# 🛠️ Setting up the bot
**Note:** This bot is run on your own machine or a server.  
To keep it online, you need to keep the bot process running.

## Terminology
* **Main server** (or main guild) is the server where users will be contacting modmail from
* **Inbox server** (or inbox guild, or mail guild) is the server where modmail threads will be created.
  In a "single-server setup" this is the same server as the main server.
* A **modmail thread** is a channel on the **inbox server** that contains the current exchange with the **user**.
  These threads can be closed to archive them. One **user** can only have 1 modmail thread open at once.
* A **moderator**, in modmail's context, is a server staff member who responds to and manages modmail threads
* A **user**, in modmail's context, is a Discord user who is contacting modmail by DMing the bot

## Prerequisites
1. Create a bot on the [Discord Developer Portal](https://discordapp.com/developers/)
2. Turn on **Server Members Intent** in the bot's settings page on the developer portal ([Image](server-members-intent-2.png))
3. Install Node.js 12, 13, or 14
4. Download the latest bot version from [the releases page](https://github.com/Dragory/modmailbot/releases)
    * Make sure the release doesn't say "Pre-release" next to it unless you want to run an unstable beta version!
5. Extract the zip file that you just downloaded
6. In the bot's folder (that you extracted from the zip file), make a copy of the file `config.example.ini` and rename the copy to `config.ini`
    * If you're on Windows, the file may be named `config.example` (without `.ini` at the end)

## Single-server setup
In this setup, modmail threads are opened on the main server in a special category.
This is the recommended setup for small and medium sized servers.

1. **Go through the [prerequisites](#prerequisites) above first!**
2. Open `config.ini` in a text editor and fill in the required values. `mainServerId` and `inboxServerId` should both be set to your server's id.
3. Invite the bot to the server
4. On a new line at the end of `config.ini`, add `categoryAutomation.newThread = CATEGORY_ID_HERE`
    * Replace `CATEGORY_ID_HERE` with the ID of the category where new modmail threads should go
5. Make sure the bot has `Manage Channels`, `Manage Messages`, and `Attach Files` permissions in the category
    * It is not recommended to give the bot Administrator permissions under *any* circumstances
6. **[🏃 Start the bot!](starting-the-bot.md)**
7. Want to change other bot options? See **[📝 Configuration](configuration.md)**
8. Have any other questions? Check out the **[🙋 Frequently Asked Questions](faq.md)** or
   **[join the support server!](../README.md#support-server)**

## Two-server setup
In this setup, modmail threads are opened on a separate inbox server.
This is the recommended setup for large servers that get a lot of modmails, where a single-server setup could get messy.
You might also want this setup for privacy concerns*.

1. **Go through the [prerequisites](#prerequisites) above first!**
2. Create an inbox server on Discord
3. Open `config.ini` in a text editor and fill in the required values
    * Set `mainServerId` to the ID of the *main* server where users will message the bot from
    * Set `inboxServerId` to the ID of the *inbox* server created in step 2
4. Invite the bot to both the main server and the newly-created inbox server
5. Open `config.ini` in a text editor and fill in the values
6. Make sure the bot has the `Manage Channels`, `Manage Messages`, and `Attach Files` permissions on the **inbox** server
    * The bot does not need any permissions on the main server
7. **[🏃 Start the bot!](starting-the-bot.md)**
8. Want to change other bot options? See **[📝 Configuration](configuration.md)**
9. Have any other questions? Check out the **[🙋 Frequently Asked Questions](faq.md)** or
   **[join the support server!](../README.md#support-server)**

*\* Since all channel names, even for channels you can't see, are public information through the API, a user with a
modified client could see the names of all users contacting modmail through the modmail channel names.*