When you try to ping a role in Discord but members cannot see or click the mention, the role is likely not set to be mentionable. This happens because Discord allows server administrators to control which roles can be @mentioned in chat. Without the mentionable permission enabled, the role name appears as plain text and does not trigger a notification. This article explains how to turn on the mentionable setting for any role and covers related permission issues.
Key Takeaways: Making a Role Mentionable in Discord
- Server Settings > Roles > Edit Role > Mentionable toggle: The exact path to enable the mentionable permission for any role.
- @everyone and @here: These built-in mentions are always active and cannot be disabled; they are separate from custom role mentions.
- Manage Roles permission: Required to edit role settings; only members with this permission can change the mentionable option.
How Discord Role Mentions Work
Every role in a Discord server has a permission called Mentionable. When this permission is enabled, typing @ followed by the role name creates a clickable mention that sends a notification to every member assigned that role. When the permission is disabled, the role name appears as plain text and does not trigger any notification.
By default, most custom roles have the Mentionable permission turned off. This prevents accidental spam pings to large groups. The @everyone and @here mentions are always active and cannot be turned off. Only members with the Manage Roles permission can change the mentionable setting for a role.
Prerequisites to Make a Role Mentionable
Before you can change a role’s mentionable setting, you need the following:
- Manage Server permission: This grants access to Server Settings.
- Manage Roles permission: This allows you to edit any role’s permissions.
- The role you want to edit must not be above your own highest role in the role hierarchy.
Steps to Make a Role Mentionable on Desktop and Browser
- Open Server Settings
Click the server name at the top-left of the Discord window. Select Server Settings from the dropdown menu. - Go to Roles
In the left sidebar, click Roles. A list of all roles in the server appears. - Select the Role to Edit
Find the role you want to make mentionable and click its name. The role editing screen opens. - Enable the Mentionable Toggle
Under the Permissions section, locate the Mentionable option. Click the toggle to turn it on. The toggle changes from gray to green. - Save Changes
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen. The role is now mentionable.
Steps to Make a Role Mentionable on Mobile
- Open Server Settings
Tap the server name at the top of the screen. Tap Settings from the menu. - Go to Roles
Scroll down and tap Roles. A list of roles appears. - Select the Role
Tap the role you want to edit. - Enable the Mentionable Toggle
Scroll to the Permissions section. Tap the Mentionable toggle to enable it. The toggle turns blue. - Save Changes
Tap the Save button in the top-right corner. The role is now mentionable.
If Discord Still Has Issues After Enabling Mentionable
Role Mention Still Shows as Plain Text
If you type @RoleName and it does not become a clickable mention, the role might not have the Mentionable permission enabled. Double-check the toggle in Server Settings > Roles > Edit Role. Also verify that you typed the exact role name. Discord role names are case-sensitive for mentions.
Members Cannot See the Role Mention
If a member cannot see the mention in chat, they may not have permission to view the role. Go to Server Settings > Roles > Edit Role > Permissions and enable the View Role Members permission if available. Without this, the role mention appears as a grayed-out name.
Role Mention Spams the Channel
After enabling mentionable, any member can ping the role. To prevent abuse, restrict who can use @mention by editing the channel permissions. Go to the channel, click Edit Channel > Permissions, select the role or member, and disable the Use @mention permission.
| Item | Mentionable Role | Non-Mentionable Role |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Sends push notification to all role members | No notification sent |
| Clickable in chat | Yes, blue underlined link | No, plain gray text |
| Default state | Disabled for custom roles | Enabled for @everyone and @here |
| Permission required to change | Manage Roles | Manage Roles |
Enabling the Mentionable permission gives you control over which roles can be pinged in your server. After turning it on, test the mention in a private channel to confirm it works. For frequent announcements, consider using a dedicated role with mentionable enabled and restricting the permission to trusted members only. This keeps notifications useful without overwhelming your community.