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Discord (Bot API)

Status: ready for DMs and guild channels via the official Discord gateway.

Discord DMs default to pairing mode. Native command behavior and command catalog. Cross-channel diagnostics and repair flow.

Quick setup

Create an application in the Discord Developer Portal, add a bot, then enable:

- **Message Content Intent**
- **Server Members Intent** (required for role allowlists and role-based routing; recommended for name-to-ID allowlist matching)


{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      enabled: true,
      token: "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
    },
  },
}

Env fallback for the default account:

DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=...

Invite the bot to your server with message permissions.

openclaw gateway


openclaw pairing list discord
openclaw pairing approve discord <CODE>

Pairing codes expire after 1 hour.

Token resolution is account-aware. Config token values win over env fallback. DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN is only used for the default account.

Runtime model

  • Gateway owns the Discord connection.
  • Reply routing is deterministic: Discord inbound replies back to Discord.
  • By default (session.dmScope=main), direct chats share the agent main session (agent:main:main).
  • Guild channels are isolated session keys (agent:<agentId>:discord:channel:<channelId>).
  • Group DMs are ignored by default (channels.discord.dm.groupEnabled=false).
  • Native slash commands run in isolated command sessions (agent:<agentId>:discord:slash:<userId>), while still carrying CommandTargetSessionKey to the routed conversation session.

Access control and routing

channels.discord.dmPolicy controls DM access (legacy: channels.discord.dm.policy):

- `pairing` (default)
- `allowlist`
- `open` (requires `channels.discord.allowFrom` to include `"*"`; legacy: `channels.discord.dm.allowFrom`)
- `disabled`

If DM policy is not open, unknown users are blocked (or prompted for pairing in `pairing` mode).

DM target format for delivery:

- `user:<id>`
- `<@id>` mention

Bare numeric IDs are ambiguous and rejected unless an explicit user/channel target kind is provided.

Guild handling is controlled by channels.discord.groupPolicy:

- `open`
- `allowlist`
- `disabled`

Secure baseline when `channels.discord` exists is `allowlist`.

`allowlist` behavior:

- guild must match `channels.discord.guilds` (`id` preferred, slug accepted)
- optional sender allowlists: `users` (IDs or names) and `roles` (role IDs only); if either is configured, senders are allowed when they match `users` OR `roles`
- if a guild has `channels` configured, non-listed channels are denied
- if a guild has no `channels` block, all channels in that allowlisted guild are allowed

Example:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      groupPolicy: "allowlist",
      guilds: {
        "123456789012345678": {
          requireMention: true,
          users: ["987654321098765432"],
          roles: ["123456789012345678"],
          channels: {
            general: { allow: true },
            help: { allow: true, requireMention: true },
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

If you only set `DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN` and do not create a `channels.discord` block, runtime fallback is `groupPolicy="open"` (with a warning in logs).

Guild messages are mention-gated by default.

Mention detection includes:

- explicit bot mention
- configured mention patterns (`agents.list[].groupChat.mentionPatterns`, fallback `messages.groupChat.mentionPatterns`)
- implicit reply-to-bot behavior in supported cases

`requireMention` is configured per guild/channel (`channels.discord.guilds...`).

Group DMs:

- default: ignored (`dm.groupEnabled=false`)
- optional allowlist via `dm.groupChannels` (channel IDs or slugs)

Role-based agent routing

Use bindings[].match.roles to route Discord guild members to different agents by role ID. Role-based bindings accept role IDs only and are evaluated after peer or parent-peer bindings and before guild-only bindings. If a binding also sets other match fields (for example peer + guildId + roles), all configured fields must match.

{
  bindings: [
    {
      agentId: "opus",
      match: {
        channel: "discord",
        guildId: "123456789012345678",
        roles: ["111111111111111111"],
      },
    },
    {
      agentId: "sonnet",
      match: {
        channel: "discord",
        guildId: "123456789012345678",
      },
    },
  ],
}

Developer Portal setup

1. Discord Developer Portal -> **Applications** -> **New Application**
2. **Bot** -> **Add Bot**
3. Copy bot token

In Bot -> Privileged Gateway Intents, enable:

- Message Content Intent
- Server Members Intent (recommended)

Presence intent is optional and only required if you want to receive presence updates. Setting bot presence (`setPresence`) does not require enabling presence updates for members.

OAuth URL generator:

- scopes: `bot`, `applications.commands`

Typical baseline permissions:

- View Channels
- Send Messages
- Read Message History
- Embed Links
- Attach Files
- Add Reactions (optional)

Avoid `Administrator` unless explicitly needed.

Enable Discord Developer Mode, then copy:

- server ID
- channel ID
- user ID

Prefer numeric IDs in OpenClaw config for reliable audits and probes.

Native commands and command auth

  • commands.native defaults to "auto" and is enabled for Discord.
  • Per-channel override: channels.discord.commands.native.
  • commands.native=false explicitly clears previously registered Discord native commands.
  • Native command auth uses the same Discord allowlists/policies as normal message handling.
  • Commands may still be visible in Discord UI for users who are not authorized; execution still enforces OpenClaw auth and returns "not authorized".

