2 min read
By Mike
Discord Role Hierarchy: Why Order Decides What Roles Can Do
Role hierarchy is the vertical order of roles in Server Settings, where a role can only manage roles and members that sit below its own highest role. It is the first thing to check when a bot says it cannot give a role.
How the order works
Open Server Settings, Roles. The list from top to bottom is the hierarchy. Higher roles outrank lower ones. A member's position is their highest role. Two rules follow from that:
- You can only edit, give or remove roles that are lower than your own highest role.
- You can only kick, ban, timeout or change the nickname of a member whose highest role is lower than yours.
The server owner is above everything. Administrator makes a member ignore channel overrides, but a role with it still cannot manage roles placed above it, and the permission itself is described in the permissions integer.
Why bots hit this wall
A bot gets its own role when it joins, with the permissions you approved. That role starts near the bottom. If the bot is asked to give a member a role that sits above its own, Discord refuses the change, even if the bot has Manage Roles. The same is true for moderation: a bot with Ban Members cannot ban someone whose role is higher than the bot's.
The fix is simple. Drag the bot's role above every role it should hand out or act on, but below your own staff roles. Never place a bot role above the owner's staff roles unless you fully trust the bot.
Good habits
- Keep admin and moderator roles at the top, bot roles in a band under them, and cosmetic roles at the bottom.
- Give a role only the permissions its purpose needs.
- Put a role with Administrator under as few people as possible.
Role hierarchy in Noxyr
Several Noxyr features depend on it. The permissions reference says Manage Roles is needed to grant the verify role and winner roles, and that the bot role must also sit above those roles. Anti-nuke and anti-spam need Kick, Ban or Timeout permission and a role above the person they act on, and the anti-nuke docs note that an actor whose role is above the bot's cannot be stopped. For a verification setup this is step two, see the verification bot page.
The least privilege guide shows a role layout that works well.
Common questions
Why can my bot not give a role?
The role is above the bot's own role in Server Settings, Roles. Move the bot role above it.
Does Administrator override role order?
Administrator overrides channel permissions, but it does not let a member manage roles above their own highest role.
Where should the bot role go?
Above the roles it must manage and below your staff roles.
