Discord Animated Emoji and Sticker Specs

What are Discord's limits for animated emoji?

Discord's developer documentation states: "Emojis and animated emojis have a maximum file size of 256 KiB." Uploads over the limit are rejected. 256 KiB is 262,144 bytes.

The same page lists the accepted formats: "Emoji can be uploaded as JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and AVIF formats. All emoji (regardless of original format) can be served as WebP." GIF is the format most people use for animated emoji because every design tool exports it.

Discord's help center is widely quoted as recommending 128×128 pixels for emoji and as giving each server 50 static and 50 animated emoji slots by default. We could not load those pages directly, so treat the size and slot numbers as unofficial and check the current help article before you plan around them.

What are the limits for Discord stickers?

Stickers are larger, standalone images sent on their own rather than inline with text. The API documentation defines the upload as "a PNG, APNG, GIF, or Lottie JSON file, max 512 KiB," and adds: "Uploaded stickers are constrained to 5 seconds in length for animated stickers, and 320 x 320 pixels."

So an animated sticker should be exactly 320×320, loop within 5 seconds and stay at or under 512 KiB. APNG is the better raster choice because it keeps 8-bit transparency; GIF works but gives hard edges.

Custom stickers in servers are reported in Discord's help center to come with Server Boosting. As with the emoji slot counts, that page could not be verified directly, so confirm the current boost requirements in your server settings.

Who can upload Lottie stickers?

Not every server. The documentation is explicit: "Lottie stickers can only be uploaded on guilds that have either the VERIFIED and/or the PARTNERED guild feature."

Everyone else uploads animated stickers as APNG or GIF. That matters if your mascot exists as a Lottie file: unless your server is verified or partnered, render it to APNG at 320×320 first.

Lottie stickers are vector, so they stay sharp at any size and are usually very small. But they need a vector source; a rendered, painted or AI-generated character cannot be turned into a true Lottie without redrawing it. For a comparison of the two approaches, see Lottie vs GIF.

Do members need Nitro to use animated emoji?

According to Discord's help center, which we could not load directly, Nitro is what lets people use custom emoji from one server in other servers. Because that page could not be verified, treat the details as unofficial and check Discord's current Custom Emojis article.

What the developer documentation does confirm is the file side: up to 256 KiB per emoji, uploaded as JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP or AVIF. Those limits apply regardless of who uses the emoji.

For a brand or community server, design the set so it still works for members who only see it inside your server. Reaction emoji such as yes, no, thanks and celebrate get used most.

How do I convert a transparent animation to a small GIF?

For emoji, render a GIF with an optimized palette and a reserved transparent color. This command was run on ffmpeg 7.1.1 against a 1080×1080 transparent WebM and produced a 128×128 GIF with transparency:

ffmpeg -c:v libvpx-vp9 -i character.webm -filter_complex "fps=15,scale=128:128:flags=lanczos,split[a][b];[a]palettegen=reserve_transparent=1[p];[b][p]paletteuse=alpha_threshold=128" -loop 0 emoji.gif

• -c:v libvpx-vp9 before -i makes ffmpeg read the WebM's alpha.
• palettegen=reserve_transparent=1 builds a palette of up to 255 colors and reserves the last for transparency (FFmpeg sets this by default).
• paletteuse=alpha_threshold=128 makes pixels below 50% opacity transparent and the rest opaque (128 is the default).
• -loop 0 loops forever, the GIF muxer's default.

If the GIF is over 256 KiB, lower fps to 12 or 10, or shorten the clip. For stickers, use APNG at 320×320:

ffmpeg -c:v libvpx-vp9 -i character.webm -vf "fps=15,scale=320:320" -plays 0 -f apng sticker.png

Both commands were tested locally; the APNG came out 320×320 with RGBA transparency. Check the sticker stays within 512 KiB and 5 seconds; add -t 5 if the source is longer.

Why does Discord reject my emoji or sticker?

• File too large. Over 256 KiB for emoji or 512 KiB for stickers. Lower fps, shorten, or reduce size.
• Wrong dimensions. Stickers must be 320×320 px.
• Too long. Animated stickers over 5 seconds.
• Wrong format. Stickers don't accept WebP or AVIF, and Lottie needs a verified or partnered server.
• No free slots. Servers have a limited number of emoji and sticker slots; Discord's help center describes the current counts, which we could not verify directly.

Also check the result over Discord's dark and light themes. A GIF matted against white shows a light halo on the dark theme; the transparent-palette command above avoids most of that.

Emoji vs sticker: which should a mascot be?

Both, for different jobs. Emoji appear small, inline in messages and as reactions, so they need a bold silhouette and a single clear action: a nod, a wave, a thumbs-up. Stickers are sent on their own and shown much larger, so they can carry a fuller reaction or an idle loop with personality.

Charmotion turns an uploaded character, mascot or logo into 17 animations in about 1–2 hours, including transparent WebM (VP9 alpha) and MOV (HEVC alpha) at 1080×1080, MP4, a 480 px GIF and a .riv file. It does not export Discord-ready emoji or stickers, but its short one-shot reactions such as success, yes and no convert into reaction emoji with the GIF command above, and a looping mood into a 320×320 APNG sticker. Transparent video is on the Studio plan ($29/month); the Starter plan ($4.99/month) includes the GIF.

How to make Discord animated emoji and stickers from a transparent animation

1. Pick clips. Choose short, clear reactions for emoji and a fuller loop or reaction for stickers.
2. Make the emoji GIF. Run the palettegen/paletteuse ffmpeg command at 128×128 with -c:v libvpx-vp9 before -i.
3. Make the sticker APNG. Scale to 320×320 and write APNG with -plays 0 -f apng, at most 5 seconds.
4. Check sizes. Keep emoji at 256 KiB or less and stickers at 512 KiB or less.
5. Upload. Add them in Server Settings under Emoji or Stickers, then test on dark and light themes.

Frequently asked questions

What size should a Discord emoji be?

Discord's API docs set only a 256 KiB file limit, not pixel dimensions. Its help center is widely cited as recommending 128×128 pixels, though we could not verify the current wording. Exporting at 128×128 keeps animated GIFs small enough to stay under the limit while remaining sharp in reactions and messages.

Can Discord stickers be WebP?

No. According to Discord's developer documentation, sticker uploads must be PNG, APNG, GIF or Lottie JSON files of at most 512 KiB. WebP and AVIF are accepted for emoji, not for stickers. Convert a WebP or video to a 320×320 APNG for the best transparent result.

How long can a Discord animated sticker be?

Five seconds. Discord's API documentation says uploaded animated stickers are constrained to 5 seconds in length and 320×320 pixels, with a maximum file size of 512 KiB. Trim longer clips with ffmpeg's -t 5 option, or choose a reaction that completes well within that time.

Quick answers from this guide

• What is the file size limit for Discord animated emoji?
• Can any Discord server upload Lottie stickers?

Sources

• Emoji resource — Discord API docs on GitHub
• Sticker resource — Discord API docs on GitHub
• Custom Emojis — Discord Support
• FFmpeg filters documentation (palettegen, paletteuse) — FFmpeg
• FFmpeg formats documentation (GIF and APNG muxers) — FFmpeg