Use a custom emoji when the artwork belongs in a line of text or under a message as a reaction. Use a sticker when you want the picture to deliver the whole reply. Decide where the image should appear before preparing the file.
Pick the chat action first
Imagine your server has a little sprout to say thanks. If you want to put it beside “Thanks for helping” or react to someone’s post, make an emoji. If you want people to send the sprout on its own as a cheerful reply, make a sticker.
Illustration made for this guide on November 12, 2026, using the two downloadable PNGs. The arrangement illustrates two chat uses.
| Where the art should appear | Which asset to prepare | Static PNG to start with |
|---|---|---|
| Beside words or as a reaction | Custom emoji | Use PNG and keep the file under 256 KB. The example below uses a 128 × 128 canvas. |
| As the image in a standalone reply | Custom sticker | Use a 320 × 320 PNG within the 512 KB file limit. |
The emoji size above is the canvas of our sample. Discord’s current custom emoji help specifies the file-size limit and supported formats. The sticker creator guide specifies a 320 × 320 canvas for stickers. Discord custom emoji help · Discord sticker creator guide
Make two files from the same artwork
Download the 128 px sprout emoji example and the 320 px sprout sticker example. They use the same original drawing with transparent space around it. The files have different canvas dimensions, even though the character looks the same.
Try both in the PhotoToSticker sticker checker. The 320 px sample passed the Discord sticker file checks. The 128 px sample failed the Discord sticker dimensions check. The checker reads the file locally. It checks sticker requirements, so its result does not tell you whether Discord will accept an emoji upload.
Choose the matching upload area
- Open the server’s settings in the desktop app or browser. If you have access to add expressions, choose Emoji for the inline icon or Stickers for the standalone picture.
- Pick the file for that asset type. For the sprout sticker, choose a related Unicode emoji such as 🌱. That association helps the sticker appear in suggestions.
- Try the actual use in a channel. Put the emoji in a sentence or choose it as a reaction. For the sticker, choose it from the sticker picker and send it as its own reply. Discord custom sticker help
When the picker shows both
If Discord suggests the sprout sticker for 🌱, selecting the suggestion sends a sticker. Check which item you selected if you expected a small icon and sent a large picture. To keep the image in a sentence, select the custom emoji from the emoji picker.
A PNG downloaded from the web is a file until it is added through a supported platform feature. If you want the artwork to behave like a character on a keyboard, read the guide to custom emoji PNGs and Unicode.
