> ## 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.

# Add Thea to Discord and grant permissions

> Invite Thea, run /setup, grant the permissions it actually needs, and troubleshoot a bot that is installed but not answering.

Thea is a Discord bot plus a dashboard. The dashboard is where you manage knowledge and settings. Discord is where members ask questions and staff run commands.

## Invite Thea

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in">
    Go to [theabot.com/auth/signup](https://www.theabot.com/auth/signup) and choose **Continue with Discord**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the bot">
    Open the server in the dashboard and follow **Add to Server**, or use the install link Thea shows for servers you manage that do not have the bot yet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Grant the requested permissions">
    Accept the permission prompt. Thea asks for the scopes `bot` and `applications.commands`. It does **not** need Administrator.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run setup in Discord">
    In a help channel, run:

    ```
    /setup channel:#support support_role:@Support
    ```

    This writes the watched channel and the role pinged on escalations and tickets. You can change both later in **Settings → Answering** and **Settings → Handoff**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Free installs require a Discord account at least **30 days** old, or a paid plan on that server. One person can run Thea for free on at most **2** servers. See [Plans and billing](/plans-and-billing).
</Note>

## Permissions Thea uses

| Permission                                                                                                      | Why                                                      |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| View Channel, Send Messages, Create Public Threads, Send Messages in Threads, Embed Links, Read Message History | Answer questions and open answer threads                 |
| Add Reactions, Use External Emojis                                                                              | Raid challenge and feedback buttons                      |
| Manage Messages                                                                                                 | Delete or quarantine content AutoMod flags               |
| Moderate Members                                                                                                | Timeouts from AutoMod, review-mode blacklist, `/timeout` |
| Kick Members / Ban Members                                                                                      | `/kick`, `/ban`, `/softban`, automatic blacklist bans    |
| Manage Channels                                                                                                 | Ticket channels, auto-slowmode, `/lock`                  |
| Manage Roles                                                                                                    | Join role, onboarding completion role, channel locks     |
| Manage Nicknames                                                                                                | **Settings → General → Display name**                    |
| Manage Server                                                                                                   | Discord-native AutoMod layer, some raid actions          |

Privileged intents Thea needs on the application: **Message Content** and **Server Members**. Those are configured on Thea's Discord application, not by you at invite time.

## After invite

The person who added the bot gets a one-time nudge if `/setup` has not been run yet. Completing `/setup` stops that nudge.

If the server is added but has no knowledge and no answers after a few days, Thea emails the billing owner a reminder. Index a source and ask a question in the [Playground](/answering/playground) or Discord to clear it.

## The bot is in the server but silent

1. Confirm `/setup` ran, or that **Settings → Answering** has a trigger and watched channels.
2. Confirm at least one knowledge source is **Ready** under **Knowledge**.
3. Confirm you have not hit the monthly [answer limit](/plans-and-billing).
4. Confirm the bot can see the channel (View Channel + Read Message History).
5. If the trigger is **Only when mentioned**, @mention Thea.
6. Check **Settings → Safety** — NSFW channels are declined by default.

Use `/status` (Manage Server) to see usage, limits, and whether answering is paused.

## Related

* [Quickstart](/quickstart)
* [Answering settings](/answering/settings)
* [Slash command reference](/reference/slash-commands)