How to add a bot to your Discord server
Adding a bot takes under a minute once you know where to click. This covers desktop and phone, the permission you need, what the bot asks for, and what to check when your server isn't in the list.
Adding a bot takes three choices: the server, what it can do, and Authorize. The steps are the same for any bot, on a computer or a phone.
Before you start
- Manage Server permission in that server. The owner and Administrators have it. Without it, your server won't show in the list.
- The bot's invite link, or its page in Discord's App Directory.
- Nothing to download. Bots run on their owner's servers.
Not sure if you have Manage Server? Click your server's name. If you see Server Settings with a Roles page you can change, you do.
1Find the bot's invite link
From the bot's website
Look for Add to Discord or Invite. Use the bot's own site or its support server, so you get the real one.
From a bot you already see
Click the bot's name in any server to open its profile, then press Add App.
From the App Directory
Open the App Directory (or Apps in your server's menu on a computer), search for the bot, and press Add App.
2Pick your server
Opening the link shows the bot's name and picture and asks where it should go. You may need to log in to Discord in your browser first.
BotGhost Communitywants to join a serverAdd to server, not to your apps
Some apps offer two choices. Add to server puts the bot in a server for everyone there. The other option adds the app to your own account, so you can use its commands in any chat, but it doesn't join your server. To get a bot into your server, pick the server option.
Choose the server
- Open the server list and pick yours.
- Press Continue.
Only servers where you have Manage Server are listed. If yours is missing, jump to your server is not in the list.
3Check what it asks for
Next comes a list of what the bot wants to do in your server, each with a tick box. The bot's owner picked these, and you can untick any of them.
What to leave ticked
- Leave the ones that match its job. A ticket bot needs Manage Channels to make ticket channels. A role bot needs Manage Roles. Untick those and the features that use them stop working.
- Read Message History, Send Messages, and Embed Links are what nearly every bot needs to reply.
- Something looks too much? A music bot asking to ban members, say. Untick it, or check the bot's site to see why it asks.
- You can change any of this later in Server Settings, then Roles, on the role named after the bot.
- Making your own invite link? The Discord permissions calculator builds the number for it.
About Administrator
Administrator gives a bot every permission at once, including deleting channels and banning anyone. Only leave it on for a bot you trust that needs it. Most bots work fine with the specific permissions instead.
4Authorize and check it worked
- Press Authorize.
- Discord may ask you to prove you're human. Finish that check.
- You'll see a message that the bot was added. Open your server: it shows up in the member list, usually with an APP tag next to its name.
- Type
/in a channel to see its commands.
Next, set it up. Most bots need a few minutes of setup before they do anything: a channel to post in, a role to give, a prefix or a dashboard to switch features on. Check the bot's website or its help command.
Adding a bot on your phone
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android:
- Open the bot's invite link. Tapping it in Discord or in your phone's browser both work; in the browser you might need to log in to Discord.
- Pick Add to server if you're asked, then choose your server.
- Check the permissions and tap Authorize.
If the link keeps opening the wrong screen in the app, copy it and paste it into Safari or Chrome instead.
When it does not work
Your server is not in the list
- You don't have Manage Server there. This is the usual cause. Ask the owner to add the bot, or to give your role Manage Server.
- You're logged in to a different account in your browser. Check the account at the top of the add screen.
- The bot is full. A bot that its owner hasn't verified with Discord can only be in 100 servers. If it's at that limit, Discord won't let it join more until it's verified.
Its commands do not show
- Reload Discord with Ctrl+R (Cmd+R on a Mac). New slash commands sometimes take a refresh to show.
- Check the channel's permissions: members need Use Application Commands to see a bot's slash commands there.
- Some bots need setup on their website before their commands appear.
The bot is offline
A bot runs on its owner's servers, so an offline bot means something's wrong on their side, not yours. Check the bot's support server or status page. Kicking and adding it again won't help.
It cannot give roles
A bot can only hand out roles below its own. Open Server Settings, then Roles, and drag the bot's role above every role it gives out.
Add your own bot instead
Bots from a list are the same for every server that adds them. If you want one with your server's name and picture, and commands that do exactly what you need, you can make it yourself without code. How to make a Discord bot without coding walks through it, and adding it works the way this guide describes: press Invite in the BotGhost dashboard, pick your server, and Authorize.
- 1Click Invite
BotGhost's own modules cover what most people add separate bots for, like tickets, welcome messages, and moderation, all in one bot.
Remove a bot later
- Right-click the bot in the member list (or long press on a phone) and pick Kick. It leaves straight away and loses every permission you gave it.
- To see which apps are in your server, open Server Settings, then Integrations.
- Want it back? Use its invite link again.
Questions people ask
Why can't I add bots to my Discord server?
Almost always because you don't have the Manage Server permission there. Only the owner, members with Administrator, and roles with Manage Server can add bots, and a server you can't manage won't show in the list. Ask the owner to add the bot or give your role Manage Server.
Are Discord bots free?
Adding a bot is always free; Discord doesn't charge for it. Many bots are free to use, and some keep extra features behind their own paid plan. A bot you make yourself in BotGhost is free on our free plan.
How do I add a bot on Discord mobile?
Open the bot's invite link in your phone's browser or tap it in the Discord app, pick your server, check the permissions, and tap Authorize. It's the same three choices as on a computer.
Can I add a bot to someone else's server?
Only if they've given you Manage Server, Administrator, or made you the owner. Otherwise send them the bot's invite link and they can add it.
Is it safe to add a bot?
Add bots from their own website or Discord's App Directory, read the permission list before you press Authorize, and don't give Administrator to a bot you don't know. You can kick a bot at any time and it loses access straight away.
What does Add to My Apps mean?
Some apps can be added to your own account instead of a server, so you can use their commands anywhere you chat. That doesn't put the bot in your server. To add it to a server, pick the server option.
How many bots can a server have?
There's no small cap that most servers will hit, so add as many as you need. Each one adds its own commands and roles, though, so a few bots that do a lot are easier to manage than twenty.
