Automations: IF-UNLESS-THEN Rules Without Code

With automations, you build your own rules following the pattern IF – UNLESS – THEN, without code: a trigger (IF) starts the rule, any number of conditions (UNLESS) check whether it really applies, and the actions (THEN) run one after another. Example: *If someone joins, unless the account is older than 7 days, then send a message to the team.*

For short walkthroughs, see the guides Automations and Automation rules.

Requirements

• Access to the module: You sign in to the dashboard with Discord and need the Manage Server permission (or access granted for this module).
• Kage's permissions: Depending on the action, Kage needs Send Messages, Manage Roles, Manage Messages (delete, pin), Add Reactions or Create Threads.
• Role order: For role actions, Kage's role must be above the target role.
• Plan: The plan notice at the top of this page shows which plan the module needs. If the plan lapses, Kage pauses all rules.

Structure of a rule

A rule has a name, a trigger, zero to 20 conditions and up to 10 actions. Without conditions it fires on every trigger. Without actions it does nothing.

Triggers (IF)

Bot messages and bot members never trigger a rule. This is a fixed safety rule and cannot be switched off.

Conditions (UNLESS)

The dashboard shows only the sensible conditions for each trigger.

By default all conditions must match (AND). You can switch the combination to OR: then one matching condition is enough. There are no nested brackets.

Actions (THEN)

The "Member left the server" trigger allows only message, embed template and log. The schedule trigger likewise allows only these three. Kage skips actions that do not exist for a trigger (for example deleting without a message).

There is no kick, ban or timeout action. Otherwise a wrongly set up rule could lock out whole groups. For that, use moderation.

Placeholders

You can use these placeholders in texts:

Unknown placeholders stay as they are. Kage truncates texts to 2,000 characters. For schedule rules there is no triggering member, so {user} stays empty there.

The schedule trigger

All times are UTC; there is no time zone per rule. Kage checks every minute and triggers a rule only once per time window.

How Kage runs a rule

1. An event occurs. Kage looks for all active rules with a matching trigger.
2. Each rule has a minimum pause of 3 seconds, so that a rule that sends messages itself does not create an endless loop.
3. Kage checks the conditions (AND or OR).
4. If they match, Kage runs the actions in order. If one fails (for example due to missing permissions), the next one runs anyway.
5. Kage counts the run and notes the time; you see both in the dashboard ("run N×", "last …"). The Logs tab lists every trigger.

In the dashboard

Under Automations you create rules, edit, pause and delete them. With templates you start from examples. Each rule shows the trigger, the number of conditions and actions and its run statistics.

The dashboard limits the number of rules by plan: Premium up to 25 rules, Enterprise up to 150. Existing rules above the limit are not trimmed; only further growth is blocked.

Settings at a glance

Checking the result

1. Simple test rule: Trigger "Message sent", condition "Message contains text" with "!ping", action "Send message" with "pong".
2. Trigger it: Write "!ping". Kage replies with "pong".
3. Statistics: The rule shows "run 1×", and the Logs tab names it.

Troubleshooting

The rule does not fire

Check that the module and the rule are active, that the trigger matches the event, and that all conditions (with AND) match. Bots never trigger. For schedules, the time in UTC counts.

An action does not happen

Usually Kage lacks a permission, or the role order is wrong. The operating log names the action; no message appears in Discord. Also, the action does not exist for every trigger (see table).

The rule fires too often or in loops

A rule pauses for 3 seconds after each trigger. Build conditions so that the rule's own reply does not trigger it again. Bots never trigger anyway.

The schedule comes at the wrong time

All schedules run in UTC. In Central Europe local time is 1 to 2 hours ahead. Convert the time.

The rule cannot be saved

Your plan's upper limit is reached, or the rule has more than 20 conditions or 10 actions.

Further reading

Simple text replies: Custom commands. Fixed schedules for messages: Auto messages. Designed messages: Embeds.