Troubleshooting: whois Command Not Working on Discord

TL;DR: whois command not working? Check three things:

(1) LaunchPass role is at TOP of role hierarchy

(2) #launchpass channel is lowercase with NO emojis or special characters

(3) You're typing the command correctly.

Fix role hierarchy first—that solves most issues.

Why whois Might Not Be Working

Common Causes

The whois command fails for a few specific reasons:

LaunchPass role not at top - Role hierarchy issue (MOST COMMON)
#launchpass channel misspelled - With emoji or special characters
Wrong channel - Using a different channel name
Command syntax error - Typo in command or formatting
Bot offline - Very rare, contact support
User permission issue - Not an admin/owner

Most issues (80%) are caused by #1 or #2. Check those first.

The #1 Fix: LaunchPass Role Hierarchy

Why Role Position Matters

In Discord, roles have a hierarchy (pecking order):

Roles higher up can do more
Roles lower down can do less
The LaunchPass role must be ABOVE other roles to work properly

If LaunchPass role is too low:

Bot can't assign roles to members
Bot can't remove roles
Commands fail silently
whois might not work
Everything appears broken

If LaunchPass role is at top:

Bot has full power
All commands work smoothly
Automation runs properly
No permission issues

Think of it like: The LaunchPass role needs to be the "manager" role, not a regular employee role. Giving it a role with the Administrator permission will do this.

Checking Your Role Hierarchy

See where LaunchPass role is positioned:

Go to your Discord server
Click "Server Settings" (gear icon)
Click "Roles" (left menu)
Look for "LaunchPass" role in the list
See its position - Is it near the top?

Ideal positions:

✅ Top (very first)
✅ Second (just below @everyone)
✅ At least above regular member roles

Bad positions:

❌ Bottom of the list
❌ Below other bot roles
❌ Below regular member roles

Moving LaunchPass Role to Top

To fix the hierarchy:

Step 1: Open role settings

Server Settings (gear icon)
Roles (left menu)
Find "LaunchPass" role

Step 2: Move it up

Click and drag "LaunchPass" role to the top
Drag it above other roles
Ensure the @everyone role is at the bottom of the role list, beneath all others.

Step 3: Verify

LaunchPass should beat the top now
Save happens automatically

Visual example:

↓ [LaunchPass] ← Should be here (top)     
↓ Moderators     
↓ Members     
↓ New Members 
↓ @everyone (lowest)

After Moving Role

After you move the LaunchPass role up:

Wait 30 seconds - Discord updates
Try whois command again - Should work now
If it works: Problem solved! ✅
If it doesn't work: Move to next solution

Most people: Fixed after moving role. This solves 80% of issues.

The #2 Fix: #launchpass Channel Name

Channel Naming Requirements

The #launchpass channel MUST meet specific requirements:

✅ MUST be:

Lowercase letters only
Named exactly: launchpass
No spaces
No special characters
No emojis

❌ MUST NOT be:

#LaunchPass (capital letters)
#launch pass (with space)
#launchpass-admin (with dash)
#launchpass_bot (with underscore)
#launchpass 🤖 (with emoji)
Any variation

Why this matters: Discord bots need exact channel names to find channels. Emojis and special characters confuse the bot.

Checking Your Channel Name

See exactly what your channel is named:

Go to your Discord server
Right-click the #launchpass channel (or similar)
Look at channel name - What does it actually say?
Check for:
- Capital letters (should be lowercase)
- Emojis (should have none)
- Special characters (should have none)
- Spaces (should have none)

What it should look like:

#launchpass

What it should NOT look like:

#LaunchPass (capital letters) 
#launch pass (with space) 
#launchpass-admin (with dash) 
#launchpass 🤖 (with emoji)

Fixing Channel Name

If your channel name is wrong:

Step 1: Right-click channel

Right-click #launchpass (or whatever it's named)
Select "Edit Channel"

Step 2: Rename it

Find "Channel Name" field
Clear it completely
Type exactly: launchpass (lowercase, no emojis)
Click "Save Changes"

Step 3: Verify

Channel name should now be: #launchpass
No capital letters
No emojis
No special characters

Step 4: Test command

Go to #launchpass
Type: whois [email protected]
Bot should respond

If bot still doesn't respond: Move to next solution.

The #3 Fix: Command Syntax

Correct whois Command Format

Make sure you're typing the command correctly:

Correct format:

whois [email protected]

whois Username#1234

whois 123456789012345

What each part means:

whois - The command (exact spelling, lowercase)
Space (one space)
[email protected] OR Username#1234 OR ID number

Common Syntax Errors

These will NOT work:

❌ Missing space:

[email protected]  (wrong - no space)

❌ Wrong spelling:

who is [email protected]  (wrong - "who is" not "whois") whoiz [email protected]   (wrong - typo)

❌ Extra spaces:

whois  [email protected]  (too many spaces)

❌ Wrong case:

Whois [email protected]   (capital W) WHOIS [email protected]   (all caps)

❌ Missing the lookup value:

whois  (nothing after - won't work)

Correct Examples

These WILL work:

✅ By email:

whois [email protected]

✅ By username:

whois Username#1234

✅ By Discord ID:

whois 123456789012345

If your syntax is right but still doesn't work: Move to next solution.

