> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.rivalryze.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.rivalryze.com/for-guild-admins/bot-permissions.md). # Bot Permissions Checklist Most "the bot isn't posting" problems come down to Discord permissions in a specific channel. This page lists what the bot uses each permission for and how to check them. ## Quick check: `/guild-permissions` Run `/guild-permissions` in your server (or in a direct message with the bot). Only the Guild's Owner and Admins can use it, and only they see the reply. It checks: * **Configured Channels:** your **Contests Forum**, **Info Channel** and **Activity Feed**. Each line shows ✅ when everything is fine, ⚠️ with the missing permissions, ❌ when the channel is gone or is the wrong type, or ℹ️ when it isn't set up. * **Contest Thread Sync Health:** how many Contest threads the bot tracks, how many it can still reach, how many are archived or locked, and which are at risk of missing updates. It ends with **✅ RivalRyze Permission Check: looks good** or **⚠️ RivalRyze Permission Check: issues found**, followed by **How to fix** steps. Fix what it lists, then run it again. ## What the bot uses, feature by feature | Feature | Permissions the bot needs there | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Info channel** (`ℹ️︱info`) and **Activity Feed** channel | **View Channel**, **Read Message History**, **Send Messages**, **Embed Links**. Feed posts also use **Attach Files** (images) and **Add Reactions** (the bot reacts to its own posts). | | **Contests forum** (`⚔️︱contests`) | **View Channel**, **Read Message History**, **Send Messages**, **Send Messages in Threads**, **Create Public Threads**, **Manage Threads**. Optional: **Manage Messages** to pin each Contest post, **Add Reactions** to react to it. | | **Contest threads** | **View Channel**, **Read Message History**, **Send Messages in Threads**. **Manage Threads** on the forum lets the bot reopen archived threads. | | **Sync Channels** | **Manage Channels**, to create the RivalRyze category and channels and set their permissions. | | **Discord role rewards** | **Manage Roles**, plus the right role position. See [Roles and role hierarchy](#roles-and-role-hierarchy). | | **Public Guild invite link** | **Manage Server** (optional), so the bot can find a permanent invite link to your server. See [Public or private?](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md#public-or-private) | To run slash commands, your members need Discord's **Use Application Commands** permission in the channel. The permissions requested when you add the bot are shown on Discord's authorization screen. You can change the bot's role permissions any time in **Server Settings → Roles**. ## Channels created by Sync Channels When **Sync Channels** creates `ℹ️︱info`, `⚔️︱contests` and `🎮︱activity`, it sets their permissions for you: * The bot gets what it needs in each channel. * Everyone can view all three and read their history. * `ℹ️︱info` and `⚔️︱contests` are read-only for members: they can't post, reply in threads, create threads or add new reactions. * `🎮︱activity` keeps your server's default posting rules for members. If you point the Activity Feed at another channel, or change these channel permissions later, check the bot's access there. ## Fixing channel permissions The fix steps `/guild-permissions` gives: 1. Open **Server Settings → Roles → RivalRyze** and grant the missing permissions at the server level. 2. For each channel marked ❌ or ⚠️: **Edit Channel → Permissions**, add the **RivalRyze** role, and enable the missing permissions. 3. Archived Contest threads recover once the bot has **Manage Threads** on the Contests forum. A channel override can block the bot even when its server-level permissions are fine, which is the usual cause of "the bot posts in one channel but not another." ## Roles and role hierarchy Discord only lets the bot give a role that sits **below** its own highest role, to a member whose highest role is also below it. For Discord role rewards on Guild Contests: * Give the bot **Manage Roles**. * In **Server Settings → Roles**, drag the bot's role above every role you want to award, and above the roles of the members who might win them. If the Contest creator says **Unable to load guild roles** (*Please ensure Discord server permissions allow Ryzer to apply server roles to members...*), the bot is missing **Manage Roles** or no role sits below the bot's role. See [Hosting Guild Contests](/for-guild-admins/hosting-guild-contests.md#discord-role-rewards). Admin Role Discord Sync, Role Access Control on the feed and role-restricted Contests only read members' roles; they don't need **Manage Roles**. ## What the bot reads * **Not message content.** The bot doesn't request Discord's message content access, and all its interactions are slash commands and buttons. * **Activity counts:** it counts messages, reactions and voice time per member and channel for your Guild's activity stats. Messages from other bots and webhooks aren't counted. You can stop this under **Settings → Privacy → Capture server activity**. * **Members and roles:** it reads your member list and their roles to sync Guild admins, check role-restricted Contests, apply the feed's role filter, and remove people from the Guild when they leave your server. * **Direct messages:** it sends one when it joins a server, to the server owner, with the setup guide. It doesn't DM your members. ## Common problems ### The Activity Feed isn't posting * Check that an **Activity Feed Channel** is set (**Settings → Activity Feed**) and that `/guild-permissions` shows it ✅. * Check the switch for that post type, the **Minimum Game Difficulty** and the **Rarity Threshold**: a game below the bar or a common achievement isn't announced. * If **Role Access Control** has roles selected, only members holding one of them are announced. * Only members who joined your Guild on RivalRyze are announced. See [Guild Settings & Activity Feed](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md#activity-feed). ### Contest posts don't appear in the forum * The Contest must be a **Guild Contest** for your Guild, or a global Contest with **Participate in Global Contests** on. * The Contests forum must exist: it needs Discord's Community feature. Check **Settings → Setup**. * Run `/guild-permissions` and fix anything flagged for the forum. ### The bot can't give a reward role The bot is missing **Manage Roles**, or its role sits below the reward role or the winner's highest role. See [Roles and role hierarchy](#roles-and-role-hierarchy). ### The Guild page says the bot is Offline The bot isn't in your server anymore. Add it again the same way you first did. See [Adding the Bot to Your Server](/for-guild-admins/adding-the-bot.md). Still stuck? [Contact support](/help-and-faq/contact-support.md) with the output of `/guild-permissions`.