diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index bae1c1c..9713e5e 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ GUIDES_CHANNEL_ID=your_guides_channel_id_here
 ADVENT_OF_CODE_CHANNEL_ID=your_advent_of_code_forum_channel_id_here
 REPEL_LOG_CHANNEL_ID=your_repel_log_channel_id_here
 ONBOARDING_CHANNEL_ID=onboarding_channel_id_here
+ARCHIVE_CATEGORY_ID=archive_category_id_here
 
 # Role IDs (REQUIRED)
 MODERATORS_ROLE_IDS=role_id_1,role_id_2,role_id_3
diff --git a/.env.production b/.env.production
index 1b04eb7..d3660a6 100644
--- a/.env.production
+++ b/.env.production
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ ADVENT_OF_CODE_CHANNEL_ID=1047623689488830495
 SHOWCASE_CHANNEL_ID=1517161718818541658
 SHOWCASE_LOG_CHANNEL_ID=1517565847982444634
 SHOWCASE_RULES_CHANNEL_ID=1517948527098073158
+ARCHIVE_CATEGORY_ID=837507969859977258
 
 
 # Role IDs (from your dev server)
diff --git a/.env.test b/.env.test
index c48bb66..0e25d88 100644
--- a/.env.test
+++ b/.env.test
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ REPEL_LOG_CHANNEL_ID=your-repel-log-channel-id
 SHOWCASE_CHANNEL_ID=your-showcase-forum-channel-id
 SHOWCASE_LOG_CHANNEL_ID=your-showcase-log-channel-id
 SHOWCASE_RULES_CHANNEL_ID=your-showcase-rules-channel-id
+ARCHIVE_CATEGORY_ID=your-archived-category-id
 
 # Role IDs (from your dev server)
 REPEL_ROLE_ID=your-repel-role-id
diff --git a/src/common/events/index.ts b/src/common/events/index.ts
index 05330c9..2b8c335 100644
--- a/src/common/events/index.ts
+++ b/src/common/events/index.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ import { hasVarEvent } from '@/features/has-var/index.js';
 import { interactionCreateEvent } from '@/features/interaction-create/index.js';
 import { readyEvent } from '@/features/ready/index.js';
 import type { DiscordEvent } from './types.js';
+import archiveChannels from '@/features/archive-channels/index.js';
 
