Discord permissions calculator and bot invite link generator

How the permissions calculator gets the number

Every Discord permission is one bit in a single number. Send Messages is bit 11 (2048) and Add Reactions is bit 6 (64), so a bot that needs both asks for 2048 + 64 = 2112, the same example Discord's permissions docs use. The API sends the number as a string, and an invite link carries it in the permissions parameter.

The highest flag today is Bypass Slowmode at bit 52. In JavaScript, |, & and << on ordinary numbers only work on 32 bits, so 1 << 40 gives 256 instead of Timeout Members. Use BigInt (1n << 40n) or your library's permission helpers; Discord recommends a big-integer type too. This calculator uses BigInt throughout.

How to pick the minimum permissions

Discord's docs ask apps to request only the permissions they need, and whoever adds the bot sees that list before they click Authorize. Start from what the bot does, not from what might be handy later. These are the requirements Discord's API docs list for common actions:

One detail catches ticket bots: when a bot creates a channel with permission overwrites, it can only allow or deny permissions it has itself. A bot that lets members attach files in their ticket needs Attach Files too. If you want a ticket system that already handles this, see custom ticket bots.

Why Administrator is the wrong default

Administrator allows every permission and bypasses channel overwrites. You can't keep that bot out of a staff channel, and whoever gets hold of its token can do almost anything in your server, from deleting channels to banning members. It is also one of the permissions that need the owner's 2FA on servers with the 2FA requirement. Tick the specific permissions instead; an admin can add more to the bot's role later.

Role order and overwrites still apply

Having the permission is not always enough. Discord's docs list four hierarchy rules for bots:

• It can only assign roles that sit below its own highest role.
• It can only edit roles below its highest role, and only grant them permissions it has.
• It can only reorder roles below its highest role.
• It can only kick, ban and rename members whose highest role is lower than its own.

A moderation bot whose role sits at the bottom of the list fails on everyone who has a role, so move the bot's role above the roles it manages. Channel overwrites can also take a permission away in one channel even when the bot's role grants it server-wide, and a bot without View Channels in a channel can't use its other permissions there. Timeouts have one more limit: the API refuses to time out the server owner or anyone with Administrator.

What changed in 2026

• Since February 23, 2026, bots need Pin Messages to pin, Create Expressions to create emoji and stickers, and Create Events to create scheduled events. Manage Messages, Manage Expressions and Manage Events alone no longer cover those actions, according to Discord's change log. Invite links made before 2026 may be missing them.
• The Bypass Slowmode split (bit 52) took effect the same day, but the change log notes that bots aren't affected by slowmode, so a bot doesn't need it.
• From November 16, 2026, Discord will obfuscate channels a bot doesn't have permission to view. A bot that works with channel lists needs View Channels wherever it has to see them.

If a bot stopped pinning messages after February 23, 2026, check that it has Pin Messages. With Bot Rescue I get a broken bot running again for a flat $149, and you pay nothing if I can't fix it.

What the invite link generator puts in the link

The builder follows Discord's bot authorization flow: client_id is your Application ID, scope is bot (optionally with applications.commands), and permissions is the integer. guild_id preselects a server, disable_guild_select=true stops the person from picking another, and integration_type is 0 for a server install or 1 for a user install. A user install puts the app on one person's account for their commands, so it asks for no bot permissions. The guide to adding a bot to a server covers the authorize screen from the server owner's side.

If the bot you need has to talk to your own database, website or API, that is the work I do. See Discord integrations or send a brief for a fixed quote.