Systems and methods initialize distributed client device membership for new client devices joining a group-based communication channel established for content exchange among a plurality of distributed client device members. The systems and methods comprise aspects for executing a content analysis over the content of the one or more group-based communication channels to identify characterizing terms associated with each group-based communication channel. After the content analysis is performed, systems receive search parameters from a potential new member client device for a group-based communication server. Various systems and methods provide selected search results generated based at least in part on a determination that characterizing terms match one or more of the search parameters to the client device. Those selected results comprise a target that is executable by the client device to join the associated group-based communication channel.