A bot's prefix is the character that turns a normal message into a command, like the $ in $help. Most bots let a server admin change it with a command or from a web dashboard. In Noxyr the default is $, and you change it with /prefix set or from the dashboard, using 1 to 5 characters with no spaces. The prefix only applies to your server, so every server can pick its own.
Find out what prefix a bot is using
If you are not sure what a bot expects, mention it on its own in a channel. Many bots, Noxyr included, reply with the current prefix. In Noxyr, a message that is only @Noxyr gets the reply "My prefix here is $". Server admins can also run /prefix view, which works whatever the prefix is, because slash commands never use one.
How to change Noxyr's prefix
There are three places, and they all change the same setting:
- In Discord: run
/prefix set prefix:!./prefix resetgoes back to$. - On the Setup page: open the dashboard, pick your server, go to Setup and fill in the Command prefix box.
- On the Custom Commands page: the Prefix box sits at the bottom of the left panel, next to the commands you have renamed.
You need Administrator (or one of the server's admin roles) to change it. The new prefix works from the next message, and the old one stops working at the same moment, so tell your members when you switch.
Rules for a Noxyr prefix
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| 1 to 5 characters | Short enough to type, long enough for two-part prefixes like n!. |
| No spaces | A space would end the prefix before the command name. |
Cannot start with / | / opens Discord's own slash command menu. |
No @, #, <, > or : | They make mentions and channel links, so normal messages would turn into commands. |
No markdown characters (*, _, ~, |, backtick, backslash) | They change how a message is formatted. |
Good choices are $, !, ?, ., -, or a short word ending in a symbol such as n! or nx..
Pick a prefix that does not clash
If two bots in one server share a prefix, one message can make both of them answer, or make one of them reply that it does not know the command. ! is the most common default, so a server with several bots should give each one something different. A short two-character prefix like n! almost never clashes and is still quick to type.
It also helps to avoid characters people start normal messages with. Noxyr stays quiet when the word after the prefix is not a command, so $5 each is just a message, but a prefix like . in a chatty channel still means a stray .help runs a command.
Slash commands keep working
The prefix only changes message commands. Every slash command stays the same, and every command Noxyr has works both ways with the same options, so members who prefer the / menu lose nothing. Prefix commands vs slash commands covers the differences in detail.
Rename commands, not just the prefix
If what you actually want is shorter or friendlier commands, change the names instead of the prefix. Noxyr's Custom Commands page lets a server make $p run $play or $done run $ticket close, without touching the real names. See Discord custom commands.