 export const events: DiscordEvent[] = [
   readyEvent,
   guildCreateEvent,
   hasVarEvent,
   interactionCreateEvent,
+  archiveChannels,
 ].flat();
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
index c35b3b6..0a66798 100644
--- a/src/env.ts
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const config = {
     showcase: requireEnv('SHOWCASE_CHANNEL_ID'),
     showcaseLogs: requireEnv('SHOWCASE_LOG_CHANNEL_ID'),
     showcaseRules: requireEnv('SHOWCASE_RULES_CHANNEL_ID'),
+    archiveCategory: requireEnv('ARCHIVE_CATEGORY_ID'),
   },
   onboarding: {
     channelId: optionalEnv('ONBOARDING_CHANNEL_ID'),
diff --git a/src/features/archive-channels/index.ts b/src/features/archive-channels/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26a2049
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/archive-channels/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { createEvent } from '@/common/events/create-event.js';
+import { config } from '@/env.js';
+import { Events } from 'discord.js';
+import {
+  archiveChannel,
+  processingChannels,
+  unarchiveChannel,
+} from './util.js';
+
+export default createEvent(
+  {
+    name: Events.ChannelUpdate,
+  },
+  async (oldChannel, newChannel) => {
+    if (newChannel.isDMBased() || oldChannel.isDMBased()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // We only care about channels that are being moved to or out of the archived category
+    if (
+      newChannel.parentId !== config.channelIds.archiveCategory &&
+      oldChannel.parentId !== config.channelIds.archiveCategory
+    ) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Prevent deadlocks from nested ChannelUpdate events caused by our own edits
+    if (processingChannels.has(newChannel.id)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (newChannel.parentId === config.channelIds.archiveCategory) {
+      await archiveChannel(newChannel);
+    } else {
+      await unarchiveChannel(newChannel);
+    }
+  }
+);
diff --git a/src/features/archive-channels/util.ts b/src/features/archive-channels/util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d2939f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/features/archive-channels/util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+import { config } from '@/env.js';
+import {
+  Guild,
+  ChannelType,
+  type GuildChannel,
+  PermissionFlagsBits,
+} from 'discord.js';
+
+export const processingChannels = new Set<string>();
+
+export const ARCHIVED_REGEX = /^archived-/;
+
+export const PUBLIC_PERMISSIONS = [
+  PermissionFlagsBits.SendMessages,
+  PermissionFlagsBits.CreatePublicThreads,
+  PermissionFlagsBits.CreatePrivateThreads,
+  PermissionFlagsBits.SendMessagesInThreads,
+  PermissionFlagsBits.Connect,
+];
+
+export async function syncArchiveCategoryChannels(guild: Guild) {
+  const archiveCategory = guild.channels.cache.get(
+    config.channelIds.archiveCategory
+  );
+
+  if (archiveCategory?.type !== ChannelType.GuildCategory) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Archive category with ID ${config.channelIds.archiveCategory} not found in the guild.`
+    );
+  }
+
+  const archivedChannels = archiveCategory.children.cache;
+  const results = await Promise.allSettled(
+    archivedChannels.map(archiveChannel)
+  );
+
+  const failedReasons = [];
+  for (const result of results) {
+    if (result.status === 'rejected') {
+      failedReasons.push(result.reason);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (failedReasons.length > 0) {
+    const errorMessages = failedReasons
+      .map((reason) => reason.message || reason)
+      .join('; ');
+    console.error(`Failed to archive some channels: ${errorMessages}`);
+    throw new Error(`Failed to archive some channels: ${errorMessages}`);
+  }
+}
+export async function setArchivedPermissions(
+  channel: GuildChannel,
+  archived: boolean
+) {
+  await channel.permissionOverwrites.edit(
+    channel.guild.roles.everyone.id,
+    {
+      SendMessages: archived ? false : null,
+      CreatePublicThreads: archived ? false : null,
+      CreatePrivateThreads: archived ? false : null,
+      SendMessagesInThreads: archived ? false : null,
+      Connect: archived ? false : null,
+    },
+    {
+      reason: `${archived ? 'Archiving' : 'Unarchiving'} channel ${channel.name}`,
+    }
+  );
+}
+export function hasArchivedPermissions(channel: GuildChannel) {
+  const everyoneRole = channel.guild.roles.everyone;
+  const overwrite = channel.permissionOverwrites.cache.get(everyoneRole.id);
+
+  if (!overwrite) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return PUBLIC_PERMISSIONS.every((permission) =>
+    overwrite.deny.has(permission)
+  );
+}
+export async function unarchiveChannel(channel: GuildChannel) {
+  const channelName = channel.name;
+
+  if (!channelName.match(ARCHIVED_REGEX)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const newChannelName = channelName.replace(ARCHIVED_REGEX, '');
+
+  processingChannels.add(channel.id);
+
+  try {
+    await setArchivedPermissions(channel, false);
+    await channel.setName(newChannelName);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(
+      `Error unarchiving channel ${channelName}:`,
+      (error as Error).message
+    );
+  } finally {
+    processingChannels.delete(channel.id);
+  }
+}
+export async function archiveChannel(channel: GuildChannel) {
+  const channelName = channel.name;
+
+  const archivedChannelName = channelName.match(ARCHIVED_REGEX)
+    ? channelName
+    : `archived-${channelName}`;
+
+  if (archivedChannelName === channelName && hasArchivedPermissions(channel)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  processingChannels.add(channel.id);
+
+  try {
+    const renamedChannel = await channel.setName(archivedChannelName);
+    await setArchivedPermissions(renamedChannel, true);
+  } catch (error) {
+    // console.error(`Error archiving channel ${channelName}:`, error);
+    throw new Error(
+      `Error archiving channel ${channelName}: ${(error as Error).message}`
+    );
+  } finally {
+    processingChannels.delete(channel.id);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/features/ready/index.ts b/src/features/ready/index.ts
index a95c651..95c365c 100644
--- a/src/features/ready/index.ts
+++ b/src/features/ready/index.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { initializeAdventScheduler } from '@/util/advent-scheduler.js';
 import { fetchAndCachePublicChannelsMessages } from '@/util/cache.js';
 import { syncGuidesToChannel } from '@/util/post-guides.js';
 import { leaveIfNotAllowedServer } from '@/util/server-guard.js';
+import { syncArchiveCategoryChannels } from '../archive-channels/util.js';
 
 export const readyEvent = createEvent(
   {
@@ -20,11 +21,17 @@ export const readyEvent = createEvent(
       await leaveIfNotAllowedServer(guild);
     }
 
+    const guild = client.guilds.cache.get(config.discord.serverId);
+    if (!guild) {
+      console.error(
+        `❌ Bot is not in the configured server with ID ${config.discord.serverId}`
+      );
+      console.error('Please check your .env file or CI/CD configuration');
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
+
     if (config.fetchAndSyncMessages) {
-      const guild = client.guilds.cache.get(config.discord.serverId);
-      if (guild) {
-        await fetchAndCachePublicChannelsMessages(guild, true);
-      }
+      await fetchAndCachePublicChannelsMessages(guild, true);
 
       // Sync guides to channel
       try {
@@ -54,5 +61,15 @@ export const readyEvent = createEvent(
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('❌ Failed to initialize Advent of Code scheduler:', error);
     }
+
+    // Make sure all channels in the archived category are properly archived on startup
+    try {
+      await syncArchiveCategoryChannels(guild);
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error(
+        '❌ Failed to ensure archived channels are properly archived:',
+        error
+      );
+    }
   }
 );