How to Make Roles on Discord: Create, Assign, and Order Them

Last updated: October 8, 2026 · Category: Tutorial · Editorial review · About the authors

Key Takeaways

• Create roles in Server Settings > Roles > Create Role. New roles start at the bottom, just above @everyone.
• The order of roles matters more than their names. Members and bots can only manage roles below their own highest role.
• Start from @everyone. It is the template for new roles, so a restrictive @everyone gives every new role a safe starting point.

To make a role on Discord, open Server Settings > Roles, select Create Role, give it a name, color, and permissions, then save. To give it to someone, add it from the Members page or the member's profile. Role order decides who can manage which roles, so this guide covers the hierarchy in detail.

How to Create a Role

Discord's Setting Up Permissions FAQ (retrieved 2026-09-28) gives the path:

1. Select the arrow next to the server name.
2. Choose Server Settings > Roles > Create Role.
3. Give the role a name. You can change it later.
4. Set its display, such as the color, if you want.
5. Open the Permissions tab and choose the role's permissions. Discord advises you to "consider what you want users in this role to do."
6. Press Save Changes.

Recommendation, not a Discord rule: turn on only what the role needs. You can add permissions later.

Discord's Roles and Permissions article (retrieved 2026-09-28) adds two points about new roles:

• "The @everyone role acts as the template for all new roles."
• "New roles are placed at the bottom of the hierarchy (just above @everyone)."

Because of the first point, check @everyone before you create anything. Any permission it has, every member has.

How to Assign a Role to a Member

Discord's Members Page article (retrieved 2026-09-28) describes the process for anyone with the Manage Roles permission:

1. Open the Members page for the server.
2. Hover over the member's Roles category and press the [+] button.
3. Check the role you want to add.

Discord notes that the Members page "is currently only available on browser/desktop." The Setting Up Permissions FAQ gives a second method: "press on a user's avatar in the server then select the plus sign under the role section."

The server owner does not need a role for any of this. Discord's FAQ says the server's creator "will always have access to everything."

How the Role Hierarchy Works

Roles are ordered from top to bottom in Server Settings > Roles, and you can drag them to change the order. The Roles and Permissions article states the core rule: "Members can only affect users with roles lower than their highest role."

That rule has three practical effects:

• Managing roles. A member with Manage Roles "can create and modify roles positioned below their own." They can only grant permissions they already have.
• Moderating members. Discord notes that members "cannot ban, kick, or change nicknames of users with equal or higher roles, even if they have those permissions."
• Bots follow the same rule. Discord's permissions reference (retrieved 2026-09-28) says a bot "can grant roles to other users that are of a lower position than its own highest role."

A typical order, from top to bottom, looks like this:

If a bot's role sits under the role it is supposed to give out, the assignment fails. How to add a bot to a Discord server covers that check after adding a bot.

Role Colors and Display

A member's name shows the color of their highest role. Discord's article says "moving a role higher in the list makes it more prominent - its color will override lower roles." If a special role's color does not show, it is usually below another colored role the member has.

Use Administrator Sparingly

The Roles and Permissions article calls Administrator "the most powerful role permission." It "grants all permissions and bypasses all channel restrictions," and Discord advises assigning it "with extreme caution." Give moderators the specific permissions they need, such as Timeout Members, Kick Members, and Manage Messages, instead of Administrator.

Roles and Private Channels

Roles also control who sees which channels. To make a channel private, Discord's article says to right-click the channel, select Edit Channel > Permissions, turn on Private Channel, then add the roles that should have access. Discord removes View Channel from @everyone for that channel automatically.

When to Automate Roles

Creating and assigning roles by hand works for staff and a few special roles. It does not scale for roles members earn or choose:

• Roles members pick themselves, such as interests or regions, are easier with Community Onboarding questions or a reaction-role bot.
• Roles members earn, such as invite milestones or activity levels, need a bot that assigns them when a condition is met. Discord auto-role bots explained covers the types, and how to set up invite-milestone roles walks through one example.

In both cases, the hierarchy rule still applies: the bot's role must sit above every role it assigns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a role on Discord?

Open Server Settings, go to Roles, and select Create Role. Give it a name, set its color and permissions, and save. New roles start at the bottom of the list, just above @everyone.

How do I give someone a role on Discord?

On the Members page, hover over the member's Roles category, press the plus button, and check the role. You can also press the member's avatar and select the plus sign under the role section. You need the Manage Roles permission, and unless you own the server, you can only assign roles below your own highest role.

Why can I not assign a role?

Check two things: whether your role has the Manage Roles permission, and whether the role sits below your own highest role. Discord's hierarchy only lets members manage roles below their highest role. If the role sits at or above yours, the owner or a member with Manage Roles and a higher role must assign it. For a bot, its role must sit above the role it assigns.

Which role color does a member show?

The color of their highest-positioned role. Discord says moving a role higher in the list makes its color override lower roles.

Can members give themselves roles?

Members without Manage Roles cannot. The server owner always has access to everything, and members with Manage Roles can assign roles below their own highest role, including to themselves. For everyone else, use Community Onboarding questions or a reaction-role bot. Milestone roles, such as invite counts, need a bot.

Related reading

• Discord Auto-Role Bots: How They Work
• How to Set Up Invite-Milestone Roles on Discord
• Discord Community Server: What It Unlocks and How to Enable It
• About InviteForge (contact the team from that page)