Discord has exploded in popularity as a communication app for gamers, students, professionals, and online communities of all kinds. Since its launch in 2015, Discord has grown to over 350 million registered users as of 2024, with 150 million monthly active users engaged in billions of conversations across millions of servers.[^1]
While Discord offers many features for positive interaction like voice chat, screen sharing, and rich media integration, its public and pseudonymous nature can sometimes attract bad actors who engage in harassment, hate speech, trolling, and other disruptive behaviors. According to a 2022 survey by the Anti-Defamation League, 75% of young people ages 13-17 experienced some form of harassment while using online multiplayer games, many of which have dedicated Discord servers.[^2]
If you find yourself the target of persistent harassment or threats on Discord, you may feel a desire to unmask the perpetrator‘s identity to report them to moderators or authorities. One potential way to do this is by obtaining their IP (Internet Protocol) address, which can provide clues to the user‘s location and internet service provider.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll break down the technical details of how IP addresses work, the methods available to get someone‘s IP on Discord, and the important considerations to weigh before pursuing this course of action. We‘ll also share tips and tools for protecting your own privacy and security while using Discord across all your devices.
Understanding IP Addresses and How They Work
An IP address is a numerical identifier assigned to every device connected to the internet. IP addresses are used to route data between devices and can be used to trace the general location and network of a given device.
There are two main types of IP addresses in use today:
- IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4): These addresses consist of four numbers separated by dots, e.g. 192.168.0.1. There are about 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses.
- IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6): These addresses consist of eight groups of hexadecimal digits separated by colons, e.g. 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334. There are about 340 undecillion (3.4 × 10^38) possible IPv6 addresses.
Most internet service providers (ISPs) assign dynamic IPv4 addresses to residential customers, meaning the IP can change periodically. However, IPv6 addresses tend to be static and tied to a specific device rather than dynamically assigned by the network.[^3]
When you connect to a website, game, or app like Discord, your IP address is typically logged by the servers you interact with. This allows the servers to send data back to your device and track general user activity and analytics.
However, many apps and services like Discord mask users‘ IP addresses as a privacy measure. When you look at someone‘s profile or messages on Discord, you cannot see their IP address. The only way to get someone‘s IP through Discord is to trick them into clicking an IP-grabbing link that captures and reports their IP to you.
Method 1: Using IP-Grabbing Links on Discord
The most common way to obtain someone‘s IP address on Discord is to use an IP grabber service like Grabify or IPlogger. These services generate special tracking links that log the IP address and other details of anyone who clicks on them.
Here‘s a step-by-step breakdown of how to create an IP-grabbing link using Grabify:
- Go to https://grabify.link in your web browser.
- Enter a real URL of a popular website in the field provided. Using a site that‘s relevant to your target user‘s interests will increase the chance they‘ll click your link.
- Click the "Create URL" button to generate your tracking link.
- Customize the link by clicking "Change domain / make a custom link" in the "Link Information" section. Use an innocuous domain like "gameclips.net" and append a file extension like ".jpg" or ".mp4" to make the link look more convincing.
- Copy the customized tracking link using the "Copy" button.
- Send the link to your target user on Discord via DM or in a server channel. Come up with a believable preview message to entice them to click, like "Check out this hilarious meme I made of you!"
- Wait for the user to click the link. You‘ll see a new entry appear in the "Results" section at the bottom of the Grabify page containing the user‘s IP address, location, ISP, device type, and other details.
It‘s important to note that IP grabbers typically only work once per user. If you send repeated IP grabber links to the same person, they‘ll likely get suspicious and avoid clicking. Most grabbers also only capture the user‘s IP on the initial click – if they close the page and revisit the link later, their IP usually won‘t be logged again.
After obtaining someone‘s IP, it‘s best practice to delete the tracking link so others can‘t discover and abuse it. Grabify links expire after 48 hours by default, but you can also choose to deactivate them manually at any time.
What Can You Do with Someone‘s IP Address?
Once you have someone‘s IP address, you can use IP lookup tools to get an approximate idea of their physical location (usually at the city or ZIP code level) and the name of their internet service provider. You can‘t directly obtain someone‘s name, home address, or other private info from their IP alone in most cases.