The #4 Fix: Permissions and Channel Access

LaunchPass Bot Channel Permissions

The bot needs permission to access #launchpass:

Step 1: Check channel permissions

Right-click #launchpass channel
Select "Edit Channel"
Click "Permissions" (or similar tab)
Look for "LaunchPass" in the list

Step 2: Verify permissions

LaunchPass needs:

✅ View Channel - YES
✅ Send Messages - YES
✅ Read Message History - YES (optional but helpful)

Step 3: Fix if needed

If any are missing:

Click on LaunchPass role in permissions
Find the permission
Click the checkmark to enable it (make it green)
Save changes

Admin User Permissions

YOU need to be admin to use the command:

Are you an admin?

In Discord, look at your name in the server
Do you have a special icon/badge? (usually shows admin status)
Can you do admin things? (kick people, delete messages, etc.)

If you're not an admin:

You can't use whois command
Only admins/owners can use it
Ask your server owner to promote you

Channel Access

Make sure you can SEE the #launchpass channel:

Can you see #launchpass in your channel list?
Can you click it and see it?
Can you type in it?

If you can't see the channel:

You might not have permission
Ask an admin to give you access
Or ask them to check channel permissions

If you're blocked from typing:

Channel might be read-only
Check permissions
Ask admin to grant access

Complete Troubleshooting Checklist

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Go through each item:

1. Role hierarchy

LaunchPass role is at TOP of role list
It's above other member roles
Verified in Server Settings → Roles

2. Channel name

Channel is named exactly #launchpass
All lowercase (no capital letters)
No emojis (🤖 removed)
No special characters (- _ @ # removed)
No spaces

3. Command syntax

Using exact command: whois
One space after whois
Email/username/ID after space
Example: whois [email protected]

4. Permissions

You're an admin in the server
LaunchPass bot can see channel
LaunchPass bot has "Send Messages" permission
You can type in #launchpass

5. Bot status

Bot is online
Bot hasn't crashed (check Discord status)
No error messages

6. Basic functionality

You're in the right channel (#launchpass)
You typed the command correctly
You waited a few seconds for response
Bot should appear to be typing

Fix Priority Order

Try fixes in this order:

First: Move LaunchPass role to top (fixes 80% of issues)
Second: Fix #launchpass channel name
Third: Check command syntax
Fourth: Check permissions
Fifth: If still stuck, contact support

What Each Solution Fixes

Role Hierarchy Fix Solves:

✅ whois command returns no response
✅ Bot seems offline but it's not
✅ Commands work intermittently
✅ Members not being added to server
✅ Roles not being assigned
✅ General bot automation not working

Channel Name Fix Solves:

✅ whois command not recognized
✅ Bot says "channel not found"
✅ Commands not working in this specific channel
✅ Bot works elsewhere but not in #launchpass

Syntax Fix Solves:

✅ "Invalid command" error
✅ Bot doesn't recognize input
✅ Command gets misunderstood
✅ Bot replies with confusion message

When to Contact Support

Contact LaunchPass if:

✅ You've tried all fixes above
✅ Role is at top (verified multiple times)
✅ Channel name is correct (verified)
✅ Syntax is right (verified)
✅ Permissions look correct (verified)
✅ Bot still doesn't respond

When contacting support, include:

Your Discord server name
Your Discord username
What exactly happens when you use whois
What you've already tried
Screenshots if possible

What Support Will Do

Investigate your server setup
Check bot permissions
Verify everything is configured
Potentially restart or update bot
Provide next steps

Email: [email protected]

Response time: Usually within 24 hours

Testing It Works

After Applying Fixes

Test the command:

Go to #launchpass channel
Type: whois [email protected]
Wait 2-3 seconds
Bot should reply with member info

If it works: 🎉 Problem solved!

If it doesn't work: Try next fix or contact support.

Related Resources

Discord Admin Commands for Member Info (LaunchPass bot command guide for Discord)
Using Discord With LaunchPass (Discord setup)
Understanding Your LaunchPass Dashboard (dashboard guide)
Discord Help Center (Discord support)
Discord Server Settings (Discord roles guide)

Key Takeaways

✅ Role hierarchy: LaunchPass role must be at TOP (solves 80% of issues)

✅ Channel name: Must be exactly #launchpass (lowercase, no emojis)

✅ Command syntax: whois [email protected] (exact format)

✅ Permissions: Bot and you both need access to channel

✅ Test it: Use whois command to verify it works

✅ Troubleshoot in order: Role → Channel → Syntax → Permissions

✅ Contact support: If all fixes don't work

✅ Include details: When contacting support, explain what you tried

Need Help?

Still having trouble with the whois command?

Email LaunchPass support: [email protected]

We can help with:

Diagnosing why whois isn't working
Verifying your server setup
Checking role hierarchy
Confirming channel permissions
Fixing command issues
Troubleshooting the bot
Any whois command questions

Include in your email:

Discord server name
Your Discord username
Exact error message (if any)
What you've already tried
Screenshots (if possible)