Discord Bot Configuration

Learn how to configure your Discord subscription bot to manage paid memberships for your server. BotSubscription automates role-based access control, letting you run a paid Discord server with automatic subscriber management.

How It Works

BotSubscription uses roles to manage access on Discord:

Subscribers pay through the bot or web portal
BotSubscription automatically assigns a premium role
When the subscription expires, the role is removed
Use Discord's built-in permissions to control what the role can access

Adding BotSubscription to Your Server

Step 1: Invite the Bot

Click the Add to Discord button
Select the server you want to add the bot to
Click Authorize

Step 2: Configure Bot Role Position

⚠️Warning

This step is critical! The bot can only assign roles that are below its own role in the hierarchy.

Go to Server Settings > Roles in Discord
Find the BotSubscription role (created automatically)
Drag it above any roles you want the bot to manage
Click Save Changes

Step 3: Create Premium Role(s)

Create the role(s) that subscribers will receive:

Go to Server Settings > Roles
Click Create Role
Name it (e.g., "Premium Member", "VIP", "Subscriber")
Configure permissions for what premium members can access
Save the role

💡Tip

You can create multiple roles for different subscription tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold).

Step 4: Create Plans and Link Roles

Before members can subscribe, you need to create subscription plans and link them to Discord roles:

Create a plan - Set up your subscription tiers with pricing and duration (see Create a Subscription Plan)
Go to Targets in your BotSubscription dashboard
Click Add Target and select your Discord server
Choose which role to assign for each plan

Setting Up Premium Channels

Use Discord's channel permissions to create subscriber-only areas:

Create a Private Category

Right-click your server name > Create Category
Name it (e.g., "Premium Content")
Click the gear icon to edit permissions
Turn off View Channel for @everyone
Add your premium role and enable View Channel

Create Private Channels

Right-click your premium category > Create Channel
The channel inherits the category's permissions
Premium role members can see it, others cannot

Slash Commands

BotSubscription provides a comprehensive set of slash commands for both members and admins. For a full list of available commands and their descriptions, see the Bot Commands reference.

📝Note

Commands are slash commands. Type / in any channel to see available commands from BotSubscription.

Once your Discord subscription bot is set up, members can subscribe in two ways:

Via bot command - Using the /subscribe command directly in Discord
Via web portal - Through your project's web portal

For the complete subscription flow with step-by-step instructions, see the Subscription Flow Guide.

Multiple Servers

Each Discord server operates as a separate, isolated project in BotSubscription. If you want to add subscription management to additional servers:

Invite the bot to the new server
A new project is created automatically for that server
Configure plans, roles, and payment methods independently for each server

This isolation ensures each server has its own subscribers, plans, and settings without affecting your other communities.

Automatic Role Management

The Discord subscription bot keeps roles synchronized automatically:

When a User Subscribes

Role is assigned within seconds of payment
User receives a DM confirmation (if DMs are enabled)
A detailed notification is sent to your Backoffice #payments channel

When a Subscription Expires

Role is removed automatically
Happens at the end of the billing period
User receives notification before expiry
A log entry is created in your Backoffice #notifications channel

When a User Cancels

Role stays until the end of the paid period
Role is removed when the period ends
Cancellation status is updated in the Backoffice

When a User Rejoins the Server

If they leave and rejoin while their membership is active, roles are automatically reassigned
This continues for the duration of their membership

Best Practices for Your Paid Discord Server

Role Organization

Server Owner (you)
├── Admin roles
├── Moderator roles
├── BotSubscription (bot role)  <-- Must be here or higher
├── Premium Gold               <-- Bot can manage these
├── Premium Silver
├── Premium Bronze
└── @everyone

Channel Structure

YOUR SERVER
├── #members-only (restricted - subscribers only)
├── #rules
├── #general (public)
├── #support (public)
│
├── BOTSUBSCRIPTION • BACKOFFICE (admin only)
│   ├── #payments
│   ├── #notifications
│   ├── #support-log
│   ├── #support-threads
│   └── 🔊 Memberships: 0
│
└── Voice Channels
    └── 🔊 General

📝Note

The bot automatically creates the Backoffice category and channels when added to your server. For more details on monitoring these channels, see the Backoffice guide.