How to set up a Discord suggestion bot

Before you start

• Start with an online bot on Pro, a channel where submitted ideas will be posted, and a separate channel if you want a visible suggestion panel. Staff who configure channels or make decisions need Manage Server.
• Write a short review policy before launching: what ideas belong there, whether votes are advisory, and how staff will explain approvals or rejections. Use a private test channel first so an unfinished process does not confuse members.

1. Enable Suggestions for the selected server

   On the Modules tab, enable Suggestions, open Settings from the gear button, and select the server. Choose Suggestions Channel, the destination where submitted suggestions are posted for voting. None means submissions are blocked until you select a channel, which is safer than silently sending member ideas somewhere unexpected. Save only after confirming the selected server and channel. The dashboard setting belongs to that one server; duplicate the configuration deliberately if the bot serves another community.

   Suggestions is Pro-only. Treat the initial setup as a workflow test rather than a permanent promise about staff response times. The module can collect and organize suggestions, but it cannot decide whether an idea fits your roadmap or resolve disputes in its comments. The channel’s normal Discord permissions still matter. Keep staff able to moderate it, and decide whether members may reply directly or should use the submission flow so voting stays easy to read.

2. Create a clear submission panel

   Set Panel Channel if you want the button panel in a specific place; leaving it unset makes `suggestpanel` use the current channel when staff run the command. Customize Panel Title and Panel Description so members know what will happen after they submit an idea. The default text invites a suggestion, but your own description should say whether ideas need detail, whether duplicate requests are removed, and where staff post outcomes. The panel is an entry point, not the place to write your entire roadmap.

   Run `suggestpanel` from a staff account with Manage Server to create the panel. Inspect the posted button in a private channel before putting it in front of members. A simple test can say “Test suggestion panel; staff only” and should be deleted after verification. Check that the bot can send messages and embeds in the panel destination. If it cannot, change the Discord permission or choose another channel instead of assuming the dashboard selection overrides channel-level restrictions.

3. Set voting and privacy choices

   Auto-approve Threshold controls when a suggestion is automatically approved after upvotes; set it to 0 to disable automatic approval. For most new setups, leaving automatic approval off is the conservative choice because a popular idea can still be unsafe, too expensive, or already planned differently. A vote is useful feedback, not a binding decision. If you set a threshold later, explain it to members and test it with a harmless suggestion so staff know what status change the module creates.

   Turn on Require Approval Reason when staff should supply a reason before approving an idea. This encourages a visible explanation rather than an unexplained status change. Anonymous Suggestions hides the suggester identity in suggestion embeds; consider whether your moderators still have enough context to handle abuse reports and duplicate requests. Neither option removes your moderation responsibilities. Select the settings that fit your community’s expectation of privacy and accountability, save them, and tell members what anonymous does and does not mean.

4. Submit an ordinary-member test

   From an account without staff permissions, use `suggest` with a short, harmless idea. The command submits the suggestion to the configured channel; it is not a staff-only command. Verify that the post appears where expected and that members can vote in the way your channel design permits. Do not use a real feature request as the test, because a test should be easy to remove and should not create an expectation of a decision. Record the suggestion ID from the resulting post for the next review test.

   If the submission is blocked, first return to Settings and check Suggestions Channel. The product explicitly treats no selected channel as blocked submissions. Then check that the bot is online and can speak in the chosen channel. A panel can be visible while the submission destination is misconfigured, so test both parts of the workflow. Once the simple test works, decide whether to pin the panel, link it from your rules channel, or keep it in a feedback category that staff check regularly.

5. Practice a staff decision workflow

   Staff with Manage Server can use `approve` to approve a suggestion, `reject` to reject one, and `implement` to mark one implemented. Approve and reject accept a suggestion ID and can include a reason; use a reason whenever it helps members understand the outcome, especially if Require Approval Reason is enabled. Practice with the test suggestion before public launch. A visible status change is clearer when it is paired with a concise explanation, not a vague promise that staff may forget later.

   Use `suggestioninfo` to view information about a suggestion when staff need to confirm its ID or current state. Keep your review process human: merge or close duplicates according to your policy, reject abusive content through your normal moderation process, and do not let vote totals alone determine sensitive server decisions. The module stores the flow of submissions and statuses; it does not replace a ticket system, a private moderation channel, or a product planning meeting. Define an expected review cadence your team can realistically maintain.

6. Launch with expectations members can trust

   After the tests, replace the staff-only panel text with member-facing instructions and announce where suggestions should go. Explain whether reactions show interest, whether staff answer every post, and what approved, rejected, and implemented mean in your server. A transparent small process earns more trust than a broad invitation that nobody reviews. Periodically have staff update ideas that have changed state, and remove a broken panel before creating a replacement so members do not submit to two places.

   Revisit channel permissions and the anonymous setting after the first real discussions. If the account moves from Pro to Free, Suggestions is not a Free module, so ensure your members are not directed to a feature that has become unavailable. You can begin with Build Discord Bots by signing up, configure the channel and one panel, and expand only when your staff has established a dependable response routine. That keeps the suggestion space useful instead of becoming an unmoderated backlog.