Getting Started
Add the bot to your server and start running competitive matches
Step 1: Add the Bot
Click the invite link to add GotNext Bot to your server:
You'll be asked to select a server and approve permissions. The bot needs permissions to:
- Send messages and embeds
- Manage roles (for auto-assigning rank tier roles)
- Manage nicknames (for displaying ELO in player names)
- Read message history
- Use slash commands
Important: After adding the bot, go to Server Settings > Roles and drag the GotNext Bot role above all player/mod roles. The bot can only update nicknames and assign roles to users whose highest role is below the bot's role. The bot can never change the server owner's nickname (Discord limitation).
Step 2: Create Your First Queue
Go to the text channel where you want the queue to live and run:
/setup team-size:4 mode:AUTO_MATCHThis creates a 4v4 queue with automatic team balancing. The queue is tied to the channel you run the command in — you can have different queues in different channels.
Setup Options
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| team-size | Yes | Players per team (1-10). For 4v4, use 4. |
| mode | Yes | AUTO_MATCH (bot auto-balances teams) or SCHOOLYARD_PICK (captains are selected and pick teams) |
| elo-mode | No | ELO (dynamic K-factor, default) or FLAT (fixed gain/loss) |
| flat-amount | No | ELO per win/loss if using flat mode (default: 25) |
| show-queue | No | When true, /queue, /join, and /leave show player names. When false, the queue is fully anonymous — only player counts are shown and nobody can see who joined or left (default: true) |
| parties-enabled | No | Allow pre-made teams to queue together using /join @teammate1 @teammate2. Teams must be full team size and only match against other teams (default: true) |
| cooldown | No | Minutes before a player can re-queue after a match (default: 0) |
| idle-timeout | No | Auto-remove players from the queue after X minutes of inactivity (default: 0 = off). Useful for preventing AFK players from holding queue spots. |
| rematch-window-hours | No | 1v1 only — time window in hours for rematch limit (0-168, default: 0 = off) |
| rematch-window-max | No | 1v1 only — max rematches within the time window (1-10, default: 2) |
Examples
/setup team-size:2 mode:AUTO_MATCHCreates a 2v2 queue with default ELO settings.
/setup team-size:5 mode:AUTO_MATCH elo-mode:FLAT flat-amount:15 cooldown:5Creates a 5v5 queue with flat +15/-15 ELO and a 5-minute cooldown.
/setup team-size:4 mode:SCHOOLYARD_PICK idle-timeout:30Creates a 4v4 queue with captains draft and 30-minute idle timeout.
Queue Modes
- AUTO_MATCH — The bot automatically creates balanced teams using a snake draft algorithm (alternating player assignment by ELO). No player interaction needed.
- SCHOOLYARD_PICK — When enough players join, two captains are selected (random by default, configurable via /set-captain-mode). Captains take turns picking players from a list of buttons. Each captain has 45 seconds to pick — if time runs out, the bot auto-picks the highest-rated available player. Once all players are picked, the match begins.
Step 3: Players Register and Join
Players need to do two things:
- /register — One-time registration for ELO tracking. They start at 1200 ELO (configurable via the dashboard).
- /join — Join the queue. When enough players are in, a match is automatically created with balanced teams.
Players can also queue as a pre-made team:
/join player2:@friend1 player3:@friend2Teams must be the full team size (e.g. 2 players for a 2v2 queue) and will only match against another pre-made team.
Step 4: Report Match Results
After a match finishes, an admin or mod uses /win to report the result:
/win match:42 team:1This updates everyone's ELO, posts the result embed, and updates the leaderboard. The match ID is shown in the match embed when the match is created.
Other Result Commands
| Command | What It Does |
|---|---|
| /cancel-match | Cancel a match before it's played (no ELO changes) |
| /void-match | Reverse a completed match (undoes all ELO changes) |
| /overturn-match | Flip the winner of a completed match |
Step 5: Use the Web Dashboard
Visit gotnext.bot and log in with Discord to access the dashboard. From there you can:
- Configure ELO settings and rank tiers
- Set up a scores channel for cross-posting results
- Manage players (search, edit ELO, ban/unban)
- Bulk sync nicknames and tier roles for all players
- Re-invite the bot to fix permissions
- Set up role-based permissions for admin commands
- Configure seasons with automatic resets
- View match history and leaderboards
- Set up LFG (Looking for Group)
See the Web Dashboard Guide for full details.
What's Next?
- Command Reference — All 27 slash commands with parameters and examples
- ELO & Ranking — How ELO, tiers, and seasons work
- Permissions — Control who can run admin commands
- Web Dashboard — Everything you can do from the dashboard