IRC Services Explained: NickServ, ChanServ, BotServ, MemoServ, and OperServ
What this article covers
- What IRC Services are and why a network without them is missing a critical layer.
- The five standard Services: NickServ, ChanServ, MemoServ, BotServ, and OperServ.
- Essential commands, with detailed BotServ operations.
- Current Services packages in use today: Anope, Atheme, and Ergo built-in.
- Practical examples for nick registration, channel management, and bots.
Sources:
Introduction: Why BotServ.de exists
The name of this site is no accident. BotServ is one of the classic IRC Services, the daemon that manages bots in channels. If you understand Services, you understand IRC: they form the administrative layer that transforms a bare protocol into a functioning network with registered nicknames, protected channels, and automated bots.
IRC Services are pseudoservers: programs that connect to an IRC server and respond to commands as virtual clients (NickServ, ChanServ, and others). You send them a message like /msg NickServ REGISTER password email, and they maintain the state of the entire network: who owns which nickname, which channels are registered, who has operator status where.
The five standard IRC Services
NickServ: Your name belongs to you
NickServ registers and protects nicknames. Without it, anyone can claim any nick. With it, your name is permanently yours.
Key NickServ commands:
/msg NickServ REGISTER password email Register a nickname
/msg NickServ IDENTIFY password Log in when you connect
/msg NickServ GHOST nick password Remove someone else using your nick
/msg NickServ SET PASSWORD newpassword Change your password
/msg NickServ INFO nick Show registration details
/msg NickServ GROUP nick password Link a second nick to your account
/msg NickServ RESETPASS nick Reset password via email
/msg NickServ STATUS nick Check if someone is logged inChanServ: Register and protect channels
ChanServ manages channel registrations, access lists, and protection settings. A registered channel retains its operators, topic, and settings even when empty.
Key ChanServ commands:
/msg ChanServ REGISTER #channel description Register a channel
/msg ChanServ OP #channel nick Give op rights
/msg ChanServ DEOP #channel nick Remove op rights
/msg ChanServ VOICE #channel nick Give voice
/msg ChanServ ACCESS #channel ADD nick level Manage access lists
/msg ChanServ AOP #channel ADD nick Add to auto-op list
/msg ChanServ AKICK #channel ADD nick Add to auto-kick/ban list
/msg ChanServ SET #channel option value Set channel options
/msg ChanServ INFO #channel Display channel info
/msg ChanServ UNBAN #channel Remove your own bans
/msg ChanServ DROP #channel Delete channel registrationMemoServ: Messages for offline users
MemoServ works like voicemail: it delivers messages to people who are not currently online.
/msg MemoServ SEND nick message Send a memo to a nick
/msg MemoServ SEND #channel message Send a memo to all channel ops
/msg MemoServ LIST Show your memos
/msg MemoServ READ number Read a memo
/msg MemoServ DEL number Delete a memo
/msg MemoServ SET NOTIFY option Configure notificationsBotServ: The namesake of BotServ.de
BotServ provides network-wide bots for registered channels. Instead of running your own bot, you assign one of the network’s bots to your channel, and it moderates according to your rules.
Key BotServ commands:
/msg BotServ BOTLIST Show available bots
/msg BotServ ASSIGN #channel botname Add a bot to your channel
/msg BotServ UNASSIGN #channel Remove a bot
/msg BotServ INFO #channel Show bot status
/msg BotServ SET #channel option value Configure bot settings
Configure bot moderation:
/msg BotServ KICK #channel BOLDS on|off Kick for bold text
/msg BotServ KICK #channel CAPS on|off percent Kick for capslock spam
/msg BotServ KICK #channel FLOOD on|off Kick for flooding
/msg BotServ KICK #channel REPEAT on|off Kick for repetition
/msg BotServ KICK #channel BADWORDS on|off Kick for bad words
/msg BotServ BADWORDS #channel ADD word sanction Manage bad word list
/msg BotServ SAY #channel text Make the bot say something
/msg BotServ ACT #channel text Make the bot perform an actionNote: Exact command names vary by Services package (Anope often uses SET with suboptions; see /msg BotServ HELP for details).
OperServ: For network admins only
OperServ is the administrative tier: network operators use it for K-Lines, server management, and network-wide actions. Regular users never touch it, but everyone feels its effects.
/msg OperServ AKILL ADD mask reason Network-wide ban (autokill/K-Line)
/msg OperServ GLINE ADD mask reason Global ban
/msg OperServ STATS Show Services statistics
/msg OperServ GLOBAL message Send a message to all users
/msg OperServ JUPE server Disconnect a server from the networkDepending on the package, you may also find HostServ (for virtual hosts and vHosts), HelpServ (help system), and Global (network announcements).
