How to set up Discord welcome messages
Give new members a clear first stop in your server. This guide sets up a public text greeting with the Welcome & Goodbye module, using an existing channel so you control exactly where the message appears.
Start free, 14 days of Pro, no cardBefore you start
- You already have a bot in Build Discord Bots, invited to the server you manage. Start it before opening module settings so the dashboard can load your server and channels.
- Choose a channel where the bot can view the channel, send messages and embed links. Use the English dashboard to match the labels below.
Open Welcome & Goodbye settings
Open your bot from the dashboard and select its Modules tab. Find Welcome & Goodbye and turn its toggle on if it is off. Enabling a module on an online bot can restart it; wait for it to come back online.
If the first-time setup wizard appears, choose Skip for now to follow this guide in the full settings dialog. On the Welcome & Goodbye card, click the gear button titled Settings. The dialog is headed Module Settings and Configure Welcome & Goodbye.
Select the server and welcome channel
In the Server selector, choose the server you want to configure. In Channels, find Channel Routing. Turn off Use one channel for join + leave if you want separate destinations, then select your greeting channel under Welcome Channel ID.
If you keep Use one channel for join + leave on, the same field is called Welcome/Goodbye Channel ID. Either choice can send welcome messages. If channel loading fails, the field also accepts a channel ID. Leave auto-create disabled when you have selected an existing channel.
Write a useful welcome message
Open Messages. Under Public Channel Messages, switch on Enable welcome messages and edit Welcome Message. A useful starting text is: Welcome, {user}! Please read our rules and introduce yourself when you are ready. Replace the instructions with the places your community actually uses.
The {user} placeholder becomes a mention of the joining member. Leave Enable goodbye messages and Send DM to new users off if you only want a public greeting. You can return later to configure those separately.
Save and check a member join
Click Save Settings and wait for Saved ✓. If a live-sync warning appears, use the bot page's Restart control before testing, then wait for the bot to be online again.
Ask a consenting human member who has not joined yet to join your server. Check that the greeting appears in the selected channel and that the mention and instructions are correct. Inviting another bot is not a suitable test: welcome handling skips bot accounts.
If nothing appears, reopen Settings and confirm the Server, channel and Enable welcome messages selection. Check the bot's channel permissions and that the Discord application's Server Members intent is enabled. Save any correction and test a new join.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the server list empty?
The bot must be online and added to at least one server for the settings dialog to find servers. Check those conditions, then reopen Settings.
Can welcome and goodbye messages use different channels?
Yes. In Channels, turn off Use one channel for join + leave. Set Welcome Channel ID and, if you want leave messages, Goodbye Channel ID. Enable goodbye messages separately in Messages.
Does saving send the message immediately?
No. Save Settings stores the selected server's configuration. Check the result with a new human member join after the bot is online and the settings have synced.
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