Giveaway-Bot Troubleshooting Guide

Quick Diagnostics Checklist

Before diving into specific issues, run through this quick diagnostic checklist. Most problems stem from one of these common causes:

If all checks pass but you still have issues, continue to the specific problem sections below.

Issue #1: Bot Not Responding to Commands

Solution 1: Check Bot Permissions

The bot needs specific permissions to respond. Missing any of these causes silent failures:

1. 1. Right-click the bot in your member list → View Profile
2. 2. Click "Permissions" tab
3. 3. Verify these are enabled:
   • ✓ View Channels
   • ✓ Send Messages
   • ✓ Embed Links
   • ✓ Add Reactions
   • ✓ Read Message History
   • ✓ Use Slash Commands

Solution 2: Re-sync Slash Commands

If slash commands don't appear in the autocomplete:

1. 1. Go to Server Settings → Integrations
2. 2. Find Giveaway-Bot in the list
3. 3. Click "Manage" → Scroll to bottom → Click "Sync Commands"
4. 4. Wait 1-2 minutes, then try /start again

Solution 3: Kick and Re-Invite Bot

If commands still don't work, the bot may have been added without proper scope:

1. 1. Kick the bot from your server
2. 2. Use the official invite link: Invite Giveaway-Bot
3. 3. Make sure "applications.commands" scope is checked
4. 4. Authorize with required permissions

Issue #2: Giveaway Not Posting

Solution 1: Verify Channel Permissions

Channel-specific overrides can block the bot even if it has server-wide permissions:

1. 1. Go to the target channel → Edit Channel → Permissions
2. 2. Click "+ Add Role or Member" → Select Giveaway-Bot
3. 3. Set these to green checkmark:
   • ✓ View Channel
   • ✓ Send Messages
   • ✓ Embed Links
   • ✓ Add Reactions
4. 4. Save and try the command again

Solution 2: Check Channel Type

Giveaways can only be posted in text channels, not:

• ✗ Voice channels
• ✗ Stage channels
• ✗ Forum channels (use a thread inside instead)
• ✗ Private threads (bot needs explicit access)

If you selected a voice or stage channel by mistake, the bot will silently fail.

Solution 3: Role Hierarchy Issue

If channel permissions are tied to roles, ensure the bot's role is positioned correctly:

1. 1. Server Settings → Roles
2. 2. Find "Giveaway-Bot" role (auto-created when bot joined)
3. 3. Drag it ABOVE any "muted" or restrictive roles
4. 4. Drag it BELOW your admin/mod roles for safety

Issue #3: Reaction Emoji Not Appearing

Solution 1: Check "Add Reactions" Permission

This specific permission is required to add emojis:

1. 1. Channel Settings → Permissions → Giveaway-Bot role
2. 2. Find "Add Reactions" permission
3. 3. Set to green checkmark (Allow)
4. 4. If it's gray (neutral), check server-wide role settings too

Solution 2: External Emoji Issue

The default emoji is 🎉 (built-in Unicode). If you changed it to a custom emoji:

• • Ensure the bot is in the server where that emoji comes from
• • Grant "Use External Emojis" permission to the bot
• • If emoji is from a different server, bot cannot use it

Quick Fix: Stick with the default 🎉 emoji, which always works.

Solution 3: Manual Reaction

If the bot can't react due to permissions, you can manually add the reaction:

1. 1. Click on the giveaway message
2. 2. Click the "Add Reaction" button (smiley face icon)
3. 3. Select 🎉 emoji
4. 4. Users can now react to enter; bot will still track entries

Note: Fix the permission issue for future giveaways so this doesn't happen again.

