> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.theabot.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Welcome new members and grant a join role

> Greet people when they join, give them a role, and understand how raid protection holds both until the member passes the check.

Welcome is the first thing Thea does when someone joins: a message in a channel you choose, and optionally a role. Configure it in **Settings → Welcome**, or with `/config welcome` in Discord.

## Greet new members

| Field     | What it does                                                                             |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Channel   | Where the greeting is posted.                                                            |
| Message   | The text Thea sends. Use `{user}` for the new member and `{server}` for the server name. |
| Join role | An optional role granted on join.                                                        |

The greeting can mention the person who just joined. `@everyone` in the message stays plain text — Thea will not mass-ping from a welcome.

The display name you set under **Settings → General** is how Thea appears when it posts.

## Join role safety

Thea re-checks the role at grant time. Roles that carry moderator permissions are refused. If someone later adds those permissions to the role you selected, Thea will not grant it.

## Raid protection

If [raid protection](/moderation/raid-protection) is holding new arrivals behind the challenge gate, Thea does **not** greet them and does **not** grant the join role until they pass. A raid never gets welcomed, and never gets the role.

Onboarding reminders are also paused while raid mode is active. See [Onboarding forms](/dashboard/onboarding-forms).

## Discord commands

```
/config welcome show
/config welcome set
/config welcome off
```

`set` takes the same channel, message, and optional role as the dashboard card. `off` stops greetings without deleting your saved text.

## Related

* [Onboarding](/dashboard/onboarding-forms) — ask new members questions after they arrive
* [Raid protection](/moderation/raid-protection) — when welcomes are held