Fix Discord Role Hoist Setting Not Separating Members From Others

You enabled the Hoist option on a Discord role expecting members with that role to appear in a separate section above the online list. Instead, all members remain mixed together in the default alphabetical order. This problem happens because of a conflict between the Hoist setting and the role’s position in the role hierarchy. This article explains the exact cause of this behavior and provides the steps to fix it.

Why the Hoist Setting Does Not Separate Members

The Hoist option in Discord server roles is designed to display all members with that role in a separate section at the top of the online member list. When Hoist is enabled, the role’s section appears above the default alphabetical list of everyone else in the channel.

The feature stops working when one of the following conditions is true:

• The role is not the highest-positioned role among all roles assigned to the server. Discord only hoists the topmost hoisted role for each member. If a higher role (even without Hoist enabled) exists above the hoisted role, the separation fails.
• The role is assigned to members who also hold a role with a higher position that does not have Hoist enabled. In that case, the higher role overrides the separation behavior.
• The role was enabled but the server owner or an administrator later changed the role hierarchy without reapplying Hoist. The setting remains enabled, but the position shift breaks the visual effect.
• The Discord client cache is stale. A browser or app restart resolves this.

The core technical reason is that Discord evaluates roles in descending order of position. It looks for the highest-positioned role that has Hoist enabled. If that role is not the absolute highest role the member holds, the member stays in the default list.

Steps to Fix the Hoist Separation Issue

Follow these steps to make the Hoist setting work correctly. You need the Manage Roles permission on the server.

1. Open Server Settings
   Click the server name at the top-left of the Discord window. Select Server Settings from the dropdown menu.
2. Go to the Roles section
   In the left sidebar, click Roles. You see a list of all roles on the server, ordered from highest position at the top to lowest at the bottom.
3. Identify the target role
   Find the role that has Hoist enabled but is not separating members. Click its name to open its settings.
4. Confirm Hoist is enabled
   Under Display, ensure the toggle next to Display role members separately from others is turned on (blue). If it is off, click it to enable Hoist.
5. Move the role to the highest position
   Return to the Roles list page. Drag the target role to the very top of the list. A role at position 1 is the highest role on the server. Only the highest-positioned hoisted role creates a separate section. If you have multiple hoisted roles, only the topmost one works.
6. Check for higher roles assigned to the same members
   If the members who should be separated also hold a role that is positioned above the hoisted role, remove that higher role from those members or move the hoisted role above it. Go to Server Settings > Roles > [higher role name] > Manage Members. Remove the higher role from each affected member. Alternatively, drag the hoisted role above the higher role in the list.
7. Test the separation
   Return to any text or voice channel. Look at the member list on the right side. Members with the hoisted role now appear in a separate section with the role name as the header. If you still see no change, refresh the Discord client by pressing Ctrl+R on Windows or Cmd+R on Mac.

If You Have Multiple Hoisted Roles

Discord only hoists the highest-positioned role that has Hoist enabled. If you enable Hoist on two roles, only the topmost role creates a separate section. The lower hoisted role is ignored. To show both groups separately, you must merge the members into one role or accept that only one role will be hoisted.

If Discord Still Has Issues After the Main Fix

Members Still Appear in the Default List After Moving the Role

If you moved the role to the top and enabled Hoist but members still appear in the main list, the problem is likely a stale client cache. Restart Discord completely. On desktop, right-click the Discord icon in the system tray and select Quit Discord. Then relaunch the app. On browser, close the tab and reopen Discord.

Hoist Toggle Is Grayed Out

The Hoist toggle is grayed out when you are not the server owner or when your role lacks the Manage Roles permission. Ask the server owner to enable Hoist for you. Server owners can also grant you the Manage Roles permission temporarily.

Role Was Working Before but Stopped

A server admin may have added a new role above the hoisted role or changed the role hierarchy. Go to Server Settings > Roles and check if any role now sits above the hoisted role. Drag the hoisted role back to the top position. No other change is needed.

Role Hoist vs Role Position: Key Differences

Item	Role Hoist	Role Position
Description	A role setting that displays members in a separate section above the default list	The numeric order of roles in the server hierarchy, from highest to lowest
Effect on member list	Creates a new section with the role name as header	Determines which role permissions take precedence and which hoist is honored
How to change	Toggle on the role’s Display settings page	Drag roles up or down in the Roles list
Common mistake	Enabling Hoist on a role that is not the highest in position	Placing a hoisted role below a non-hoisted role

After fixing the role hierarchy and confirming Hoist is enabled, your server members will appear in a clearly separated section at the top of the member list. Next, consider using the role color setting to make the separated group visually distinct from the rest of the server. A useful advanced tip is to combine Hoist with a unique role color and a separate voice channel permission set to control exactly where separated members can speak.