Bot permissions & role hierarchy

The permissions HoneyGate needs and the one Discord rule that trips everyone up.

HoneyGate needs a handful of Discord permissions to do its job. This page lays out what they're for, and then the single most important setup step: role hierarchy.

The permissions HoneyGate asks for

When you add HoneyGate, Discord shows you a list of permissions on the install screen. It looks like a lot, so here's the honest breakdown of what's on it and why.

The everyday permissions, for roles, posting, and menus:

• Manage Roles to give and remove roles, which is the core of almost everything HoneyGate does.
• View Channel, Send Messages, Embed Links, Attach Files, and Read Message History to post welcomes, run games and giveaways, and show its menus.
• Add Reactions and Use Application Commands for reaction roles and slash commands.
• Manage Messages for things like starboard and cleanup, and Manage Channels so the Tickets module can open and close private channels.
• Connect and Speak so voice activity can earn XP.
• Mention Everyone for announcements and launch pings you set up.

The moderation permissions, which power the safety features:

• Kick Members, Ban Members, and Moderate Members (timeouts) so auto-moderation, anti-nuke, and the infractions log can actually carry out an action when you tell them to.
• View Audit Log and Manage Guild so anti-nuke can watch for a rogue admin and respond.

Two things worth saying plainly. HoneyGate does not ask to be a server Administrator. And it won't kick, ban, or time anyone out unless you switch on and configure the feature that does it. The moderation permissions sit unused until you decide to use them.

The one rule everyone trips on: role hierarchy

This is the most common setup problem, so it's worth getting right the first time:

**A bot can only manage roles that sit below its own role in the list.**

Discord enforces this for safety. If the HoneyGate role sits below a role you want it to hand out, the bot physically can't assign it. There's no error either. It just quietly doesn't happen.

How to fix it

1. Open Server Settings → Roles.
2. Find the HoneyGate role.
3. Drag it up so it sits above every role you want HoneyGate to hand out (verification roles, level roles, holder roles, colour roles, and the rest).

Good habit: keep HoneyGate's role near the top of your list, just under your own staff and admin roles. Then it can manage everything beneath it.

A note on channel permissions

For anything tied to a specific channel (welcome messages, announcements, game posts), make sure HoneyGate can actually see and send messages in that channel. If a channel's own permissions block the bot, it can't post there even when its overall role looks fine.

Want the bot to do less?

You're in control. If you'd rather HoneyGate not touch certain roles, keep those roles above it in the list. They'll be off-limits to the bot by design.