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

# Appeals

> Allowing banned members to submit structured appeal requests through a dedicated form.

The appeals system gives banned members a way to contest their ban through a form submission rather than requiring them to contact staff directly. Submissions arrive in [**Appeals > Submissions**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/submissions) for staff review, and the appeals site (a separate web interface accessible without a Discord account) handles the member-facing form.

![Moderation Appeals](https://mintcdn.com/bifrost-77/0kYEuVbQILcbqGYE/images/Moderation_Appeals.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=0kYEuVbQILcbqGYE\&q=85\&s=77ff5197a28e51188b5a890db534b5c1)

## How it works for members

When a member is banned, they can visit the Heimdall appeals site URL and submit an appeal form. The form is accessible without being logged in to Discord, so it works even if the member was banned. The member fills in their Discord username, the server they were banned from, and the fields defined in your appeal form, then submits.

The submitted appeal appears in [**Appeals > Submissions**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/submissions) for staff review.

## Setting up the appeals system

Navigate to [**Appeals > Configuration**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/config) in the dashboard.

### Configure the appeal form

Open [**Appeals > Forms**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/forms) to define the questions your appeal form includes. Each question has:

* **Label** - the question text shown to the submitter
* **Type** - short text, long text, or multiple choice
* **Required** - whether the submitter must answer before submitting

Common questions include: "Why were you banned?", "Why should your ban be lifted?", and "What will you do differently?"

### Your appeal link

There is nothing to set up. Every server gets its own link on the appeals site, shown as **Public Appeal URL** on [**Appeals > Configuration**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/config) with a copy button. A white-label bot uses its own appeals address once one is set up.

How a banned member gets the link by DM depends on how they were banned:

* **With Heimdall** (`/ban` or the dashboard): the link is in the punishment DM, which is only sent while **DM on Infraction** is on in [**Moderation > Settings**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/moderation/settings). Mutes include it too.
* **Outside Heimdall** (Discord itself, or another bot): while appeals are enabled, Heimdall sends a separate ban notification DM with the link.
* **Automatically** (leave-bans, escalation, automod): no DM is sent, so share the link yourself if you want them to appeal.

Both DMs can be reworded under [**Settings > Messages**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/settings/messages), as **Punishment DM** and **Ban notification DM**.

## Reviewing appeals in the dashboard

Navigate to [**Appeals > Submissions**](https://bot.bifrost.gg/go/appeals/submissions). Each appeal shows:

* The submitter's stated Discord username and ID
* Submission date
* All form field responses

From the review panel you can:

* **Approve** - unban the member and optionally send them a DM with instructions to rejoin
* **Deny** - record the decision and optionally send a denial reason
* **Mark under review** - flag the appeal as pending while staff discuss it

### Linked cases

Each appeal is linked to the [case](https://heimdall.gg/docs/moderation/cases.md) it is about, and the review panel shows that case's number with a link to it. The link in an in-game ban screen and on each row of your bans page names the case. An appeal without one is matched to the member's open ban or mute, and is only ever linked to a case about the member appealing or an account linked to them.

Approving the appeal lifts that case on the platform it came from: an unban or an unmute on Discord, or a revoke on Minecraft. The case shows the appeal and its outcome on its timeline. If the lift fails, for example because the bot is missing a permission, the case stays active and the appeal is still recorded on it.

## Appeal form via command

```text theme={null}
/appeals config
```

Opens the appeal configuration panel in Discord, allowing quick access to form settings without navigating to the dashboard.

## Required permissions

| Action | Permission key |
| - | - |
| Viewing appeal submissions | `appeals.submissions.view` |
| Reviewing and actioning appeals | `appeals.submissions.manage` |
| Configuring the appeal form | `appeals.forms.manage_forms` |
| Viewing dashboard configuration | `appeals.config.view_config` |


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.