Setting Up HepBoat

This walks a fresh server from "the bot just joined" to a working moderation setup. Everything here can be done from the dashboard; anything the dashboard does is an edit to your server's YAML config, which you can also edit directly on the Config page.

1. Get into the dashboard

When HepBoat joins, the server owner and the person who invited it already have dashboard admin access. Log in to the dashboard with Discord, pick your server, and you are in.

To let other staff in, add them under the web: section (Config page, or Setup → Access & Permissions):

web:
  148359099782791168: admin   # Jakey - full dashboard control
  206212600596398080: editor  # can change config
  189990173222164545: mod     # moderation pages (infractions, notes, blacklist)
  524930629414463498: viewer  # read-only

Four roles: viewer < mod < editor < admin. Admins can grant access to others; editors can change configuration; mods get the moderation surfaces without config control.

2. Give your staff command levels

Command permissions in Discord chat are separate from dashboard access, and use numeric levels:

levels:
  411175551308398592: 100  # Admin role
  411175640047812611: 50   # Moderator role
  669626417461289002: 10   # Trusted role

Both role IDs and user IDs work as keys. The built-in tiers are 0 (everyone), 10 (trusted), 50 (moderator), 100 (admin) - most moderation commands need 50, most configuration commands need 100.

3. Set up a mute role and infractions

Enable the infractions plugin and point it at a mute role:

plugins:
  infractions:
    mute_role: 674638268135047186

Setup → Moderation configures the same thing with pickers, plus DM notification templates and confirmation behaviour. Without mute_role, !mute cannot work (Discord-native !timeout still can).

4. Turn on the mod log

Pick a channel (or several) and subscribe it to events:

plugins:
  modlog:
    channels:
      674638168474915242:
        includes: []        # empty = everything

The Mod Log page in the dashboard is the comfortable way to do this - it lists every action type grouped by category, with per-channel include/exclude pickers. See the modlog plugin for routing details.

5. First filters

Start with the two that stop the most damage:

• Censor (Setup → Filters): invite filtering is a one-toggle win. Add word/token lists as your server needs them.
• Anti-spam (same page): a basic max-messages rule plus a mentions rule covers most raids. The page includes a message simulator so you can test what would trigger before it applies to real people.

6. Optional: slash commands

Prefix commands work everywhere out of the box. If you want slash commands, the Slash Commands page lets you opt into exactly the ones you want visible - they deploy to your server within seconds of saving.

7. Check your work

The Diagnostics page cross-references your config against reality - it flags things that look configured but will not actually run (a feature that needs a grant you do not have, a log channel that no longer exists, custom commands with no custcommands block, and so on). Green there means what you configured is what will happen.