> 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/initial-setup.md).

# Initial Setup

Registering your Discord server as a **Guild** gives your community a Guild page on RivalRyze, an activity feed in Discord, a forum for your server's Contests, and guild leaderboards and stats. Setup starts on the **RivalRyze website** and takes a couple of minutes.

{% hint style="success" %}
Prefer video? The setup guide the bot sends includes a **Watch Setup Video** button with a two-minute walkthrough.
{% endhint %}

## Before you start

* A RivalRyze account with Discord connected. See [Creating an Account](/your-account/creating-an-account.md) and [Connecting Discord](/connecting-gaming-platforms/discord.md).
* Owner, **Manage Server** or **Administrator** rights on the Discord server.
* **Community** enabled on the server (Discord's **Server Settings → Enable Community**), if you want the Contests forum. You can turn it on during setup.

## Step 1: Add the bot and create the Guild

1. Open **Guilds** in the sidebar and click **Add RivalRyze to Discord**.
2. In the dialog, click **Add RivalRyze to Discord** again.
3. On Discord's screen, choose your server and confirm.

You land on your new Guild's page. The details are on [Adding the Bot to Your Server](/for-guild-admins/adding-the-bot.md).

## Step 2: The setup dialog

The first time you land on your Guild page, a setup dialog opens (only the Guild owner sees it):

1. **Guild Created!** Your server is linked, and anyone in it can start joining your Guild. Click **Start**.
2. **Discord Channel Creation.**
   * If your server doesn't have Community enabled, you see **You need to enable Community Mode in your Server**. Community is what lets the bot create a forum channel for Contests. Enable it in Discord, then click **Refresh**.
   * Once it says **Community Mode Enabled**, click **Sync Channels**. When all three channels show as synced, you see **Channel creation successful!**
   * Click **Continue**. (**Skip for now** closes the dialog without creating channels.)
3. **Congratulations! Your Guild is ready.** Click **Finish**.

## The channels RivalRyze creates

**Sync Channels** creates a RivalRyze category with three channels. If channels with these names already exist in that category, the bot reuses them.

| Channel       | Type                         | What goes there                                                                                                                                                                            |
| ------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `ℹ️︱info`     | Text, read-only for members  | The bot's welcome message with links, your Guild's info card with a **Join Guild** button, and the current Month in Review card (shown while your activity stats are visible to everyone). |
| `⚔️︱contests` | Forum, read-only for members | One post per Contest for your Guild, kept up to date with joins, results and buttons to join or boost.                                                                                     |
| `🎮︱activity` | Text                         | Your Guild's Activity Feed: game completions, achievement unlocks, games added to libraries, account connections, Dota 2 and Riot match activity, and new members.                         |

You can rename and move these channels. If you delete one, the bot forgets it; run **Sync Channels** again to recreate it.

{% hint style="info" %}
Skipped the channels, or need to redo them? Open your Guild page → **Settings** → **Setup**. The **Setup** entry shows **Incomplete** until all three channels exist.
{% endhint %}

## What you have after setup

* **A Guild page** at `rivalryze.com/guilds/<your-guild-name>`, with **Overview**, **Members**, **Games**, **Contests**, **Leaderboard**, **Stats**, **Activity**, **History** and (for you and your admins) **Settings** tabs.
* **You as the Guild Owner.** The Guild also becomes your active guild.
* **The activity feed and Contests forum** in your server, once the channels are synced.
* **Server activity stats** (messages, voice time, reactions) on the **Activity** tab. You can turn this off under **Settings → Privacy**.

The Guild is identified by your Discord server, so renaming the server doesn't break anything: the name and icon update on RivalRyze automatically.

## Next: configure your Guild

Open the **Settings** tab on your Guild page to choose what the activity feed posts, who counts as a Guild admin, who can create Contests, and who can see your server's activity. See [Guild Settings & Activity Feed](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md).

## Getting members to join

Members of your Discord server aren't added to the Guild automatically. Each member needs to:

1. Have a RivalRyze account with Discord connected.
2. Be in your Discord server.
3. Click **Join Guild**, either on the info card in your `#info` channel or on your Guild page on the website.

New players also see Guilds they can join (servers they're already in) during RivalRyze's sign-up steps. See [Finding and Joining a Guild](/guilds/finding-a-guild.md).

Ideas to get people in:

* Pin a message pointing to `#info` and to [rivalryze.com](https://rivalryze.com).
* Run a small Battle for your Guild. See [Hosting Guild Contests](/for-guild-admins/hosting-guild-contests.md).
* Post member profile cards with `/profile` and completion cards with `/completion`.

## Troubleshooting

### My server isn't in Discord's list

You need owner, **Manage Server** or **Administrator** rights on it. Ask the server owner to add the bot or to grant you the permission.

### "Guild not created!"

RivalRyze couldn't register the server. One reason is that your Discord account doesn't have owner, **Manage Server** or **Administrator** rights on that server. Check your rights, then click **Try again**.

### There's no Sync Channels button

Your server doesn't have Community enabled. Enable it in Discord, then click **Refresh**. Only the Guild owner sees **Sync Channels**.

### The server was already registered

You land on the existing Guild page. The person who registered it first is its Owner, and ownership can't be transferred from the website. Ask the Owner to give you admin rights (see [Managing Members & Roles](/for-guild-admins/managing-members.md)).

If the Owner deactivated their RivalRyze account, the Guild is hidden. Anyone with owner, **Manage Server** or **Administrator** rights on the server can register it again and becomes the new Owner; the Guild comes back with its members.

### Nothing gets posted in Discord

Check that the channels are synced (**Settings → Setup**), that the feed posts you want are switched on (**Settings → Activity Feed**), and run `/guild-permissions`. See the [Bot Permissions Checklist](/for-guild-admins/bot-permissions.md).

## Next steps

* [Guild Settings & Activity Feed](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md)
* [Managing Members & Roles](/for-guild-admins/managing-members.md)
* [Hosting Guild Contests](/for-guild-admins/hosting-guild-contests.md)
* [Bot Commands Reference](/for-guild-admins/bot-commands-reference.md)