However, there are a few other things someone could theoretically do with an IP address:
- Launch a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack to spam the user‘s network with bot traffic and temporarily shut down their internet access
- Attempt to hack or infect the user‘s device with malware using their IP as an entry point
- Report the user‘s IP to their ISP and try to get their service cut off
- Register their IP on shady databases and lists that track activity from that address
Again, most of these actions are illegal and unethical in the vast majority of jurisdictions. We strongly advise against using someone‘s IP for any malicious purposes like stalking, harassment, threats, "doxxing" (posting their private info online), or hacking.
There are also a few caveats to consider when relying on IP addresses for identification:
- VPNs and Proxies: If your target is using a virtual private network or proxy server to mask their IP, you‘ll only be able to see the IP of the VPN/proxy, not their real device or location.
- Dynamic IP Addresses: Since many ISPs regularly rotate the IP addresses assigned to users, the IP you grab for someone today may be different from their IP tomorrow or next week.
- IPv6 Privacy Extensions: Some devices and networks have IPv6 privacy extensions enabled, which periodically randomize a portion of the IPv6 address to limit tracking.[^4]
Alternative Methods to Deal with Harassment on Discord
Given the ethical and technical limitations of using IPs to identify problem users, it‘s worth exploring other strategies to combat harassment and abuse on Discord:
Blocking and Reporting: Discord allows you to block specific users so they can no longer message you or see your activity in shared servers. For more serious violations, you can submit a detailed report to the Discord Trust & Safety team for review.
Server Moderation: If the issue is occurring on a specific server, reach out to the server owner or moderators with evidence of the disruptive behavior. Most well-run servers have clear rules against harassment and active mods who can warn, mute, kick, or ban offending users.
Anti-Abuse Bots: Many servers use automated moderation bots like MEE6, Dyno, or Carl-bot to filter out slurs, spam, and other inappropriate content. Work with your server admins to set up and tune these bots for a safer environment.
Positive Community Building: Proactively cultivating a server culture of respect, inclusivity, and healthy boundaries can prevent many instances of toxicity before they start. Consider appointing a diverse mod team, enforcing clear rules, and promoting constructive discussion over antagonism.
If you‘re dealing with severe, pervasive, or threatening harassment that migrates beyond Discord into criminal behavior, you may need to also contact law enforcement authorities outside the app. Preserve screenshots, message logs, user IDs, and other evidence to bolster your case.
How to Protect Your Own Privacy on Discord
Of course, the best defense against having your own IP exposed is to practice good digital hygiene across all your online interactions. Consider these tips for staying safe on Discord:
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Turn on 2FA in your User Settings so your account requires a second form of verification besides your password to log in. Discord supports 2FA via SMS, authenticator apps, and physical security keys.
Use a VPN: A trustworthy paid virtual private network can mask your real IP address with one from a remote server, making it much harder for others to track your location and activity. Look for a VPN that doesn‘t keep connection logs and offers robust encryption.
Limit Personal Info in Your Profile: Avoid putting your full name, address, email, phone number, or other sensitive details in your public Discord profile. The less identity data you expose, the lower your risk of being doxxed or stalked.
Be Selective with Permissions: Review your "Connections" settings and revoke access for any third-party apps or sites you no longer use with your Discord account. Similarly, be careful about granting Discord bot permissions or admin roles that could compromise your account security.
Secure Your Devices: Keep the devices you use Discord on patched and protected with the latest OS and security app updates. Set up remote location and lockout features like Find My iPhone or Prey in case a device is lost or stolen.
Log Out When Not in Use: Don‘t stay logged into Discord on public or shared devices. Always fully log out of your account when you‘re done using the app, especially on computers you don‘t own.
Conclusion: Weigh the Risks and Rewards of IP Grabbing
Obtaining someone‘s IP address through Discord can be a tempting way to gain more insight into a malicious user‘s identity and location. However, it‘s crucial to recognize the potential risks and ethical pitfalls of using IP grabbers, even with the best of intentions.
Not only can IP grabbing put you in murky legal territory and violate Discord‘s terms of service, it can also backfire and expose you to further harassment or hacking attempts. IP addresses alone rarely provide enough info to definitively identify a user, and even if they do, vigilante justice is never an appropriate solution.
In most cases, it‘s safer and more effective to work through Discord‘s built-in safety tools like blocking, reporting, and server moderation to resolve issues with problematic users. Serious threats may also warrant contacting law enforcement.
Ultimately, the choice to pursue someone‘s IP is a personal one that requires carefully weighing the specifics of your situation, but we hope this guide has given you a balanced perspective on the technical and ethical aspects involved. Stay safe out there!
