memory-infrastructure-palace/docs/projects/Pokedex.Online/setup/discord-permissions.md

Discord User Permissions Setup Guide

Overview

The app now checks Discord usernames/IDs to grant developer tool access. Users must be in the allowlist to access developer features.

Configuration

1. Find Your Discord Username/ID

You can use any of the following to identify users:

• Username: Your current Discord username (e.g., fragginwagon)
• Global Name: Your display name (if different from username)
• Discord ID: Your numeric Discord ID (e.g., 123456789012345678)

How to Find Your Discord ID:

1. Enable Developer Mode in Discord: Settings → Advanced → Developer Mode (ON)
2. Right-click your username anywhere → Copy User ID
3. Or use this Discord bot command: /userinfo or !userinfo

2. Configure Environment Variables

Add allowed users to your .env file:

# Discord User Permissions
# Comma-separated list of Discord usernames, display names, or IDs
DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=fragginwagon,AnotherUser,123456789012345678

Multiple formats supported:

# Just usernames
DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=fragginwagon,coolguy99

# Mix of usernames and IDs
DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=fragginwagon,123456789012345678,coolguy99

# Using Discord IDs (most reliable)
DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=123456789012345678,987654321098765432

3. Location of Configuration

Development (.env file):

/Users/fragginwagon/Developer/MemoryPalace/code/websites/pokedex.online/server/.env

Production (Docker): Add to your docker-compose.tmp.yml or production environment:

environment:
  - DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=fragginwagon,user2,123456789012345678

Or in your server's .env file that gets loaded by Docker.

How It Works

1. User logs in with Discord OAuth
2. Backend fetches user info from Discord API
3. Backend checks if username, global name, OR Discord ID matches the allowlist
4. Backend returns permissions: ['developer_tools.view'] if user is authorized
5. Frontend checks hasDevAccess() to show/hide developer tools

Testing

Test if you're in the allowlist:

1. Add your Discord username to DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS in .env
2. Restart the backend server:

   docker compose -f docker-compose.tmp.yml restart backend
   

3. Log in with Discord OAuth in the app
4. Open Developer Tools (should now be visible if authorized)

Check backend logs:

Look for these messages:

✅ Discord user authenticated { username: 'fragginwagon', id: '123456789012345678' }
✅ Discord user granted developer access { username: 'fragginwagon' }

Or if not authorized:

✅ Discord user authenticated { username: 'unauthorized', id: '999999999999999999' }

Security Notes

• Case-insensitive matching: Usernames are compared in lowercase
• Multiple formats: Supports username, display name, and Discord ID
• Fallback behavior: If Discord user info fetch fails, no permissions are granted (fail-safe)
• No permissions stored client-side: Permissions are checked on every OAuth login

Troubleshooting

Developer tools not appearing after adding username:

1. Check backend logs for "Discord user authenticated" message
2. Verify your username matches exactly (check for typos)
3. Try using your Discord ID instead of username (more reliable)
4. Ensure backend restarted after changing .env

"Failed to fetch Discord user info" in logs:

• OAuth token may not have identify scope
• Check Discord OAuth app settings
• Verify VITE_DISCORD_CLIENT_ID and DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET are correct

Example Configuration

# Development
NODE_ENV=development
PORT=3099

# Discord OAuth
VITE_DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
DISCORD_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here
VITE_DISCORD_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:5173/oauth/callback

# Allowed Users (add your Discord username or ID)
DISCORD_ADMIN_USERS=fragginwagon,123456789012345678

Permission Levels

Currently implemented:

• developer_tools.view - Access to developer tools panel and feature flags

Future permissions (not yet implemented):

• admin - Full admin access
• gamemaster.edit - Edit gamemaster data
• tournaments.manage - Manage tournaments