# Set up Voice Relay from an empty Discord server

Source: https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/getting-started
Last updated: 2026-11-07

> You need a Discord account, Manage Server on your server and at least two voice channels. Make a caller channel and one channel per party, invite the Callout bot, pick your roles and speaker channels on the dashboard, then type `/start` in any text channel.

## Before you start

- A Discord account with **Manage Server** on the server you want to set up — see [who can set up a server](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/permissions.md#who-can-set-up).
- At least two voice channels: one for your callers and one per party.
- A few minutes. Nothing to install, and no bot tokens to handle.

## Steps

1. **Make the channels.** Create one voice channel for your callers — call it command, officers, whatever fits; several callers in it is fine — and one voice channel per party: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie… Starting from an empty server? Copy the [gaming guild server template](https://www.nocapbots.com/templates/gaming-guild-discord-server), or the layout for [your game](https://www.nocapbots.com/games).
2. **Make a caller role.** In Server Settings → Roles, create a role for the people running comms, for example Shot Caller. Don't use @everyone or a general member role, or anyone can broadcast.
3. **Log in and pick a plan.** Open the [dashboard](https://www.nocapbots.com/dashboard) and log in with Discord. It lists the servers where you have Manage Server. Pick a plan by how many channels you need at once — see [pricing](https://www.nocapbots.com/pricing). Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
4. **Invite the bot, then check status.** Click **Invite bot** and authorise it. It asks for three permissions: View Channels, Connect and Speak. Back on the dashboard, click **Check status**; once it says connected you land on the configuration page.
5. **Set roles and the shot caller channel.** Pick the **starter role** (who can run /start and /stop), the **shot caller channel** and the **primary** and **backup** caller roles. The page saves by itself. Details in [configuration](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/configuration.md).
6. **Add speaker bots.** Each speaker slot has its own **Invite bot** button. Invite them, hit **Refresh**, then pick a voice channel for each. See [speaker bots](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/speaker-bots.md).
7. **Type /start.** In any text channel, type `/start`. The speaker bots join their channels; your caller talks in the shot caller channel and every party hears them. `/stop` sends the bots home. All commands are in the [command reference](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/commands.md).

## What next

- Let party leaders reach the caller with [talk back](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/talk-back.md).
- Run attack and defense calls at the same time with [voice teams](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/voice-teams.md).
- Link a second server with an [alliance](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/alliances.md).
- Something not working? Start at [troubleshooting](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/troubleshooting.md).

## Related guides

- [Configure roles, channels and voice priority](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/configuration.md): The Voice Relay configuration page explained: starter role, shot caller channel, primary and backup caller roles, and the four things /start needs.
- [Speaker bots: one bot per party channel](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/speaker-bots.md): How the Callout speaker bots work: one slot per channel on your plan, an invite button each, picking channels, private channels and stage channels.
- [Voice Relay slash commands](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/commands.md): Every Callout slash command: /start, /stop, /status, /ping, /start-cross-server and /stop-cross-server, and who can use them.
- [Troubleshooting Voice Relay](https://www.nocapbots.com/docs/voice-relay/troubleshooting.md): Fix common Voice Relay problems: /start won't run, nobody hears the caller, a bot can't access a channel, a full channel, an offline bot or a dead priority key.