How to set up a Discord rules bot

Before you start

• Use an online bot with Pro, plus a public rules channel and an access role that the bot may assign. The bot role must be higher than that access role and have Manage Roles.
• Prepare plain-language rules approved by your moderators. Avoid assigning a role with sensitive permissions as the acknowledgment role; every member who acknowledges the published post can receive it.

1. Prepare the channel and acknowledgment role

   Create or choose a rules channel where new members can read the post. Decide whether the channel should allow discussion or only contain the rules, then set Discord permissions accordingly. Next choose an existing low-risk role that signals a member has acknowledged the rules, or plan to let the module create one. Discord will not let a bot assign a role above its own highest role. Move the bot role above the selected role before publishing; changing text in the dashboard cannot solve a Discord role hierarchy problem.

   The role is an acknowledgment marker, not a legal record or a guarantee of compliance. If you use it to unlock channels, test those permission overwrites with a staff-controlled ordinary account. Do not attach administrator, moderation, billing, or other privileged capabilities to a self-service acknowledgment role. Members who can react to the rules message can request that role, so make the access it grants deliberate. Document for staff what to do when a member cannot react, has accessibility needs, or needs the role restored.

2. Enable Rules in the dashboard

   Open the bot’s Modules tab, enable Rules, click Settings, and select the correct server. The dashboard labels the key switch Enable rules acknowledgments. Turn it on when you are ready for reactions to grant the configured role. The Rules Channel selection is where the saved rules message is posted. A server selector matters here because every server can use different language, channel structure, and access role. Save a draft only after reviewing the server name at the top of the dialog.

   Rules is Pro-only. If you move from Pro to Free, keep the acknowledgment role out of a workflow that depends on the module. The saved module settings remain a configuration, but an inactive Pro module cannot continue to provide its acknowledgment behavior. This is also a good time to set a staff owner for edits. A well-maintained short rules post is better than a long document that nobody reviews after a policy changes.

3. Write clear, editable rules content

   In Rules Content, choose a template if it gives you a useful starting structure, then edit the Rules Title, Intro Description, Footer Text, and each rule entry. Give each rule a concise title and a description that tells members what the rule means in practice. The template is an editorial starting point, not a substitute for your community’s policy. Remove rules that do not apply and add details your moderators can enforce consistently. The dashboard can generate rule ideas, but staff should still review every published sentence.

   Choose an embed color and acknowledgment emoji that are readable and recognizable in your community. The emoji is the reaction members use to receive the role. Avoid changing it casually after a post is live, because staff and members need a stable instruction. Explain in the footer what acknowledging does, such as granting access to the next set of channels, without implying that a reaction alone resolves every support or moderation issue. Keep sensitive policy details in a linked, maintained policy only if the link is publicly appropriate.

4. Choose or create the role safely

   In Role & Emoji, select Existing Role or choose Create role if missing and provide a role name. The dashboard warns when the selected role is above the bot role or cannot be resolved in the current server list. Treat that warning as a blocker: save only after the role hierarchy is correct. If the module creates a role, check its Discord permissions afterward. A newly created role should begin with no unexpected privileges and should be placed where the bot can assign it.

   Enable rules acknowledgments only after the role has been reviewed. The module gives the access role after members react to the rules message. It does not decide whether the role has access to channels outside your intended onboarding path. If your existing members already have access, do not remove roles from them merely to recreate a test; use a separate staff account or test server. Good setup makes onboarding clearer without disrupting people who are already participating normally.

5. Publish and test the acknowledgment flow

   Save the dashboard settings and wait for the bot to be online. You can also run `rules` to start the interactive rules setup wizard in Discord; it requires Manage Server. For a controlled first run, use a test server or a temporary staff-only channel. Confirm the rules embed appears in the selected channel, that its title and entries match what you approved, and that the chosen emoji is visible. The test is about the published object members will use, not just the form fields you saved.

   From a second account without the access role, react with the configured acknowledgment emoji. Verify that the role is granted and that the account can see only the channels your permission design intends. Remove the test role afterward if needed and correct the role order, bot permissions, or channel overwrites before publishing publicly. If the bot cannot add a role, checking the Discord hierarchy is more useful than reposting the same rules message. The module cannot assign roles Discord has forbidden it to manage.

6. Edit and maintain the live rules post

   Use `editrules` to edit existing server rules in Discord, `rulesinfo` to view rules statistics, and `repostrules` to repost the rules embed when appropriate. These are staff commands requiring Manage Server. Keep a small change log in your moderator space so staff can explain major policy updates. Do not use a repost as a substitute for notifying members about a material change; a rules acknowledgment design helps onboarding, but it does not by itself prove everyone has read a later update.

   After save and bot restart, the Rules module verifies the saved message and can auto-repost it if it was deleted. Check the channel after a deliberate deletion test in a safe environment, but do not repeatedly delete a public rules post. Revisit the role hierarchy after reorganizing Discord roles, and review the content after your community changes. Sign up for Build Discord Bots, start with one reviewed post, and only expand the gating rules once the simple flow behaves as your moderators expect.