How to set up a Discord reminder bot

Before you start

• Your bot should be online and invited to the Discord server where you want reminders. You can use the Reminders module on Free without a Pro subscription.
• Choose a channel that the bot and intended reader can access. The bot needs Send Messages and Embed Links there. Have a staff account with Manage Server available if you want to adjust the module settings through Discord.

1. Enable Reminders for the selected server

   Find Reminders in the bot’s Modules tab, enable it, and open Settings from its card. Select the correct server before making changes, then check Enable Reminder Commands. Saving this switch allows the creation workflow in that server when the module is running. It does not create a reminder by itself. Think of the dashboard as the place for community defaults and Discord as the place where a member supplies the actual message and delay. Wait for your bot to be online before attempting the first reminder. These examples use the default ! command prefix; substitute your configured prefix if you changed it.

   Start with an ordinary task that is easy to verify, such as “Check the meetup planning thread.” A reminder message should identify what you need to do when it appears later, without depending on the reader remembering the entire earlier conversation. Include enough context to distinguish it from other tasks, but keep private details out of a shared destination. This module delivers into a server channel rather than a personal direct-message inbox. Even when only one person is mentioned, everyone with access to that channel can read the reminder text.

2. Choose where reminders will appear

   Default Reminder Channel is used when a member leaves the reminder form’s channel field empty. Set it to a quiet test channel for the first run. None (use the command channel) keeps reminders near the conversation in which they were requested, while a dedicated channel can gather follow-ups in one place. Decide which pattern your community expects before publishing instructions. A reminder can be technically delivered and still be missed if members never read its destination. The channel choice is therefore part of the setup, not just an optional cosmetic preference.

   Members can supply a channel name or ID in the form to override the default. Choose a precise destination instead of relying on a partial name that resembles several channels. The module checks that it can resolve the supplied channel and that the bot can send messages and embeds there. For a missing saved default, it may use the current channel instead, so revisit the configuration when you delete or rename channel areas. Check visibility from the recipient’s perspective too: the bot’s ability to post does not prove that the intended person can read the message.

3. Set the duration limit and notification style

   Max Reminder Duration (days) controls how far ahead a newly created reminder may be scheduled. The default is 7 days, and the supported setting runs from 1 through 30 days. That range belongs to the module configuration; it is not a Free-versus-Pro reminder allowance. Choose a horizon that fits the tasks your members actually track. A server that uses reminders for quick discussion follow-ups may prefer a shorter horizon than one coordinating an upcoming event. The setting still permits short delays, so you can verify delivery without waiting a full day.

   Mention User On Delivery determines whether the notification includes a mention of the member who created the reminder. Turn it off if your test should simply post an embed, or leave it on to check the mention behavior. Discord notification preferences still affect what the member notices. Reminder Embed Color sets the accent on the delivered embed using a hex color. These settings are read when delivery happens, so a staff change made after scheduling can affect the appearance or mention behavior of a reminder that is already waiting.

4. Open the form and enter a short delay

   Use !remind in Discord, then click the Create Reminder button on the creator prompt. The command itself takes no message or duration arguments; those belong in the form that opens after the button. Enter your reminder text, a delay such as 1m, and an optional destination channel. Leave that channel field blank to test the default you selected earlier. The prompt disappears after a short time, so request it again if you have not opened the form before the button is gone. Losing the prompt does not mean a submitted reminder was canceled.

   The time field accepts a number followed by s, m, h, d, or w for seconds, minutes, hours, days, or weeks. It also accepts inputs such as “10 minutes” or “2 hours.” Use one quantity and one unit: a combined expression such as “1h 30m” is not supported, while “90m” expresses that delay directly. Calendar dates and phrases such as “tomorrow morning” are not parsed by this form. Check that your chosen delay fits Max Reminder Duration (days), then submit and read the confirmation for the destination, message, and relative delivery time.

5. Find the reminder and watch it arrive

   Use !reminders from the same account and server to list your active reminders. The list shows pending messages with relative times, which helps you catch a mistaken delay before assuming delivery failed. It is a view of your reminders in this server, not a shared staff queue or a list covering every server that hosts the bot. After submitting the short test, stay in its destination until the notification arrives. Compare the text, embed color, and mention with your settings. The test succeeds when the intended reader can see the expected message in the intended place.

   If nothing arrives, inspect whether the bot stayed online and retained access to the selected channel. Check channel permission changes as well as the bot’s role, particularly if someone moved the test into a private category. A failed send is not a promise of a later retry: the current delivery path cleans up a reminder after attempting it. Fix the access problem and submit a fresh short test before trusting a longer delay. Avoid repeating a request immediately without looking at the active list, since multiple successful submissions can leave you waiting for duplicate reminders.

6. Explain the workflow and keep defaults current

   A moderator with Manage Server can use !remindersettings to inspect or update enabled, channel, color, maxdays, mention, and autodelete values. These correspond to the dashboard settings for the selected server. Auto-delete Command Messages attempts to remove message-based setup requests; it does not erase the delivered reminder or cancel scheduled work. Turning off Enable Reminder Commands blocks new creation, but should not be treated as a cancellation control for reminders already waiting. Keep that distinction in staff instructions so an attempt to quiet a channel does not leave members expecting a canceled notification.

   The current workflow creates a single reminder for each submission. It does not offer recurring schedules or a member-facing cancel command, so start with disposable test messages and check the confirmation carefully. For important deadlines, keep your normal calendar or task record as well. Once the short test is reliable, tell members where reminders appear and demonstrate the form rather than inventing a command with unsupported arguments. Review channel defaults after server changes. When you want to add this workflow to your own community, sign up below and configure Reminders alongside the other modules your bot needs.

   Need RSVPs, capacity waitlists or daily, weekly or monthly event repeats? Open Events & Reminders in Related modules below for the first-event walkthrough. That separate Pro module collects event responses; this Free Reminders form schedules a single channel notification.