Using the bot in Discord
How members and staff use the bot in Discord: slash commands, right-click apps, public and role-gated commands, first-use tips and permission messages.
On this page
- Before you start
- Slash commands and apps
- Who can use which command
- Private replies
- Tips the bot shows the first time
- Quick commands to try
- Permission messages
- Troubleshooting
- A member can't see a command
- Nothing happens when I run a command
- A moderator gets "You do not have the permission to use that command!"
- Related
You set the bot up on the website, but your members and staff use it in Discord. They type / to
run slash commands, or right-click a member or message to use the bot's apps. This page explains
which commands everyone can use, which ones need a role, the tips the bot shows the first time
someone uses it, and the messages people see when they're not allowed to run something.
Before you start#
Commands only work inside a Discord server, not in direct messages with the bot.
Slash commands and apps#
| Type | How to use it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Slash commands | Type / in the message box, pick a command, fill in its options and press Enter. | /game server players, /warn, /ticket |
| User apps | Right-click a member (or tap and hold on mobile) → Apps. | Warn User, Mute User, User Info |
| Message apps | Right-click a message → Apps. Acts on the person who sent it. | Warn Message User, Mute Message User |
The apps share permissions with their slash command: Warn User and Warn Message User follow
/warn, Mute User and Mute Message User follow /mute, and User Info follows
/userinfo. The full list with every option is on the Commands page.
Who can use which command#
There are three kinds of command:
| Kind | Who can use it | Commands |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Every member who can send messages in the channel. | /bump, /bumps, /game ..., /help, /ping, /playtime |
| Admin only | Members with Administrator. | /setup, /echo, /say, /botinfo |
| Role-gated | Members with Administrator, or a role you allow in Command roles. | Everything else, like /warn, /ban, /prune, /ticket, /apply, /server and /userinfo |
Until you assign roles, role-gated commands work for Administrators only. Some commands also check a Discord permission of their own: /server needs Manage Server as well.
Some commands are hidden from members who don't have a matching Discord permission. For example,
/warn and /mute only show for members with Timeout Members, /ban for Ban Members,
/kick for Kick Members and /prune for Manage Messages. Server owners can change who sees
each command in Server Settings → Integrations. A member needs to see the command and pass
the bot's role check.
Private replies#
Many replies, like /help, /ping and every /setup panel, are private. Only the person who ran
the command sees them, and Discord marks them "Only you can see this". Discord removes them when you
click Dismiss message or restart Discord.
Tips the bot shows the first time#
After a command runs, the bot may send up to three private notes:
- First time with a command: "You just used the command command for the first time. Nice!", with the command's description and links to the FSG Discord and website. Shown once per member for each command.
- First time with the bot: "Looks like this is your first go with the Farm Sim Game Bot! Sweet!", shown once per member.
- What's new: New Farm Sim Game Bot Update, listing up to 5 recent bot updates that member hasn't seen yet.
👁️ Only you can see this • Dismiss message
These follow the member, not the server, so someone who has used a command in another community won't see the first-time note again.
Quick commands to try#
/help shows a short help card with links to the website, the support Discord, the bot invite link
and the Terms and Privacy pages. /ping checks that the bot is online.
/help EveryoneDisplays Help Information.
/ping EveryoneDisplays the ping of the bot and discord api.
👁️ Only you can see this • Dismiss message
/ping replies "Pong!" and then a Ping card with the API Latency and Bot Uptime.
Permission messages#
These are the messages people see when the bot won't run a command. Some are private; the others are posted in the channel and delete themselves after 10 seconds.
| Message | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "You do not have the permission to use that command!" | The command is role-gated and the member has none of the allowed roles (and isn't an Administrator). Private. | Add one of their roles to the command in Command roles. |
| "You are missing permission permissions, you need them to use this command." | The member lacks a Discord permission the command needs in this channel, like Administrator for /setup. Deletes after 10 seconds. | Give the member that permission, or use another channel. |
| "Bot is missing permission permissions, bot needs them to use this command." | The bot lacks a permission in this channel, like Administrator for /setup. Deletes after 10 seconds. | Give the bot's role that permission. See Bot permissions. |
| "This bot can only be used in the Discord server it was setup with via the Farm Sim Game website." | Someone used a custom bot in a server it wasn't set up for. Private. | Use the custom bot only in its own server. |
Troubleshooting#
A member can't see a command#
- Check whether Discord hides it from them (see Who can use which command). Server owners can change that in Server Settings → Integrations.
- New commands can take a while to appear. Restarting Discord usually helps.
Nothing happens when I run a command#
- Make sure the bot can View Channel and Send Messages in that channel.
- Run
/ping. If the bot doesn't answer, it may be offline. Check the troubleshooting guide.
A moderator gets "You do not have the permission to use that command!"#
Add their moderator role to that command on Bot settings → Command Roles, or with /setup →
Command Roles. See Command roles.