What it means
Discord's server Direct messages control limits who can initiate a DM because of shared-server membership. Friend-request controls decide who may ask to become a friend. Blocking an individual is yet another action. These choices sit in Content & Social and can have global or server-specific behavior. Turning off non-friend server DMs does not necessarily remove existing friends, prevent public replies in a server or stop every friend request.
A real-world example
A member joins a large hobby server and receives investment spam from people who share that server. They turn off server DMs but keep friend requests open to everyone. Spam can still arrive through requests, so they review that second control separately and block the abusive accounts.
What to do
Pick the specific server or global setting, read whether Discord offers to apply the change to existing servers, then review friend requests. Test with a trusted friend and a trusted non-friend rather than an attacker. Report harassment and preserve evidence.
The distinction that matters
A DM rule manages a route to your inbox; a friend request manages a relationship proposal. An accepted stranger may still reach you after server DMs are disabled, and another shared server may have its own setting. Blocking a particular account addresses a different problem. For a teen linked to Family Center, a guardian may manage some of these choices. If a moderator needs to contact you for support, establish a known ticket channel or intentionally allow a narrow contact route instead of reopening every server.
Discord social permission controls
