9 Ways to Find a WoW Guild in 2021

Here are my 9 suggestions on how to find a guild using in-game tools and online resources

So, you are looking to join a guild in World of Warcraft. Whether you are looking to leave your current guild or find one for the first time, we are here to help. Let’s look at 9 approaches you can use to join a guild in World of Warcraft.

1. In-game guild finder tool

If you open the Guilds and Communities tab in-game (shortcut key ‘J’), you will see the guild finder tool. You can use the tool to filter guilds by their “focus” activity. Also, you can search for by size, language, and the roles needed in the guild. You can also type the name of a guild in the search box if you know which one you are looking for.

Once you click “Search,” it will show you a list of guilds, 3 at a time, which fit your criteria. You can use the arrows to navigate to more pages. If you find a guild you want to join, you can click “Request to Join” and wait for a reply.

Pros: Easy to use tool with the ability to filter by focus, language, size. It only shows guilds on your server.
Cons: Many guilds will not show up in the tool or accept blind join requests. It can be painful to scroll through potential guilds 3 at a time.

2. Guilds advertising in trade chat

Sometimes you will see a guild inviting you to join through a chat channel. Their message will usually mention the focus of their guild. They will also invite you to PST, which stands for “please send tell” (whisper them). If you want to join based on the message, you can whisper and ask for an invite. I would also suggest asking any questions you have in your whisper.

Pros: Guaranteed invite, very easy to join, doesn’t need a lot of research. The guild is on your server.
Cons: Guilds in trade chat tend to have high turnover. They are focused on maintaining large numbers instead of existing members. They may not have the social environment you are looking for in a guild.

3. Advertise in trade chat yourself

You can also use large chat channels like trade chat to look for a guild. A short message explaining what you are looking for in a guild in chat can be successful. But, be careful not to abuse this approach, or players may find you to be annoying. It could also hurt your prospects for joining a guild.

Pros: Easy, likely to hear back from a few guilds
Cons: May end up in a guild that only cares about growing their numbers. They may not have the social environment you are looking for.

4. Accept the random invite that pops up

If you have played World of Warcraft for any amount of time, chances are you have received a random guild invite. These invites are usually accompanied by a whisper. The message usually highlights the same points covered in trade chat advertisements. Some guild recruiters will message you can ask if you want an invite first.
This approach is a lot like the guilds who recruit in trade chat. Many of the guilds who recruit in trade chat use this directed approach as well.

Pros: Guaranteed invite, very easy to join, doesn’t need a lot of research. The guild is on your server.
Cons: Guilds tend to have high turnover. They are focused on maintaining large numbers instead of existing members. They may not have the social environment you are looking for in a guild.

5. Find a guild in Blizzard forums

While you can use the in-game approaches mentioned above, you may want to look for a guild outside the game. One helpful resource to do this is the Blizzard forums for recruitment.

These forums have many posts of guilds looking for players. They also have posts of players who want to find a guild.
You can read through posts to find a guild that you may want to join. You could also post information about yourself, including what you are looking for in a guild, when you are available to play, and what class/roles you play.

If you look for a guild outside of the game, remember that you must be on the same server as the guild you want to join. If you find a guild you want to join through the Blizzard forums, you may have to pay to transfer your character.

Many guild ads will show the faction and realm in brackets in the post title (ex. [A][Stormrage]<Guild Name> 11/12M LFM).

Pros: Better chance of finding type of guild you want, easy to use.
Cons: May have to transfer character, requires more time.

6. Use the wowguilds subreddit

Another great way to find a guild is through the wowguilds subreddit. Like the Blizzard forums, this is a great place for guilds and players looking for a guild to post. Posts are straightforward and provide the information you need to join. You could also create a post letting guilds know that you are looking for a guild to join.
If you take this approach, remember that you can only join guilds on your character’s server. You would have to pay to transfer your character to join a guild on another server.

Pros: Better chance of finding type of guild you want, easy to use.
Cons: May have to transfer character, requires more time.

7. Find a guild through wowprogress.com

If you are interested in raiding or mythic+, the best way to find a guild is through Wowprogress. The purpose of wowprogress is to track the progress of guilds in raids and dungeons. It is also a great way to find a guild because it allows guilds to post recruiting information.

To find this recruiting information, you need to select your realm from the drop-down menu. Let’s say that you play on the US – Hyjal server.

After selecting US-Hyjal from the “Realms” drop-down, you will see a list of the server’s major guilds. Horde guilds show up in red and Alliance guilds in blue. The number next to the guild name represents their rank on the server and the “World” column is their rank in the world. Their progress in the current raid is also shown in the following format: Bosses Killed / Bosses in Raid (Highest Difficulty).

To find the guild information, you can click on the guild name. If the leader has provided recruitment details, they can be found in the “Guild Profile” section under the progress table. These recruitment details will include the requirements to join, a guild website/discord, and other helpful information.

Pros: Great resource for players who want to find an active raid team.
Cons: Not all guilds post or update guild information, not good for non-raiders.

8. Ask players on your server about their guild

Another option is to talk to other players on your server about their guild. I once used this approach when I was running a mythic+ dungeon.

I noticed that the rogue in my group was extremely helpful and active in running other dungeons. After the run was over, I whispered the player and asked for more information about their guild. They were happy to answer my questions and it seemed like a perfect fit, so I asked if I could join.

You could apply this if you are joining pugs with people from your server or even while out questing. If someone is helpful, feel free to ask more about their guild!

Pros: Easy to do; you know you like playing with at least one person in the guild.
Cons: Blind to things like guild activity and culture, could join a guild with few active members.

9. Start your own guild

If you decide against using the approaches above or can’t find a guild you want to join, create one! To create a guild, you can buy a guild charter (10 silver) from the guild master in a large city. You will then need to get 4 people to sign it (retail WoW).

Starting a guild involves more work in maintaining and recruiting. But, it may also help you get the exact environment and focus you are looking for. If you want to start your own guild, check out this helpful guide from LevelSkip.

Pros: It gives you control over what type of guild you want, allows you to control guild culture.
Cons: It takes a lot of work; you spend a good amount of your playtime managing guild relationships.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we highlighted 8 main ways you can find a guild in World of Warcraft. To join a new guild, you will need to leave your current guild if you are a part of one. If you aren’t sure how to do that, check out my guide on How to Leave Your WoW Guild.

As a recap, the 9 ways you can find a guild are:

1. Use the in-game guild finder tool
2. Join a guilds advertising in trade chat
3. Advertise in trade chat yourself
4. Accept the random invite that pops up
5. Find a guild in Blizzard forums
6. Use the wowguilds subreddit
7. Find a guild through wowprogress.com
8. Ask players on your server about their guild
9. Start your own guild

Have you used any of these approaches? Do you have another way that helped you find a guild? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!