skill tree” or “server boost shop.” This system allows servers to spend boosts on specific perks beyond the standard tiered levels. Alongside Server Tags, another new perk called “Enhanced Role Colors,” offering gradient effects for roles, is also shown costing 3 boosts.

This means reaching the highest tier (Level 3) and unlocking these two new perks would require a server to gather a total of 20 boosts – 14 for the levels and 6 for the additional features.

While the return of tags is welcome news for customization fans, locking it behind the Server Boost system changes things considerably. It turns a previously free, albeit experimental, feature into something requiring ongoing community financial support via boosts. This move prompted some resignation online, with user No-Life commenting, “Well duh, why’d you have anything fun for free?”. The feature allows members to choose one tag to display if they belong to multiple servers offering them.

So, while Server Tags are returning to help users represent their communities, accessing them will now depend on a server’s ability to maintain enough boosts, adding another layer to Discord’s monetization strategy.