What Connecting Discord to Patreon Does
Connecting Discord to Patreon lets your patrons access a private Discord server or channel based on their membership tier. When you link the two platforms, Patreon automatically adds patrons to a Discord role that matches their support level — so a $5 patron might get access to a members-only channel while a $20 patron gets access to everything. You do not have to manually invite people or track who paid what.
The connection works through a bot that Patreon provides. This bot sits in your Discord server and watches your Patreon account. When someone becomes a patron, the bot adds them to the right role. When someone cancels, the bot removes them. The whole process is automatic once you set it up.
Key Takeaways
- You need to own or have admin rights in a Discord server and have an active Patreon account before you can connect them.
- The Patreon bot joins your Discord server with permission to manage roles, then you link your Patreon account through Discord's settings.
- You create Discord roles that match your Patreon tiers, and the bot assigns patrons to those roles automatically.
- The connection takes about ten minutes to set up, but patrons may take a few minutes to appear in their assigned role after they join Patreon.
Before You Start: What You Need
You must own the Discord server or have admin permissions in it. If you do not own it, ask the owner to give you the "Manage Roles" and "Manage Server" permissions before you proceed. You also need an active Patreon account where you are the creator — not a patron account.
Your Patreon account should already have at least one membership tier set up. If you have not created tiers yet, go to your Patreon dashboard, click "Membership," and add the tiers you want to offer. You do not need to have patrons yet; the connection works even if no one has joined.
Step 1: Invite the Patreon Bot to Your Discord Server
Open your web browser and go to patreon.com/oauth. You will see a page that says "Connect Discord." Click the button that says "Connect Discord Account." Discord will ask you to log in if you are not already logged in.
After you log in, Discord will show you a list of servers you own or have admin rights in. Find your server in the list and click it. Then Discord will ask for permission to let the Patreon bot join your server. The bot needs permission to manage roles and read messages. Click "Authorize" to let it in.
You will see a confirmation page saying the bot has been added. Go back to your Discord server and look in the member list — you should see a user called "Patreon" with a bot tag next to its name. If you do not see it, wait a few seconds and refresh the page.
Step 2: Create Discord Roles for Each Patreon Tier
In your Discord server, go to Server Settings and click "Roles." Click the plus button to create a new role. Name it after your Patreon tier — for example, "Patron $5" or "VIP Member." You can choose a color if you want, but the name is what matters.
Repeat this for each tier you have on Patreon. If you have a $5 tier, a $15 tier, and a $50 tier, create three roles. The names do not have to match your Patreon tier names exactly, but it helps to keep them similar so you do not get confused when you link them.
After you create the roles, do not assign them to anyone yet. The Patreon bot will do that automatically once the connection is complete.
Step 3: Link Your Patreon Account in Discord
In Discord, go to User Settings (the gear icon next to your username at the bottom left). Click "Connections" in the left menu. You should see a list of apps you can connect, including Patreon. Click the Patreon icon.
Discord will ask you to authorize the connection. Click "Authorize" to let Discord talk to your Patreon account. You will be sent back to Discord, and you should see Patreon listed under your connections with a green checkmark.
Step 4: Match Your Discord Roles to Your Patreon Tiers
Go back to patreon.com and log into your creator account. Click "Settings" in the left menu, then click "Discord." You will see a section called "Role Rewards" or "Tier Rewards" depending on your account age.
For each Patreon tier you created, you will see a dropdown menu. Click the dropdown and select the Discord role you created that matches that tier. If you have a $5 Patreon tier, select the "Patron $5" Discord role. If you have a $15 tier, select the "Patron $15" role. Save your changes when you are done.
The connection is now live. New patrons will be added to their tier's role automatically. Existing patrons will be added within a few minutes.
Troubleshooting: Why Patrons Are Not Appearing in Their Role
If a patron joined Patreon but is not showing up in the Discord role after five minutes, ask them to leave and rejoin your Discord server. Sometimes the bot needs a fresh connection to assign the role. They should appear in the role as soon as they rejoin.
If the bot is not in your server at all, go back to patreon.com/oauth and click "Connect Discord Account" again. Make sure you select the correct server and click "Authorize." If the bot still does not appear, check that you have admin rights in the server.
If you see the bot in your server but it cannot assign roles, go to Server Settings and click "Roles." Find the Patreon bot role in the list and drag it higher in the order. The Patreon role must be higher than the tier roles it is trying to assign, or it will not have permission to add people to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a patron cancels their membership?
The Patreon bot removes them from their tier role automatically, usually within a few minutes. They will lose access to any channels that require that role. If you want them to keep access to some content after they cancel, you can create a separate "Former Patron" role and manually add people to it.
Can I have patrons in multiple roles at once?
Yes. If you have a tier structure where higher tiers include lower-tier benefits, you can assign patrons to multiple roles. For example, a $50 patron could be in both the "$50 Patron" role and the "$5 Patron" role, giving them access to both channels.
Do I need to do anything special to set up private channels?
No. Once the roles are assigned, go to each channel you want to restrict, click the lock icon, and set permissions so only specific roles can see it. Select the tier roles you created, and only patrons in those roles will be able to view the channel.
What if I change my Patreon tier prices or names?
Go back to the Discord settings in your Patreon account and update which Discord role matches which tier. The bot will start assigning new patrons to the updated role when ready. Existing patrons keep their current role until they renew or change their tier.
Can patrons see other patrons in the Discord server?
Yes, unless you set channel permissions to hide them. By default, all members of a Discord server can see each other's usernames and roles. If you want patron channels to be private, restrict the channel permissions so only the tier role can see it.