> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.seshy.lol/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Frequently Asked Questions About Seshy Bot and Setup

> Answers to the most common questions about Seshy — pricing, permissions, ER:LC setup, Ares Security, and getting started with your ERLC community.

Whether you're evaluating Seshy for the first time or troubleshooting a specific behaviour, this page covers the questions that come up most often. If you don't find what you're looking for here, join the support server at [seshy.lol](https://seshy.lol) — the team responds fast and the community is active.

## General

<Accordion title="Is Seshy really free?">
  Yes — completely free. There are no paid plans, no premium tiers, and no paywalls on any feature. Every module, every command, and every integration is available to every server from day one. Seshy has always been free and is built to stay that way.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What permissions does Seshy need?">
  **Administrator** is strongly recommended and required for Ares Security to function correctly — Ares needs to be able to reverse dangerous permission changes faster than they happen, which requires elevated access.

  If you prefer a minimal permission set for other features, Seshy needs at minimum:

  * Manage Roles
  * Manage Channels
  * Send Messages
  * Embed Links
  * Read Message History
  * Add Reactions
  * Use Slash Commands

  Keep in mind that some modules — particularly Ares Security and automated moderation — will not work as intended without Administrator permissions.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="When is the web dashboard coming?">
  The web dashboard is part of **Seshy v2**, which is currently in active development. The team is publishing regular dev logs at [seshy.lol/blog](https://seshy.lol/blog) as major features land — check there for the latest progress. In the meantime, everything is configurable through `/settings` in Discord.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How do I get support?">
  Join the Seshy Support Server via [seshy.lol](https://seshy.lol). The support team responds quickly and the community is active. You can also check [seshy.lol/status](https://seshy.lol/status) to confirm whether a known outage might be behind what you're seeing.
</Accordion>

## Setup and Configuration

<Accordion title="How do I connect ER:LC?">
  Run `/settings` and navigate to **ER:LC Integration**. Paste your Private Server API key into the field provided. You can find your API key in your ER:LC Private Server settings in-game — open the Private Server management panel and look for the API section.

  Once saved, Seshy will connect to your server and begin pulling live player data, command logs, kill logs, and queue status. Run `/settings → ER:LC → Test Connection` at any time to verify the key is still working.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Does Ares Security need setup?">
  No. Ares is enabled by default with zero setup the moment you add Seshy to your server. All 21 protection layers are active immediately and respond in under one second.

  To confirm everything is running, use `/ares enable` — this verifies the module is active and lists which protections are currently armed. If you have trusted administrators or bots that Ares might flag, add them to the whitelist via `/settings → Ares → Whitelist` so their legitimate actions aren't blocked.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I customize Seshy's embed colors and banners?">
  Yes. Navigate to `/settings → Custom Branding` to configure colors, banner images, and footer text. Branding applies globally across every module's embeds — sessions, staff notifications, welcome messages, and moderation logs all pick up the same settings. You can update branding at any time and it takes effect on the next embed Seshy sends.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I back up my Seshy configuration?">
  Yes. Run `/settings` and navigate to **Backup & Restore** to export your full configuration as a file. The backup includes all settings, role mappings, channel assignments, branding options, and integration keys. You can restore it at any time — useful for disaster recovery or migrating Seshy to a new server.
</Accordion>

## Sessions

<Accordion title="What is an SSU / SSD?">
  **SSU** (Server Startup) and **SSD** (Server Shutdown) are the standard terms for starting and ending an ERLC roleplay session. Running `/ssu` posts a branded session embed in your configured session channel, pings the appropriate roles, and displays your Private Server code so members can join. Running `/ssd` closes the session with a shutdown embed. Both commands are part of Seshy's Session Management module and fully support custom branding.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How does session voting work?">
  Run `/ssu_vote` to open a community vote for starting a session. Members click a button on the vote embed to cast their vote. Configure the required vote threshold in `/settings → Sessions` — when enough members vote, the session starts automatically and all voters receive a ping notification so nobody misses the launch. Voting is a popular alternative to staff-only session starts because it builds community engagement around every session.
</Accordion>

## Ares Security

<Accordion title="What is a Shared Blacklist?">
  Ares Shared Blacklists let multiple servers share a single ban group. Create a new group from `/settings → Ares → Blacklist`, then share the group code with other server owners so they can join it.

  Groups have three role tiers:

  * **Owner** — manages the group, sets membership, and can dissolve it
  * **Editor** — adds and removes entries from the shared ban list
  * **Member** — benefits from the group's bans being enforced in their server

  Every addition, removal, and membership change is recorded in the Ares audit log so you always know who changed what and when.
</Accordion>

## Staff Management

<Accordion title="What happened to ERM bot? Can Seshy replace it?">
  ERM permanently shut down on September 14, 2026, following a security incident that led the founding team to close the project. ERM served over 25,000 communities and was a foundational tool in the ERLC space.

  Seshy covers all the same core areas: sessions, moderation, staff management, shift tracking, LOA requests, community tools, logging, applications, and ER:LC integration. Many former ERM communities have already moved to Seshy. The Seshy team published a post about ERM's closure and what it means for the community — read it at [seshy.lol/blog](https://seshy.lol/blog).

  Seshy is not a clone of ERM — it is built on its own architecture with its own approach. But if your server relied on ERM, Seshy is a complete and actively developed replacement that is entirely free.
</Accordion>