Build Your First Discord Bot with JavaScript

You want to build a Discord bot.

Maybe you see bots playing music or running polls and wonder how they work.

By the end of this series, you will build one yourself.

This first part takes you from zero to a bot that responds to commands.

You do not need prior coding experience.

What you will learn in this series:

  • Part 1: Set up a bot and respond to a slash command.
  • Part 2: Organize your code and add more commands.
  • Part 3: Use Prisma to give your bot a memory with a database.
  • Part 4: Build a full leveling or economy system.

What is a Discord bot?

A bot is not inside Discord.

It is a program running on a computer that connects to Discord over the internet.

It works in two parts:

  • The Discord side: You register the bot in the Developer Portal.
  • The code side: You write JavaScript instructions to tell the bot what to do.

Your toolkit:

  • Node.js: The engine that runs your JavaScript.
  • VS Code: The editor where you write your code.
  • Discord Developer Portal: Where you manage your bot identity.

Crucial Security Rule:

Your bot token is a password.

If someone gets your token, they control your bot.

Never share your token.

Never put it directly in your code.

Use a .env file to keep it safe.

The Setup Process:

  1. Create an application in the Discord Developer Portal.
  2. Get your Bot Token and save it securely.
  3. Enable the right permissions to invite your bot to a test server.
  4. Use npm to install discord.js and dotenv.
  5. Write your code in index.js to handle events.
  6. Use slash commands to interact with users.

Slash commands are the modern way to build.

They are faster and more private than reading every message in a server.

If you run into errors, do not worry.

Reading error messages is a part of the job.

You now have a working bot.

In Part 2, we will add more commands and organize your files so they stay clean.

Source: https://dev.to/itsash/discord-bot-series-part-1-getting-started-cjh