How to Set Up a MEE6 Welcome Message (and Fix It)

Open the MEE6 dashboard, choose your server, and go to the Welcome & Goodbye plugin. Turn it on, pick a channel, write your message with a variable like {user} so the new member gets mentioned, then save. MEE6's own free-vs-Premium comparison lists Welcome & Goodbye messages as Premium, so check your plan first. If the message doesn't post, the cause is almost always a channel permission, closed DMs, or settings that weren't saved.

Checked on each bot's own site or docs on 2026-11-03. We make PeakBot. Nobody paid to be in this post.

Before you start: does it cost money?

Older guides say the basic MEE6 welcome message is free. MEE6's current free-vs-Premium comparison on its help site (dated 16 June 2026) lists Welcome & Goodbye messages as a Premium feature. XP and Levels, Reaction Roles and Temporary channels are on that Premium list too. MEE6 doesn't put its Premium prices on a page we could read, so check mee6.xyz/premium for the current price before you build anything.

If you only want a greeting and don't want to pay, skip to the free option near the end of this post.

Part 1: Get Discord ready

These settings are in Discord, not in MEE6. Most "it doesn't work" problems start here.

1. Make sure MEE6 is in your server. Add it from mee6.xyz and log in with the Discord account that owns or manages the server. You need the Manage Server permission to add a bot.
2. Pick or create a welcome channel. A dedicated channel such as #welcome keeps greetings out of your main chat.
3. Check MEE6's permissions in that channel. Open the channel's settings, go to Permissions, and make sure MEE6's role (or the bot itself) has View Channel and Send Messages. If you plan to use embeds or a welcome card, also allow Embed Links and Attach Files. A channel override set to deny blocks the bot even when its server-wide role allows everything.
4. Decide what to do with Discord's built-in greeting. Discord has its own new member message, which posts in your server's System Messages Channel. Its text is fixed and you can't edit it, which is why people use a bot. If you leave it on, members get two greetings. Third-party setup guides place the setting in Server Settings, under Overview (or under Community on Community servers), as a toggle called "Send a random welcome message when someone joins this server." Discord moves menus between app versions, so if you don't see it there, look for "System Messages Channel" in your Server Settings. You need the Manage Server permission to change it.

Part 2: Set up the welcome message in MEE6

MEE6's current help center puts this under Server Dashboard, then Essentials, then Welcome & Goodbye. Older guides say "Server Management > Welcome" or "Plugins > Welcome Messages". Those paths are out of date.

1. Open the dashboard. Go to mee6.xyz, log in, and select your server.
2. Open Welcome & Goodbye. It's in the Essentials section. Enable the plugin if it's off.
3. Turn on the join message. Find the option to send a message when a user joins the server and switch it on.
4. Choose the channel. Pick the welcome channel from Part 1. If it's missing from the list, MEE6 probably can't see it. Go back and check View Channel.
5. Write the message. Keep it short: who they are, where to go first, and how to get help. Our copy-and-paste welcome messages are a good starting point.
6. Add variables. MEE6 shows its variable list next to the editor. Most people only need two:
   • {user} mentions the new member, so they get a ping.
   • {server} inserts your server's name. Skip {user.discriminator}. Discord dropped the #0000 tags from usernames, so it adds nothing useful. Skip {server.region} too, because Discord now sets region per voice channel.
7. Optional: DM and welcome card. If your plan and dashboard show these options, you can send the greeting privately by DM and turn on a welcome card (an image with the member's avatar and name). Keep the channel message as your main greeting, because DMs fail without any warning for members who have closed them.
8. Save. The dashboard usually shows a save bar at the bottom. If you leave without clicking it, nothing changes.
9. Check it live. Have a friend or a second account join, and watch the channel.

A sample message to adapt:

Welcome {user} to {server}! Start in #rules, then pick your roles in #roles. Questions? Ask in #help.

For help writing a greeting that gets people talking, see how to set up a Discord welcome message that actually onboards members.

