Troubleshooting

Made Admin but Can't See Server Settings or Roles Tab on Discord

An Administrator role should open every setting Discord has, so a missing Server Settings or Roles tab points to a role issue, not a bug.

Is this your situation?

You were given an admin role, but Server Settings or the Roles tab still will not open. You want to know whether the role assignment actually worked.

The short answer

You were made admin but still cannot see Server Settings or the Roles tab. A role can be assigned by opening the Members tab, clicking the plus sign next to a name, and selecting the role from the drop-down menu. Once a role is assigned, that member has the server-wide permissions tied to that role.

What you see, and why

SymptomCause
Server Settings will not open after being made admin.The Permissions tab of a newly created role shows the list of server permissions that can be assigned under that role.
The Roles tab does not appear in the sidebar.Channel permissions override server permissions.
The name does not appear when searching the Members list.If names do not appear in the Members tab, @everyone must be selected in the top right to display them.

Check these first

  • Confirm the role was actually assigned.Verify: A role is assigned by opening the Members tab and clicking the plus sign next to a name.
  • Check the role's own permissions.Verify: The Permissions tab of a role shows the list of server permissions that can be assigned under that role.
  • Check whether @everyone is hidden names in the Members list.Verify: Select @everyone in the top right to display all names.

How Discord handles this

  • Permissions can be assigned per role on both the server level and the channel level.
  • Channel permissions start with server permissions as a base.
  • Changes made to a role's permissions must be saved by clicking Save.
  • Channel permissions override server permissions.

Which path applies to you?

  1. Does the Members tab show the role assigned to the account? A role can be assigned to a member by opening the Members tab, clicking the plus sign next to their name, and selecting the role from the drop-down menu.
  2. Does the role's Permissions tab show Administrator checked? The Permissions tab of a role shows the list of server permissions that can be assigned under that role.
  3. Were the role's permission changes saved? Changes to a role's permissions must be saved by clicking Save.

Step by step: finding the cause

  1. Open the Members tab. A role can be assigned to a member by opening the Members tab and clicking the plus sign next to their name.Confirm: Look at the member's row in the Members tab.
  2. Display all names if the list looks incomplete. If names do not appear, @everyone must be selected in the top right to display them.Confirm: Check whether the full member list now appears.
  3. Open the role's Permissions tab. The Permissions tab of a role shows the list of server permissions that can be assigned under that role.Confirm: Look at the Administrator entry on this tab.
  4. Save any permission change. Changes made to a role's permissions must be saved by clicking Save.Confirm: Look for an unsaved-change prompt on the screen.
  5. Assign the role once permissions are correct. After configuring a role's permissions, the role can be assigned to members of the server.Confirm: Look at the Members tab for the account.
  6. Check for a channel-level override. Channel permissions override server permissions.Confirm: Look at the channel's Permissions tab for the role.

Common mistakes

  • You assigned the role in Permissions but never on a member. A role can be assigned by opening the Members tab and clicking the plus sign next to a name.Why it happens: A role is assigned by selecting the new role from the drop-down menu for that member.
  • You check the role's Permissions tab and Administrator is unchecked. The Permissions tab of a newly created role shows the list of server Permissions assigned under it.Why it happens: The Permissions tab shows the list of server permissions that can be assigned under that role.
  • You edited permissions but the change did not take. Changes made to a role's permissions must be saved by clicking Save.Why it happens: Changes made to a role's permissions must be saved by clicking Save.

Quick reference

CheckWhat it tells you
Members tabA role can be assigned by clicking the plus sign next to a member's name.
@everyone toggleSelecting @everyone in the top right displays all names.
Role Permissions tabShows the server permissions that can be assigned under that role.
Save buttonPermission changes must be saved by clicking Save.
Channel permissionsChannel permissions override server permissions.
Permission baseChannel permissions start with server permissions as a base.
Role assignment effectOnce a role is assigned, the user has that role's server-wide permissions.

Keeping track of who has access

Delvia keeps a clear picture of who holds which role, so the permission gap you diagnosed does not resurface unnoticed.