diff --git a/backend/src/plugins/AutoReactions/commands/NewAutoReactionsCmd.ts b/backend/src/plugins/AutoReactions/commands/NewAutoReactionsCmd.ts
index f7444642..18c05f9f 100644
--- a/backend/src/plugins/AutoReactions/commands/NewAutoReactionsCmd.ts
+++ b/backend/src/plugins/AutoReactions/commands/NewAutoReactionsCmd.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ import { autoReactionsCmd } from "../types";
 import { commandTypeHelpers as ct } from "../../../commandTypes";
 import { canUseEmoji, customEmojiRegex, isEmoji } from "src/utils";
 import { sendErrorMessage, sendSuccessMessage } from "src/pluginUtils";
+import { getMissingChannelPermissions } from "../../../utils/getMissingChannelPermissions";
+import { Constants, GuildChannel } from "eris";
+import { readChannelPermissions } from "../../../utils/readChannelPermissions";
+import { missingPermissionError } from "../../../utils/missingPermissionError";
+
+const requiredPermissions = readChannelPermissions | Constants.Permissions.addReactions;
 
 export const NewAutoReactionsCmd = autoReactionsCmd({
   trigger: "auto_reactions",
@@ -9,13 +15,24 @@ export const NewAutoReactionsCmd = autoReactionsCmd({
   usage: "!auto_reactions 629990160477585428 👍 👎",
 
   signature: {
-    channelId: ct.channelId(),
+    channel: ct.channel(),
     reactions: ct.string({ rest: true }),
   },
 
   async run({ message: msg, args, pluginData }) {
     const finalReactions = [];
 
+    const me = pluginData.guild.members.get(pluginData.client.user.id);
+    const missingPermissions = getMissingChannelPermissions(me, args.channel as GuildChannel, requiredPermissions);
+    if (missingPermissions) {
+      sendErrorMessage(
+        pluginData,
+        msg.channel,
+        `Cannot set auto-reactions for that channel. ${missingPermissionError(missingPermissions)}`,
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     for (const reaction of args.reactions) {
       if (!isEmoji(reaction)) {
         sendErrorMessage(pluginData, msg.channel, "One or more of the specified reactions were invalid!");
@@ -41,7 +58,7 @@ export const NewAutoReactionsCmd = autoReactionsCmd({
       finalReactions.push(savedValue);
     }
 
-    await pluginData.state.autoReactions.set(args.channelId, finalReactions);
-    sendSuccessMessage(pluginData, msg.channel, `Auto-reactions set for <#${args.channelId}>`);
+    await pluginData.state.autoReactions.set(args.channel.id, finalReactions);
+    sendSuccessMessage(pluginData, msg.channel, `Auto-reactions set for <#${args.channel.id}>`);
   },
 });