HawkWatch Logo Brand HawkWatch
Home Docs Support Install Bot

Documentation

Permission Errors

Fix Discord permission issues preventing HawkWatch from working. Quick solutions for common problems.

Last updated:

Permission Error Troubleshooting

The Reality: Discord’s Unhelpful Errors

Discord only shows “The application did not respond” with a red exclamation mark. No details about what’s actually wrong.

Quick Diagnosis

Test first: /list watched post: True

  • ✅ Embed appears: Permissions working
  • ❌ “Application did not respond”: Follow fixes below

Successful permission test showing rich embed with game details ✅ Success! When permissions work correctly, /list watched post: True shows a rich embed like this.

Common Fixes

1. Add HawkWatch to Your Channel

Fixes 90% of problems:

  1. Right-click notification channel → Edit Channel → Permissions
  2. Click ”+” → Add HawkWatch role
  3. Done! (Discord auto-grants needed permissions)

2. Override @everyone Denies

If #1 doesn’t work - you likely have explicit denies:

  1. Check for red ❌ symbols next to @everyone permissions
  2. Add HawkWatch to channel (step 1 above)
  3. Set HawkWatch permissions to green ✅:
    • Send Messages ✅
    • Embed Links ✅
    • View Channel ✅

Why this happens: When @everyone is denied a permission, just adding the bot isn’t enough - you must explicitly allow it.

3. Check Server-Wide Permissions

If channel fixes don’t work:

Server Settings → Roles → HawkWatch - verify all are ✅:

  • View Channels
  • Send Messages
  • Send Messages in Threads
  • Embed Links
  • Use Slash Commands

Specific Issues

Commands Don’t Appear

  • Check: User has Administrator permission OR admin/mod role
  • Wait: Up to 1 hour for Discord sync
  • Fix: Re-invite bot with official link

Threads Not Working

  • Server Settings → Roles → HawkWatch
  • Enable: “Send Messages in Threads” ✅

Private Channels

  • Edit Channel → Permissions → Add HawkWatch role
  • Grant: View Channel, Send Messages, Embed Links

Emergency Reset

Nothing works? Nuclear option:

  1. Remove HawkWatch from server
  2. Re-invite with official link
  3. Fixes 95% of permission problems

Why Permission Issues Happen

HawkWatch uses minimal permissions for security and privacy. But this means:

  • Users accidentally remove “unnecessary” permissions
  • @everyone denies block the bot
  • Channel restrictions prevent notifications

All 5 permissions are essential - removing any breaks functionality.