Verify server setup
Check and repair supported server-scoped prerequisites without exposing deployment or bot-owner operations.
- Audience
- team lead · server admin
- Availability
- private beta access
- Maturity
- alpha
Last reviewed
On this page
Outcome
A ModFlow server administrator can identify missing supported channels, forums, roles, settings, or permissions and use the public repair path for that server.
Set up the lesson
- Administrator permission for the selected Discord server.
- Approved ModFlow access for that server.
- Agreement on which staff-only forums and channels the server will use.
Practice the workflow
Review dashboard health
Open System Health and Settings for the selected server and note any missing or inaccessible prerequisites.
Check: The administrator has a server-scoped checklist rather than infrastructure details.
Run the supported setup command
Use the documented example below so active-development setup stays disabled, and choose only the Ban Review options needed for the supported Jail and Ban Review surfaces.
Check: ModFlow reports what was created, reused, or still needs attention.
Verify staff access
Test the configured surfaces with an appropriate staff role and confirm ordinary members cannot see staff-only areas.
Check: Permissions match the server's intended moderation boundary.
/admin setup watchlist:false ban_review:true ban_review_role:@Senior ReviewVerify your result
The selected server has a verified, server-scoped moderation setup or a concrete permission or configuration issue with a named administrator action.
Understand what setup verifies
| Area | Examples | Typical failure |
|---|---|---|
| Bot membership and permissions | View Channels, Manage Roles, Manage Channels, Moderate Members, Ban Members, message/thread permissions. | Commands exist but cannot change the target or create/log the workflow. |
| Role hierarchy | Bot role above jailed and managed staff/member roles. | Member is not manageable or saved roles cannot be restored. |
| Core moderation roles | Moderator role, jailed role, protected/admin roles. | Wrong staff can act or the jailed member keeps unintended access. |
| Jail surfaces | Private category, text/voice cells, log destinations. | Jail is partial, visible to ordinary members, or cannot be cleaned up. |
| Review surfaces | Ban Review forum/role and case channels where enabled. | Requests cannot reach authorized reviewers. |
| Logging destinations | General and action-specific staff logs. | Actions complete but expected staff audit messages are absent. |
| Dashboard mapping | Settings values, team permissions, Health checks. | Stored IDs point to deleted or renamed Discord objects. |
Run a setup preflight
Agree on the visibility model
Name which staff roles can see jail, logs, cases, Ban Review, evidence, and voice artifacts.
Check: The intended audience is documented before channels are created.
Inspect the bot role
Confirm required permissions and place the role above every role it must assign, remove, or restore.
Check: Hierarchy failures are prevented before testing.
Read System Health
Open the selected server and inspect Action needed, Review, and Ready groups.
Check: The repair starts from a concrete failing prerequisite.
Record current IDs
Capture existing role/channel/forum IDs and purpose before running setup or changing Settings.
Check: Rollback has a known prior state.
Test the result with real permission boundaries
| Account | What to test | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary member | Search for staff logs, case/review forums, private jail category, and evidence channels. | Cannot view or read staff-only surfaces. |
| Moderator | Run a low-risk test action and open the expected log/history. | Can perform only granted action and view only intended records. |
| Senior reviewer | Open restricted review and decision controls. | Can review/decide where configured without gaining unrelated admin rights. |
| Server administrator | Open Settings and Health, then verify configuration and repair controls. | Can manage server-scoped setup without access to non-public platform operations. |
| Bot | Create/manage required roles/channels, post logs, and moderate a test target below hierarchy. | All required Discord operations complete or report a specific denial. |
Use a safe fixture
Test on an authorized staff/test account or controlled channel according to server policy.
Check: No ordinary member is harmed by setup verification.
Trigger one event
Run one documented warning, jail fixture, or review request that exercises the configured path.
Check: The expected role/channel/log path is used.
Compare Health and Discord
Refresh Health and inspect the actual Discord permissions.
Check: A green checker and live visibility agree.
Record unresolved warnings
Keep the failing check and owner instead of broadening permissions to make it pass.
Check: Least privilege is preserved.
Recover from partial setup
Setup created or reused the wrong surface
What you see: The command completed, but a role, category, channel, or forum is incorrect.
What may be happening: A similarly named object, stale stored ID, insufficient option review, or pre-existing custom overwrite can produce an unexpected result.
What to do
- Stop using the incorrect surface and preserve the setup response.
- Restore the previous supported role/channel ID through Settings or the setup command.
- Verify the replacement with staff and ordinary-member accounts.
- Delete an unused Discord object only after confirming no active record, transcript, or workflow references it.
The bot cannot manage the target
What you see: A test command reports hierarchy or missing permission.
What may be happening: The bot role is below the target/highest saved role or lacks the required Discord permission.
What to do
- Inspect the bot role position and permissions.
- Move only the bot role as high as required by policy.
- Do not make the bot Administrator solely to hide a missing-permission diagnosis.
- Repeat one safe test and recheck Health.
Avoid these mistakes
- Running setup in the wrong server.
- Assuming setup completion proves every live permission path.
- Publishing staff-only forums or evidence channels to ordinary members.