---
title: Creating a Simple Discord Bot with Python
date: 2023-10-27
draft: false
description: A step-by-step guide to creating your first Discord bot using Python and the discord.py library.
categories: ["Discord", "Bots", "Python"]
tags: ["Discord", "Bot", "Python", "discord.py"]
---

# Creating a Simple Discord Bot with Python

In this guide, we will build a basic Discord bot using Python and the powerful `discord.py` library. This bot will respond to simple commands, and we'll learn the fundamentals to expand it in the future.

## Prerequisites

*   **Python:** Make sure you have Python installed (version 3.7 or higher).
*   **discord.py:** Install the library using `pip install discord.py`.
*   **A Discord account:** You'll need a Discord account and a server where the bot can operate.

## Creating a Bot on Discord (Step-by-Step)

1.  **Create an Application on the Discord Developer Portal:**
    *   Go to the [Discord Developer Portal](https://discord.com/developers/applications).
    *   Click "New Application" and give your bot a name.
2.  **Turn the Application into a Bot:**
    *   In your application's menu, go to "Bot".
    *   Click "Add Bot". Confirm the creation.
3.  **Get the Bot Token:**
    *   On the Bot page, copy the "Token". **Keep this token a secret!**
4.  **Invite the Bot to your Server:**
    *   Go to "OAuth2" -> "URL Generator".
    *   Select the "bot" scope and, under "Bot Permissions", choose the permissions your bot needs. To start, "Read Messages/View Channels" and "Send Messages" are sufficient.
    *   Copy the generated URL and paste it into your browser. This will redirect you to add the bot to your server.

## Python Code

Create a Python file (e.g., `my_bot.py`) and paste the following code:

```python
import discord

# Replace with your token!
TOKEN = 'YOUR_TOKEN_HERE'

intents = discord.Intents.default()
intents.message_content = True

client = discord.Client(intents=intents)

@client.event
async def on_ready():
    print(f'Logged in as {client.user}')

@client.event
async def on_message(message):
    if message.author == client.user:
        return

    if message.content.startswith('!hello'):
        await message.channel.send('Hello!')
    elif message.content.startswith('!ping'):
        await message.channel.send('Pong!')

client.run(TOKEN)

Code Explanation:

• discord.Client(): Creates an instance of the Discord client.
• on_ready(): This event is triggered when the bot is connected and ready to use.
• on_message(): This event is triggered whenever a message is sent in a channel where the bot is present.
• message.content: Contains the content of the message.
• message.channel.send(): Sends a message to the channel where the original message was sent.
• intents : Declaration to the bot to receive messages with intents.message_content = True
• client.run(TOKEN): Starts the bot with your token.

Running the Bot

Open the terminal, navigate to the directory where you saved the my_bot.py file, and run:

python my_bot.py

If everything is correct, you will see “Logged in as [Your Bot Name]” in the terminal. Now, go to your Discord server and type !hello or !ping in a text channel. Your bot should respond!

Next Steps

This is just a very basic bot. You can expand it in many ways, such as:

• Adding more commands.
• Integrating with external APIs.
• Creating moderation systems.
• Developing interactive games.

The discord.py library offers countless possibilities. Explore the official documentation to learn more: https://discordpy.readthedocs.io/en/stable/