Current IRC Services packages: What’s in use today?
Anope: The standard
Anope is by far the most widely deployed Services package and the de facto standard for UnrealIRCd and InspIRCd. Stable, well documented, modular, all five Services included. When a network says “Services” today, it’s Anope nine times out of ten. Matching IRCDs are covered in our IRCD article.
Atheme: The Libera choice
Atheme is the Services framework behind Libera.Chat and other Charybdis/Solanum networks. Modern design, clean codebase, built for large networks.
Ergo built-in
Ergo integrates Services directly into the server: registration, history, and channel management are part of the server itself, no separate package needed. The most convenient option for self-hosters.
Older and niche packages
Dancer, IRCServices (the original by Andrew Church, discontinued but historically important), MagIRC (web statistics frontend for Anope), and various custom solutions from large networks. They’re not an option for new networks, but you’ll still find them on legacy servers.
The reference page for all Services with current coverage is IRCServices.de or IRC-Services.de, supplemented by the comprehensive collection at IRC-Mania.de.
Practical Example: Setting Up a Channel in Five Steps
- Register your nick:
/msg NickServ REGISTER geheim123 ich@mail.de, then log in. - Join the channel and register it:
/join #meinprojekt, then/msg ChanServ REGISTER #meinprojekt Mein Projekt-Channel. - Assign a bot:
/msg BotServ BOTLISTshows available bots,/msg BotServ ASSIGN #meinprojekt Wachebrings the bot into your channel. - Configure protection:
/msg BotServ KICK #meinprojekt FLOOD onand/msg ChanServ SET #meinprojekt SECUREOPS on. - Add secondary ops:
/msg ChanServ AOP #meinprojekt ADD KumpelNick.
Done: Your channel now has a permanent owner, automatic ops, and a watchdog bot.
Common Pitfalls with IRC Services
Forgetting to IDENTIFY. Users who don’t identify won’t receive op rights, regardless of AOP list entries. Better approach: set up SASL login in your client, and it happens automatically on connect.
Command syntax varies by package. Anope, Atheme, and Ergo use different syntax in places. /msg NickServ HELP in your network always shows the correct variant for that system.
Channels expire. Unused registered channels and nicks get deleted after expiry, usually 30 to 90 days. Log in regularly to keep them active.
Services incompatible with your IRCD. Anope doesn’t run on every daemon, so check the compatibility list before setup. Our IRCD article covers the supported combinations.
Further Resources on IRC Services
- IRCServices.de and IRC-Services.de - Reference sites for IRC Services, commands, and packages.
- IRC-Mania.de - Main hub for IRC content with hundreds of tutorials on Services and networks.
- IRC-FAQ.de - Quick answers to Services questions.
- IRC-Coding.de - Building bots and custom Services automation.
- IRC-FAQ.com - International FAQ collection.
- IRC-Security.de - Security aspects of Services and networks.
FAQ: IRC Services - Common Questions
What are IRC Services?
IRC Services are pseudoservers that connect to the IRC server and handle administration tasks: NickServ registers nicknames, ChanServ manages channels, MemoServ stores messages, BotServ provides bots, and OperServ administers the network.
How do I register my nickname with NickServ?
Use /msg NickServ REGISTER password email-address. After that, log in on each connection with /msg NickServ IDENTIFY password, or better yet, configure SASL in your client.
What does ChanServ do?
ChanServ registers channels permanently: the channel keeps its owner, operators, topic, and settings even when empty. It also provides access lists, auto-op, auto-kick, and protection options.
What are the main BotServ commands?
The most important ones: BOTLIST (show available bots), ASSIGN (add a bot to your channel), UNASSIGN, SET (configure options), KICK (auto-moderation for flood, caps, badwords), BADWORDS, SAY, and ACT. See the complete list in our commands article.
Which Services package is best today?
Anope for UnrealIRCd and InspIRCd networks, Atheme for Charybdis/Solanum networks like Libera.Chat, and Ergo for self-hosters with built-in Services.
Does every IRC network need Services?
For public use, yes. Without NickServ and ChanServ, reasonable channel operations aren’t possible. Small private networks can run on a bare server, or use Ergo with built-in Services.
What happens if I don’t register my nick?
It doesn’t belong to you. Anyone can take it, and you have no recourse. Registration takes two minutes and prevents identity problems.
Can OperServ affect regular users?
Indirectly. OperServ is for network admins, but its actions (K-Lines, G-Lines, global messages) affect everyone. Users with a K-Line are managed by OperServ administrators.