Learn everything about connecting channels to hubs, managing connections, and troubleshooting common issues.

Mastering Connections

Connections are the bridges that link your Discord channels to InterChat hubs. This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced management and troubleshooting.

What You'll Learn

How connections work behind the scenes
Best practices for choosing and setting up channels
Advanced connection management techniques
Troubleshooting common connection issues

Understanding Connections

How Connections Work

When you connect a channel to a hub:

Webhook Creation - InterChat creates a webhook in your channel
Message Relay - Messages sent in your channel are captured and sent to all other connected channels
Cross-Server Display - Messages from other servers appear in your channel with original usernames and avatars
Real-Time Sync - Everything happens instantly across all connected servers

Technical Note: InterChat uses Discord's webhook system to preserve message authenticity. This is why messages appear to come from the original authors rather than the bot.

Connection Limitations

One Hub Per Channel

Each channel can only connect to one hub at a time
You can have multiple channels connected to different hubs

One Connection Per Hub Per Server

Your server can only have one channel connected to each specific hub
This prevents message loops and confusion

Choosing the Right Channel

Channel Selection Best Practices

Recommended Approach: Create Dedicated Channels

Benefits:

Clear purpose and expectations
Easier to moderate and manage
No interference with existing server culture
Better organization

Naming Suggestions:

#interchat
#hub-chat
#cross-server
#[hub-name]-chat

Setup Tips:

Place in a visible but not overwhelming location
Add a channel description explaining the purpose
Set appropriate permissions for your community

Using Existing Channels

Good Candidates:

Active but not overwhelming channels
Channels that match the hub's topic
Channels with engaged, respectful communities

Avoid These Channels:

#general (usually too busy)
#announcements (one-way communication)
Private or restricted channels
Channels with frequent off-topic discussion

Preparation Steps:

Announce the connection to your community
Explain what will change
Set expectations for cross-server interaction

Channel Type Considerations

Text Channels ✅

Standard choice for most hubs
Full feature support
Easy to moderate

Forum Channels ❌

Not supported for connections
Use regular text channels instead

Thread Channels ✅

Full feature support
Slightly harder to moderate

Voice Channels ❌

Text connections only
Voice chat remains server-specific

Setting Up Your First Connection

Prepare Your Channel

Choose or create your connection channel
Set permissions appropriately for your community
Add a channel topic explaining the connection (optional but helpful)

Example channel topic:

🌐 Connected to [Hub Name] - Chat with [X] other servers! Be respectful and follow hub rules.

Find a Hub to Join

Option 1: Browse Public Hubs

Visit interchat.tech/hubs to browse the hub directory where you can find public hubs by category.

Option 2: Join with Invite Code

/hub join invite:your-invite-code

Use this if you have an invitation to a private hub.

Connect Your Channel

In your chosen channel, run:

/connect hub:HubName

Replace HubName with the exact name of the hub you want to join.

Verify the Connection

You should see:

A confirmation message from InterChat
A welcome message from the hub (if configured)
Your channel listed in /connection list

Managing Your Connections

Viewing All Connections

See all your server's connections at once:

/connection list

This shows:

Which channels are connected
Which hubs they're connected to
Connection status (active/paused)
Last activity timestamps

Pausing and Resuming Connections

Temporary Pause (useful for maintenance or events):

/connection pause channel:#your-channel

Resume Connection:

/connection unpause channel:#your-channel

When to Pause Connections:

During server events that might spam the hub
When dealing with local server issues
For temporary maintenance or updates
During sensitive discussions that should stay local

Editing Connection Settings

Modify connection behavior:

/connection edit channel:#your-channel

Available Options:

Change Connected Channel - Move the connection to a different channel
Toggle Compact Mode - Simplified message display
Update Webhook Settings - Refresh the webhook if needed

Disconnecting from a Hub

Permanent Removal:

/disconnect

Warning: Disconnecting is permanent. You'll need to create a new connection to rejoin the hub.

Advanced Connection Management

Multiple Hub Strategy

Organizing Multiple Connections:

Server Layout Example:
📁 InterChat Hubs
  ├── #gaming-hub
  ├── #creative-hub
  └── #learning-hub
📁 Regular Channels
  ├── #general
  ├── #announcements
  └── #voice-chat

Benefits:

Clear organization
Easy to manage
Members know what to expect
Reduced confusion

Connection Monitoring

Regular Health Checks:

Run /connection list weekly
Test message delivery occasionally
Monitor for webhook issues
Check for permission problems

Signs of Connection Issues:

Messages not appearing in other servers
Webhook errors in server logs
Missing messages from other servers
Connection showing as paused when it shouldn't be

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Messages Not Sending

Check Bot Permissions:

Manage Webhooks ✅
Send Messages ✅
Read Messages ✅
Embed Links ✅

Check Channel Permissions:

Bot can see the channel ✅
Bot can send messages ✅
Webhook permissions are intact ✅

Fix Steps:

Verify bot permissions in server settings
Check channel-specific permission overrides
Re-invite the bot if permissions were removed

Webhook Troubleshooting:

Symptoms:

Messages send but don't appear elsewhere
Error messages about webhooks
Connection appears active but doesn't work

Solutions:

Edit the connection to refresh webhook:
```
/connection edit channel:#your-channel
```
If that fails, disconnect and reconnect:
```
/disconnect
/connect hub:HubName
```
Check if webhooks were manually deleted in channel settings