Why your MEE6 welcome message isn't posting

Work through these in order. Each one is a common cause.

1. The plugin isn't saved or enabled. Reopen Welcome & Goodbye and confirm the join message toggle is on and the channel is still selected.
2. Your plan doesn't include it. MEE6 lists the feature as Premium. If a subscription ended or was never active on this server, the message may stop. Check mee6.xyz/premium.
3. A channel override blocks MEE6. Open the channel's Permissions and check @everyone and every role MEE6 has. A red X on View Channel or Send Messages for any of them can block it.
4. Embeds or images are blocked. The text can post while the card or embed fails if Embed Links or Attach Files is denied.
5. The member has DMs closed. A bot can't DM someone who has turned off direct messages from server members. You can't fix this from your side, so keep the channel message on.
6. A verification gate hides the channel. If new members can't see #welcome until they verify, they won't see the ping even when it posts. Put the welcome channel where unverified members can see it, or greet them after verification.
7. MEE6 was removed or lost its role. If someone kicked and re-added the bot, its role permissions may have reset.
8. Two greetings show up. That's Discord's built-in message plus MEE6's. Turn off the Discord one (Part 1, step 4).

If auto roles fail, remember that a bot can only give out roles below its own highest role. In Server Settings, Roles, drag MEE6's role above the roles it hands out.

The no-paywall option: PeakBot

We make PeakBot. If you want a custom greeting without paying, PeakBot's Welcome Messages are on the Free plan, and the Free plan has no time limit and no expiry.

What you get on Free:

• A custom message when someone joins, as plain text or a rich embed, posted in a channel
• It can show who invited the new member
• Goodbye Messages when someone leaves
• Auto roles on join, from the Roles page
• Verification with a button panel, unverified and verified roles, and an auto-kick for anyone who never verifies

What costs money: sending the welcome by DM and adding a welcome image both need a paid plan. The cheapest is Starter at $5.75/month, or $48/year, per server.

How to set it up:

1. Add PeakBot and open the dashboard at peakbot.pro.
2. Pick your server and open Welcome Messages in the sidebar.
3. Choose the channel, write your message or build an embed, and save. There's no setup command. Everything is on the dashboard, and it shows you a preview before anything goes live.
4. For auto roles, open Roles. For a verify-first flow, open Verification.

The Discord-side checks above apply to PeakBot too. It needs View Channel and Send Messages in the welcome channel, and its role must sit above any role it assigns. The full walkthrough is in Welcome, roles and verification.

To be fair to MEE6: if you already pay for Premium and use its leveling and other plugins, keeping your welcome in the same dashboard is simpler than adding a second bot. If you're still choosing, our comparison of free welcome bots covers more options, and the Carl-bot welcome guide walks through another popular one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the MEE6 welcome message free?

MEE6's free-vs-Premium comparison (16 June 2026) lists Welcome & Goodbye messages as Premium. Older guides that call it free were written before that. See mee6.xyz/premium for current pricing.

How do I mention the new user in a MEE6 welcome message?

Put {user} in the message text. It becomes a mention of the person who joined, which pings them. {server} adds your server's name.

Can MEE6 DM new members a welcome message?

If the option appears in your Welcome & Goodbye settings, turn it on there. Members who have closed DMs from server members won't get it, so keep a channel message as well.

How do I stop Discord's own welcome message from doubling up with MEE6?

Turn off Discord's built-in greeting in your Server Settings. Third-party guides put the toggle, "Send a random welcome message when someone joins this server," next to the System Messages Channel setting under Overview, or under Community on Community servers. Menu names can change, so check your app. You need the Manage Server permission.

Why does the welcome card not show but the text does?

MEE6 probably lacks Attach Files or Embed Links in that channel. Check the channel's Permissions for every role MEE6 has.

How do I give new members a role automatically?

You can do this in MEE6 or in another bot. Whichever you use, the bot's role must sit above the role it assigns in Server Settings, Roles. In PeakBot, auto roles on join are free on the Roles page.