You want to allow or restrict members from using stickers from other servers in a specific text channel on your Discord server. The Use External Stickers permission controls whether a user can send stickers that were uploaded to a different server, not the one where the message is posted. By default, this permission is inherited from the server-wide role settings, but you can override it on individual channels. This article explains how to find the permission, configure it per channel, and understand what happens when you change it.
Key Takeaways: Using External Stickers Permission Per Channel
- Server Settings > Roles > Manage Permissions: The global Use External Stickers setting for each role is found here.
- Channel Edit > Permissions > Advanced Permissions: Override the permission for a specific text channel here.
- Green checkmark = allow, Red X = deny, Gray = neutral: Neutral means the role’s inherited setting applies.
What the Use External Stickers Permission Does
Stickers in Discord are small animated or static images that users can send in chat. Each server can upload its own custom stickers. The Use External Stickers permission controls whether a member can send stickers that come from a different server. For example, if a user is in Server A and has access to stickers from Server B, they need this permission enabled on Server A to post those stickers there.
This permission is separate from the Use External Emoji permission. Stickers are managed independently. The permission applies at three levels: server-wide role settings, channel-specific overrides, and user-specific overrides. When you configure it per channel, you override the server-wide setting for that channel only. Members with roles that have the Administrator permission always bypass all sticker restrictions.
Prerequisites for Changing This Permission
To edit the Use External Stickers permission on a channel, you must have the Manage Channels permission on the server. This is typically granted to server moderators and administrators. You also need the Manage Roles permission if you want to edit the server-wide role settings first.
Steps to Set Use External Stickers Permission Per Channel
Follow these steps to allow or deny external stickers in a specific text channel. The process works the same on the desktop app, browser, and mobile app.
- Open the channel edit menu
Right-click the text channel name in the channel list on the left sidebar. Select Edit Channel from the context menu. - Go to the Permissions tab
In the channel settings window, click Permissions in the left navigation panel. - Select a role or member
Under Roles/Members, click the role or individual member you want to configure. If the role is not listed, click the + button and search for the role name. - Find the Use External Stickers permission
Scroll down the permission list or use the search box at the top. Look for Use External Stickers under the Text Channel Permissions section. - Set the permission to Allow or Deny
Click the green checkmark to allow external stickers. Click the red X to deny them. Leave it gray (neutral) to use the role’s server-wide setting. - Save changes
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the permissions list. The new permission applies immediately to that channel.
Method 2: Using Server-Wide Role Settings as a Base
If you want most channels to have the same behavior and only override a few, first set the global permission on the role. Then override per channel as described above.
- Open Server Settings
Click the server name at the top left and select Server Settings. - Go to Roles
Click Roles in the left panel. Select the role you want to edit. - Set Use External Stickers
Under General Permissions, find Use External Stickers. Toggle it on or off. Click Save Changes. - Override per channel
Now edit individual channels as shown in the main steps above. The channel override will take priority over the server-wide setting.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
When configuring the Use External Stickers permission per channel, several issues can cause unexpected behavior. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them.
Stickers Still Work Even After Denying the Permission
If a member has the Administrator permission on the server, they bypass all permission checks including Use External Stickers. To block them, remove the Administrator permission first. Also, check if the member has another role that allows external stickers. Discord combines permissions from all roles, and allowing one role overrides denying another.
The Permission Option Does Not Appear
The Use External Stickers permission only appears in the channel permissions list if the channel is a text channel. Voice channels, stage channels, and forum channels do not have this permission. Make sure you are editing a text channel. Also, the permission may be hidden if you are using an older version of Discord. Update the app to the latest version.
Changes Do Not Take Effect Immediately
Permission changes usually apply within a few seconds. If they do not, ask the affected member to restart Discord. If the issue persists, check for any user-specific overrides that might conflict with the role override. User overrides always take priority over role overrides.
External Stickers Permission vs Use External Emoji
These two permissions are independent. Denying Use External Stickers does not affect external emoji and vice versa. If you want to block both, you must configure each separately. The same channel override process applies to Use External Emoji as well.
Use External Stickers Permission: Server-Wide vs Channel Override
| Item | Server-Wide Role Setting | Channel Override |
|---|---|---|
| Where to configure | Server Settings > Roles > [Role Name] | Channel Edit > Permissions > [Role/Member] |
| Scope | Applies to all text channels on the server | Applies only to the specific channel |
| Priority | Overridden by channel overrides | Takes priority over server-wide setting |
| Best for | Setting a default policy for the whole server | Creating exceptions for specific channels like announcements or general chat |
The Use External Stickers permission per channel gives you fine-grained control over where members can use stickers from other servers. Start by setting a server-wide default for each role, then create channel overrides for channels that need different rules. Remember that Administrator users bypass all restrictions. Test the permission by asking a non-admin member to send an external sticker in the channel. If the sticker does not appear, the permission is working correctly. For advanced management, consider using Discord’s permission sync feature to copy channel overrides to similar channels.