Midjourney User Guide: From Discord Basics to Private Image Generation and Account Switching

This Midjourney tutorial focuses on three things: how to start generating images in Discord, how to keep your generations as much as possible in a place only “your own people” can see, and how to switch between multiple accounts without stepping into pitfalls. Midjourney’s core operations are all done in Discord; once you understand channels and commands, you’ll pick it up very quickly.

Preparation: Use Discord to “add” Midjourney

First register and log in to Discord. It’s recommended to verify your email and phone number in Discord for more reliable logins later. Then visit the Midjourney website in your browser and click “Sign in,” which usually redirects you to the Discord authorization page. After you approve the authorization, your Discord account will be linked to Midjourney.

After joining Midjourney’s official Discord server, you can start using commands in the newbie channels. If you prefer a cleaner environment, you can also create your own Discord server and invite the Midjourney Bot in via “Add Apps/Members.”

Basic Image Generation: From /imagine to Upscales and Variations

In any channel where you’re allowed to speak, enter /imagine, write your prompt in the prompt field, and send it. Midjourney will return a 2×2 grid preview. Common actions are “U” to upscale a single image and “V” to create variations based on one of them—just click the buttons; you don’t need to type the command again.

If you want to lock the aspect ratio, style, or clarity, you can add parameters at the end of the prompt (e.g., --ar 16:9). The more parameters you use, the more likely they are to conflict with each other. It’s recommended to start with a small number of parameters to get the workflow working, then add more gradually.

How to Generate Privately: Private Servers, Permissions, and True “Stealth”

When people talk about “private generation,” the most practical approach is to put Midjourney in your own Discord server and set channel permissions so only you or a small group of members can access it. This prevents strangers on Discord from watching. This method works well for team collaboration, project-based management, and it also makes it easy to archive prompts.

But note: even if you generate in a private server channel, whether your work appears in the public gallery on the Midjourney website depends on whether your subscription includes Stealth. If you need it to be “not public on the website either,” you must confirm you have Stealth access—simply switching channels does not mean it’s fully hidden.

Switching Accounts: Switch Discord Accounts, and Midjourney Permissions Switch Too

A Midjourney account essentially follows Discord: when you switch to another Discord account in the Discord client, the corresponding Midjourney subscription and permissions will also change. The most reliable approach is to log out on the Midjourney website first, then re-authorize and log in with the target Discord account to ensure the billing and permission displays match.

A common pitfall is “it works in Discord, but I can’t see the subscription on the website,” or the opposite—this is usually caused by being logged into different Discord accounts. The check is simple: confirm the account shown by the avatar in the lower-left of Discord is the same as the Discord username authorized on the Midjourney website.