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

# Installation

> Create your Discord bot and connect it to TicketCord

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need:

* A Discord account
* **Manage Server** permission on your target server
* A Discord bot application (we'll create this below)

## Create a Discord Application

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Discord Developer Portal">
    Visit [discord.dev](https://discord.dev) and sign in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create New Application">
    Click **New Application**, enter a name, and click **Create**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ticketcord-7aba0242/hIL9EnwWuBK7fVlI/images/CreateBot.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=hIL9EnwWuBK7fVlI&q=85&s=732082668e513e950ed4a0d2862921d7" alt="Create new Discord application" width="5104" height="1840" data-path="images/CreateBot.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Bot User">
    Go to the **Bot** tab and click **Add Bot**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Disable Public Bot">
    In the **Bot** tab, find **Public Bot** and **turn it OFF** (toggle should be gray, not blue). This prevents others from adding your bot to their servers.

    <Warning>
      Make sure the toggle is **disabled** (gray). The image below shows where to find it - click the toggle to turn it off.
    </Warning>

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ticketcord-7aba0242/hIL9EnwWuBK7fVlI/images/PublicBot.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=hIL9EnwWuBK7fVlI&q=85&s=fbbe0d009c726fdc895b1e68a8534183" alt="Disable public bot setting" width="5104" height="1510" data-path="images/PublicBot.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Privileged Gateway Intents">
    In the Discord Developer Portal, open your application's **Bot** page and enable these under **Privileged Gateway Intents**:

    * **Server Members Intent**
    * **Message Content Intent**

    Discord requires you to enable these yourself — TicketCord cannot turn them on for you. If they're off, your bot can't connect and Discord reports a "disallowed intent" error (code 4014).

    <Warning>
      Don't disable these later. Turning them off will break your bot until they're re-enabled.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy Bot Token">
    Click **Reset Token** and copy the token. You'll need this for TicketCord.

    <Warning>
      Keep your token secret! Anyone with your token has full control of your bot.
    </Warning>

    <Info>
      If you reset your token after adding the bot to TicketCord, your bot will go offline. To fix this, go to your bot in the dashboard and click **Update Credentials** to enter the new token. The bot will automatically restart once updated.
    </Info>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Connect to TicketCord

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in to Dashboard">
    Go to [ticketcord.net/dashboard](https://ticketcord.net/dashboard) and sign in with Discord.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Custom Bot">
    Click **Add Bot** and enter your credentials:

    * **Client ID** - Found in your Discord application's General Information
    * **Client Secret** - Found in your Discord application's OAuth2 settings
    * **Bot Token** - The token you copied earlier

    <Info>
      Validation checks your credentials and connection. If it fails with a "disallowed intent" (4014) error, go back to the Developer Portal and enable the two Privileged Gateway Intents, then validate again.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Validate & Create">
    Click **Validate & Continue**. TicketCord will verify your credentials and display your bot's information. Review and click **Create Bot** to finish.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Invite to Server">
    From your bot's dashboard, click **Invite** and select your server. This ensures all required permissions are configured correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Required Permissions

TicketCord bots need these permissions to function properly:

| Permission           | Reason                             |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Manage Channels      | Create and delete ticket channels  |
| Manage Roles         | Manage ticket access permissions   |
| Send Messages        | Send ticket messages and responses |
| Embed Links          | Send rich embed messages           |
| Attach Files         | Send transcripts and attachments   |
| Read Message History | Read ticket conversations          |
| Add Reactions        | Add reactions to messages          |
| Use External Emojis  | Use custom emoji in embeds         |

<Info>
  When you invite your bot through the TicketCord dashboard, all required permissions are **automatically configured** for you.
</Info>

<Warning>
  **Do not invite your bot manually** through Discord's developer portal. Manual invites may result in incorrect permissions, causing features like ticket creation, transcripts, or role management to fail.
</Warning>

<Card title="Next: Configuration" icon="gear" href="/bot/configuration">
  Configure your bot's ticket system
</Card>