ramirez/docs/setup.md

🛠️ 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 account through the Discord Developer Portal
2. Install Node.js 12, 13, or 14
3. Download the latest bot version from the releases page and extract it to a folder
4. In the bot's folder, make a copy of the file config.example.ini and rename the copy to config.ini

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 above first!
2. Open config.ini in a text editor and fill in the required values. mainGuildId and mailGuildId 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!
7. Want to change other bot options? See 📝 Configuration
8. Have any other questions? Check out the 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions or join the 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 above first!
2. Create an inbox server on Discord
3. Open config.ini in a text editor and fill in the required values
   • Set mainGuildId to the ID of the main server where users will message the bot from
   • Set mailGuildId 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!
8. Want to change other bot options? See 📝 Configuration
9. Have any other questions? Check out the 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions or join the 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.