Troubleshooting

Having trouble with JSD? This page covers the most common issues and their solutions. It is split into two sections: one for server staff, and one for members who have been jailed.

Not sure which applies to you? If you run the moderation side (setup, jailing, releasing), check the For staff section. If you were jailed or can't see an appeal channel, check the For members section.

For staff

Commands do not appear

Symptom: Slash commands do not show up in the command picker.

Cause: When a bot is first added, Discord can take a while to make its global slash commands available in a server. This is a Discord limitation, not a JSD issue.

Fix:

• Wait; commands usually appear within an hour of the bot joining
• Make sure the bot shows as online, not offline or "failed"
• If it has been over an hour, try removing and re-adding the bot, or contact Support

Cannot strip or restore roles

Symptom: Jailing fails, or a member's roles are missing after release.

Cause: The bot role sits below the target role in the role list, or the bot is missing permission to manage roles.

Fix:

1. In Server Settings → Roles, drag the bot's role above the jail role and every role it needs to remove
2. Verify the bot has the Manage Roles permission enabled
3. Note that Discord-managed roles (Nitro boost, bot integrations) cannot always be stripped. JSD will skip these.

Jailed member still sees channels

Symptom: A jailed member can still see and use channels they should be locked out of.

Cause: The jail role's channel permissions are missing or set up incorrectly, or another role is overriding them.

Fix:

1. Re-run the channel structure. Run /jsd-config to review it, then rebuild via /setup
2. Make sure the jail role has Deny View on every non-JSD channel
3. Check for other roles that might grant access anyway (for example, the @everyone role or a public-read role)

Auto-release did not happen

Symptom: A jailed member was not released when their sentence ended.

Cause: The bot was offline, or the check had not run yet when the sentence expired.

Fix:

1. Confirm the bot is online
2. Wait a moment. JSD checks for expired sentences periodically, so release can lag by up to a minute
3. Keep in mind forever jails never auto-release. They must be released manually with /release

Jailed member says they never got a DM

Symptom: The member reports they didn't receive the jail notification message.

Cause: The member has DMs disabled, or the bot does not share a server with them.

Note: This isn't a bug. The jail still applies. The member might simply need to accept DMs from server members. This is recorded in the mod log.

Commands feel slow

Symptom: Slash commands take several seconds to respond.

Cause: Temporary load on the bot or the network connection between your server and JSD.

Fix:

• Wait a moment and try again
• If it stays consistently slow, contact Support

For members

I got jailed and I'm confused

Jailing temporarily restricts your access while a staff member reviews or handles your case. You can read more about how it works on the How It Works page.

What you can do:

• Check your DMs. JSD may have sent you a message explaining why
• Follow the steps on the Appeals page if you believe the jail is a mistake
• If you have no way to appeal, contact the server's staff outside of jail channels

I can't see my appeal channel

Symptom: You were told you have an appeal channel (or you got a DM about one) but you can't find or open it.

Cause: The appeal channel may not be created yet, or you may not have been granted access.

Fix:

1. Restart Discord (fully close and reopen it) so new channels appear
2. Look under the JSD Appeal category in the channel list
3. If it's still missing, the server may not have appeal channels set up. Ask a staff member for help

I was released but still can't see channels

Symptom: Your sentence ended and you were released, but some channels still look missing or locked.

Fix:

• Fully restart Discord to refresh your permissions
• If things still look wrong, it's likely a role/permission setup issue on the server's side. Let a staff member know

I never received the jail DM

Cause: Your DMs are disabled for server members, or the bot isn't in a server you share.

Fix:

1. Make sure Allow direct messages from server members is enabled (Settings → Privacy & Safety)
2. Ask staff to re-send the notice or explain the reason in a channel you can see

Getting more help

• Run /jsd-help in Discord for the interactive help browser
• Run /jsd-support to join the official support server
• Check the Support page for contact options and what to have ready when you reach out