---
created: 2026-04-07T09:19:57.504Z
title: Fix avatar images not loading without Discord bot token
area: ui
files: []
---

## Problem

Avatar images do not load from GitHub/backup sources. Additionally, avatars fail to load entirely if the Discord bot token is not populated. The app should gracefully fall back to GitHub-stored or backup avatar sources when Discord is unavailable, rather than showing broken/missing avatars.

## Solution

- Investigate the avatar loading pipeline to identify why GitHub/backup avatar URLs are not being fetched or rendered
- Ensure the avatar resolution logic does not hard-fail when the Discord bot token is empty — it should skip Discord and fall back to other sources
- Verify the fallback chain: Discord CDN → GitHub-stored URL → placeholder/initials