---
title: "Deploy khovdesk: community management studio server"
description: "Run your Discord community's bot, managed from the khovdesk desktop studio."
category: "Bots"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/khovdesk-community-management-studio-ser
---

# Deploy khovdesk: community management studio server

Run your Discord community's bot, managed from the khovdesk desktop studio.

**[Deploy khovdesk: community management studio server on Railway](https://railway.com/template/khovdesk-community-management-studio-ser)**

Machine-readable deploy manifest (JSON, validated by TemplateCI): https://railway.com/deploy/khovdesk-community-management-studio-ser/manifest.json

- **Creator:** khovanet
- **Category:** Bots
- **Total deploys:** 1

## Template content

### khovdesk

- **Image:** ghcr.io/phahx/khovdesk-server:sha-183c57c15ff11dc9ce2aecef2bb318b7f581eb03
- **Health check:** /health
- **Public domain:** Yes

## Documentation

# Deploy and Host khovdesk: community management studio on Railway

khovdesk is a community management studio for Discord servers. A Windows desktop app connects to this server, which runs your bot around the clock: moderation, roles, channels, events, welcome messages, scheduled posts, forms, tickets and team chat. AI agents such as Claude Code can help too, and every change they propose waits for your approval.

> **Two ways to use it.** With the **khovdesk desktop studio** for Windows (a one-time purchase), you get the full app: pages for every part of your server, team chat, plugins, and AI agents whose changes wait for your approval. Without it, the server works on its own as an **MCP server**: Claude Code or any other MCP client can drive your bot directly with its 59 tools.

Replace the agent bullet in Common Use Cases:

- Letting an AI agent draft server changes that a moderator approves in the studio
- Driving your server from Claude Code or another MCP client, no desktop app needed

And under Dependencies:

- The khovdesk desktop studio for Windows (a one-time purchase) for the full app, or any MCP client such as Claude Code

Then add this at the end of Implementation Details:

**Using it as an MCP server:** add it to your MCP client with the public domain and a key.

```json
{ "mcpServers": { "khovdesk": { "type": "http", "url": "https:///mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer " } } } }
```

Use `KHOVDESK_READ_KEY` instead for an agent that should only look. With the access key, the agent's changes apply straight away, without the studio's approval step.

## About Hosting khovdesk: community management studio

This template runs the khovdesk server, a single Node.js service, from a prebuilt image. Before deploying, create a bot in the Discord Developer Portal, turn on the Server Members, Message Content and Presence intents, and invite the bot to your server. Railway asks for two values: the bot token and your server's ID. Both access keys are generated for you, and a volume at `/data` keeps plugin data, accounts and team chat across redeploys. Once the deployment is Active, open the khovdesk studio, choose **Join a server**, and paste the public domain and both keys. Keep one replica: two would answer every event twice.

## Common Use Cases

- Running a gaming or creator community from one desktop app instead of several bot dashboards
- Moderation, roles and member management, with the audit log a click away
- Scheduled announcements, recurring channel posts and server events
- Applications and support through forms and private ticket channels
- Game jams: weekly themes, submissions and winner announcements
- Letting an AI agent draft server changes that a moderator approves

## Dependencies for khovdesk: community management studio Hosting

- A Discord bot application with the Server Members, Message Content and Presence intents turned on
- The bot invited to your server before deploying (the server checks it's there on startup)
- The khovdesk desktop studio for Windows, to manage the server

### Deployment Dependencies

- [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications)
- [Privileged gateway intents](https://discord.com/developers/docs/events/gateway#privileged-intents)
- [Finding your server ID](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/206346498)

### Implementation Details

| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` | Your bot's token (Developer Portal → Bot → Reset Token) |
| `TARGET_GUILD_ID` | The Discord server the bot manages |
| `KHOVDESK_ACCESS_KEY` | Full-access key for the studio, generated per deploy |
| `KHOVDESK_READ_KEY` | Read-only key for AI agents, generated per deploy |
| `KHOVDESK_PLUGINS` | Optional plugins, e.g. `scheduled-posts,forms,tickets` |

The server serves MCP over HTTPS at `/mcp`, with a health check at `/health`. Treat both keys like passwords.

## Why Deploy khovdesk: community management studio on Railway?

A Discord bot only helps while it's online. On Railway it stays online when your PC is off, so welcome messages, role panels, tickets and scheduled posts keep running overnight. Your whole mod team connects to the same server from their own studios, each with their own account. This template sets up the parts that are easy to get wrong:

- Access keys generated for each deploy
- A volume so data survives redeploys
- An HTTPS domain for the studio
- A health check that restarts the server if it stops

New khovdesk versions arrive as image updates, applied with one click or automatically on a schedule you choose.

## Similar templates

- [Swarm](https://railway.com/deploy/swarm) — Named LLM bots join channels, take jobs, run routines on your Railway box
- [Telegram JavaScript Bot](https://railway.com/deploy/5lRkWa) — A template for Telegram bot in JavaScript using grammY
- [Cobalt Tools [Updated Oct ’26]](https://railway.com/deploy/cobalt) — Cobalt Tools [Oct ’26] (Media Downloader, Converter & Automation) Self Host

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