How do you make a Discord server from scratch, and set it up so it's not chaos?

Creating it: click the + on the left server bar > Create My Own > name it and pick an icon. That part takes 30 seconds. The 'not chaos' part is the real work: 1) a few clear channels (welcome, rules, general, plus topic ones), 2) Roles, at minimum a Mod role with kick/ban/manage perms, 3) a verification level (Server Settings > Moderation) so new accounts cannot instantly spam, and 4) a simple welcome/mod bot. Start with fewer channels than you think you need.

Biggest early mistake is too many channels. Start with 4-5. An empty server with 20 channels feels dead, a busy one with 5 feels alive.

Set verification to at least Medium and enable the Explicit content filter. It stops most raid and spam headaches before they start.

Enable Community mode (Server Settings > Enable Community) for the rules-acceptance gate and better moderation tools.

Give a trusted person the Mod role early. Do not run it solo once it grows past a handful of people.