> 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 a Guild ties your Discord server to RivalRyze. Once it's set up, your members can use the bot, join guild-only Contests, and compete on guild leaderboards. The flow starts on the **RivalRyze website**, not in Discord. ## Prerequisites * An active RivalRyze account. * Your Discord account [connected to RivalRyze](/connecting-gaming-platforms/discord.md). * **Manage Server** permission on the Discord server you want to register. {% hint style="info" %} RivalRyze does **not** request Admin permissions on your Discord server. The bot uses a focused set of permissions — see [Bot Permissions Checklist](/for-guild-admins/bot-permissions.md). {% endhint %} ## Step 1 — Make sure your account and Discord are connected 1. Visit [rivalryze.com](https://rivalryze.com). 2. If you don't have an account, sign up — either **Sign up with Discord** or email/password. 3. If you signed up with email, connect Discord from **Account Settings → Connections**. See [Connecting Discord](/connecting-gaming-platforms/discord.md). ## Step 2 — Create the Guild 1. Navigate to the **Guilds** page on RivalRyze. 2. Click **Create Guild**. 3. Click **Add RivalRyze to Discord**. This redirects you to Discord's authorization screen. ## Step 3 — Authorize the bot to your server 1. From Discord's dropdown, choose the **target server**. 2. Review the requested permissions. 3. Click **Authorize**. You'll be redirected back to RivalRyze. {% hint style="warning" %} If your server isn't in the dropdown, you don't have **Manage Server** permission on it. Ask the server owner to either grant you the permission or run the setup themselves. {% endhint %} ## Step 4 — Complete onboarding The first time you return to the Guild page after authorizing, you'll see an onboarding flow: ### 4.1 — Start onboarding Click **Start Onboarding**. The bot walks through the rest of the setup. ### 4.2 — Enable Community Mode (if needed) If your server doesn't have Discord's **Community Mode** enabled, the onboarding offers to help you turn it on. Community Mode unlocks Discord features RivalRyze uses, such as **forums** and **threads** for Contest discussions. * Enabling Community Mode does **not** publicize your server. * You can configure it later from Discord's server settings if you prefer. ### 4.3 — Sync channels and category RivalRyze creates a recommended channel structure for your server (or syncs to existing channels if you've already made them). Typical channels created: * A channel for Contest announcements * A channel for leaderboard updates * A channel for general RivalRyze bot interaction You can rename, move, or remove these channels later — the bot adapts. ### 4.4 — Confirmation When you see the completion screen, your Guild is registered. The bot is active and responding to commands. ## Step 5 — Customize (optional) From the Guild Settings page on RivalRyze, you can: * Update notification preferences * Adjust admin settings and member visibility * Change which channels the bot posts to * Configure default Contest visibility See [Guild Settings & Activity Feed](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md) for the full reference. ## What gets created After setup completes, the following exist: * **A guild entry on RivalRyze** identified by your Discord server's ID (so even if you rename the server, the entry persists). * **You as the guild owner** with full admin rights to the guild on RivalRyze. * **A guild leaderboard** that members can view from the dashboard. * **An activity feed channel** where the bot posts Contest updates. ## Inviting your members Members of your Discord server don't automatically appear on the guild leaderboard. Each member needs: 1. A RivalRyze account. 2. Discord linked to that account. Members who meet both conditions automatically show on the guild leaderboard within minutes. **To encourage members to sign up:** * Pin a welcome message in your server's intro channel with a link to [rivalryze.com](https://rivalryze.com). * Host a small, low-stakes Bounty or Battle as a hook. * Use `/profile @username` in chat — if they're not registered, the bot prompts them. ## Troubleshooting ### "Server missing from dropdown" You don't have **Manage Server** permission on the target server. Ask the server owner to grant you the permission or run setup themselves. ### "Onboarding incomplete after redirect" You authorized the bot but didn't finish the onboarding wizard. Go back to the Guilds page and reopen your Guild — onboarding will pick up where you left off. ### "Forum/threads unavailable" This means your server doesn't have Community Mode enabled. Either enable it (from Discord's server settings) or skip the forum-related features. ### "This guild is already registered" Someone else has already registered this Discord server on RivalRyze. They're the current owner. They can transfer ownership to you from the guild settings page on the website. ## Re-running setup If something went wrong mid-setup, return to the Guilds page on RivalRyze and reopen your Guild. The onboarding flow resumes from where you left off. You can also kick the bot from Discord and start over completely, but that's rarely necessary. ## Next steps * [Guild Settings & Activity Feed](/for-guild-admins/guild-settings.md) — customize bot behavior and notifications. * [Bot Permissions Checklist](/for-guild-admins/bot-permissions.md) — verify the bot has what it needs. * [Hosting Guild Contests](/for-guild-admins/hosting-guild-contests.md) — your first guild-only Contest. * [Bot Commands Reference](/for-guild-admins/bot-commands-reference.md) — full command list for you and your members. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.rivalryze.com/for-guild-admins/initial-setup.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.