Issue #4: Winner Not Being Announced

Solution 1: Check If There Are Valid Entries

If zero eligible members reacted, the bot can't pick a winner:

• • Look at the giveaway message reaction count
• • If it shows "0" or only bot reactions, no one entered
• • Check if required roles were too restrictive (e.g., VIP-only with no VIPs)

Solution 2: Bot Went Offline During Selection

If the bot was offline when the giveaway ended:

1. 1. Bot will automatically pick winner when it comes back online
2. 2. Check bot status at giveaway-bot.de/status
3. 3. If bot is online now but winner still not picked, use /reroll [message ID]

Solution 3: Missing Permission to Edit Original Message

Bot needs "Manage Messages" or permission to edit its own messages:

1. 1. Ensure "Manage Messages" is enabled for the bot (server-wide or channel-specific)
2. 2. Winner will be announced even if embed doesn't update
3. 3. Check for a separate "Congratulations @winner!" message in the channel

Issue #5: Dashboard Not Loading or Showing Servers

Solution 1: Verify Your Permissions

Dashboard only shows servers where you have Administrator permissions:

• • You need "Administrator " role
• • Being a moderator with only "Manage Messages" won't show the server
• • Check your roles in Discord: Server → Right-click yourself → View Profile

Solution 2: Bot Not in Server Yet

Servers only appear if Giveaway-Bot is already installed:

1. 1. Check your server member list for Giveaway-Bot
2. 2. If missing, invite it: Invite Link
3. 3. After inviting, refresh the dashboard page
4. 4. Server should now appear in your list

Solution 3: Clear Browser Cache

Cached data can cause display issues:

1. 1. Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to hard refresh
2. 2. If that doesn't work, clear browser cache (Ctrl+H → Clear browsing data)
3. 3. Log out of dashboard and log back in
4. 4. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) to test

Solution 4: Re-authorize Dashboard Access

If servers still don't show:

1. 1. Go to Discord User Settings → Authorized Apps
2. 2. Find "Giveaway-Bot" → Click "Deauthorize"
3. 3. Visit giveaway-bot.de/dashboard and login again
4. 4. Grant all requested permissions when Discord asks

Issue #6: Bonus Roles Not Working

Solution 1: Verify Syntax

Both parameters are required together:

/start duration:2d winners:1 prize:Nitro channel:#giveaways bonusrole:@VIP bonusamount:9

Common mistakes:

• ❌ Setting bonusrole without bonusamount
• ❌ Using role name without @ (should be @VIP not VIP)
• ❌ Typo in role name (case-sensitive!)

Solution 2: Check Role Assignment

Ensure members actually have the bonus role:

1. 1. Right-click a member who should have bonuses
2. 2. Check their role list
3. 3. Confirm the exact role name matches what you typed in command
4. 4. If using dashboard, dropdown shows actual role names—use those

Issue #7: DM Notifications Not Sending

Solution: User Has DMs Disabled

This is the most common cause and not fixable from your end:

• • Winners can disable DMs from server members in their privacy settings
• • Bot cannot override this—it's a Discord limitation
• • The winner announcement still posts publicly in the channel
• • You can manually @ mention the winner in the channel to notify them

Issue #8: "Missing Access" Error

Solution: Fix Channel-Specific Overrides

"Missing Access" means the bot literally can't see or access that channel:

1. 1. Go to the problematic channel → Settings → Permissions
2. 2. Look for the Giveaway-Bot role or @everyone
3. 3. Check if "View Channel" is set to ❌ (Red X/Deny)
4. 4. Change it to ✅ (Green Checkmark/Allow)
5. 5. Also enable "Send Messages" and "Read Message History"
6. 6. Save and try the command again

Still Having Issues?

If none of these solutions work, here's how to get personalized help:

Preventive Maintenance Tips

Avoid future issues with these proactive measures:

Conclusion

Most Giveaway-Bot issues stem from permissions, channel configuration, or user settings—not actual bot bugs. By methodically checking permissions, verifying syntax, and ruling out common causes, you can resolve 95% of problems without needing support.

Bookmark this guide for quick reference, and remember: when in doubt, check permissions first. That single tip solves the majority of Discord bot issues across all bots, not just ours.

If you've tried everything here and still can't fix the issue, our support team is ready to help in the support server. Happy giveaway hosting!