See Slash commands for command catalog and behavior.

Feature details

Discord supports reply tags in agent output:

- `[[reply_to_current]]`
- `[[reply_to:<id>]]`

Controlled by `channels.discord.replyToMode`:

- `off` (default)
- `first`
- `all`

Note: `off` disables implicit reply threading. Explicit `[[reply_to_*]]` tags are still honored.

Message IDs are surfaced in context/history so agents can target specific messages.

Guild history context:

- `channels.discord.historyLimit` default `20`
- fallback: `messages.groupChat.historyLimit`
- `0` disables

DM history controls:

- `channels.discord.dmHistoryLimit`
- `channels.discord.dms["<user_id>"].historyLimit`

Thread behavior:

- Discord threads are routed as channel sessions
- parent thread metadata can be used for parent-session linkage
- thread config inherits parent channel config unless a thread-specific entry exists

Channel topics are injected as **untrusted** context (not as system prompt).

Per-guild reaction notification mode:

- `off`
- `own` (default)
- `all`
- `allowlist` (uses `guilds.<id>.users`)

Reaction events are turned into system events and attached to the routed Discord session.

ackReaction sends an acknowledgement emoji while OpenClaw is processing an inbound message.

Resolution order:

- `channels.discord.accounts.<accountId>.ackReaction`
- `channels.discord.ackReaction`
- `messages.ackReaction`
- agent identity emoji fallback (`agents.list[].identity.emoji`, else "👀")

Notes:

- Discord accepts unicode emoji or custom emoji names.
- Use `""` to disable the reaction for a channel or account.

Channel-initiated config writes are enabled by default.

This affects `/config set|unset` flows (when command features are enabled).

Disable:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      configWrites: false,
    },
  },
}

Route Discord gateway WebSocket traffic through an HTTP(S) proxy with channels.discord.proxy.

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      proxy: "http://proxy.example:8080",
    },
  },
}

Per-account override:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      accounts: {
        primary: {
          proxy: "http://proxy.example:8080",
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

Enable PluralKit resolution to map proxied messages to system member identity:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      pluralkit: {
        enabled: true,
        token: "pk_live_...", // optional; needed for private systems
      },
    },
  },
}

Notes:

- allowlists can use `pk:<memberId>`
- member display names are matched by name/slug
- lookups use original message ID and are time-window constrained
- if lookup fails, proxied messages are treated as bot messages and dropped unless `allowBots=true`

Presence updates are applied only when you set a status or activity field.

Status only example:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      status: "idle",
    },
  },
}

Activity example (custom status is the default activity type):

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      activity: "Focus time",
      activityType: 4,
    },
  },
}

Streaming example:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      activity: "Live coding",
      activityType: 1,
      activityUrl: "https://twitch.tv/openclaw",
    },
  },
}

Activity type map:

- 0: Playing
- 1: Streaming (requires `activityUrl`)
- 2: Listening
- 3: Watching
- 4: Custom (uses the activity text as the status state; emoji is optional)
- 5: Competing

Discord supports button-based exec approvals in DMs and can optionally post approval prompts in the originating channel.

Config path:

- `channels.discord.execApprovals.enabled`
- `channels.discord.execApprovals.approvers`
- `channels.discord.execApprovals.target` (`dm` | `channel` | `both`, default: `dm`)
- `agentFilter`, `sessionFilter`, `cleanupAfterResolve`

When `target` is `channel` or `both`, the approval prompt is visible in the channel. Only configured approvers can use the buttons; other users receive an ephemeral denial. Approval prompts include the command text, so only enable channel delivery in trusted channels. If the channel ID cannot be derived from the session key, OpenClaw falls back to DM delivery.

If approvals fail with unknown approval IDs, verify approver list and feature enablement.

Related docs: [Exec approvals](../../tools/exec-approvals)

Tools and action gates

Discord message actions include messaging, channel admin, moderation, presence, and metadata actions.

Core examples:

  • messaging: sendMessage, readMessages, editMessage, deleteMessage, threadReply
  • reactions: react, reactions, emojiList
  • moderation: timeout, kick, ban
  • presence: setPresence

Action gates live under channels.discord.actions.*.

Default gate behavior:

Action group Default
reactions, messages, threads, pins, polls, search, memberInfo, roleInfo, channelInfo, channels, voiceStatus, events, stickers, emojiUploads, stickerUploads, permissions enabled
roles disabled
moderation disabled
presence disabled

Components v2 UI

OpenClaw uses Discord components v2 for exec approvals and cross-context markers. Discord message actions can also accept components for custom UI (advanced; requires Carbon component instances), while legacy embeds remain available but are not recommended.

  • channels.discord.ui.components.accentColor sets the accent color used by Discord component containers (hex).
  • Set per account with channels.discord.accounts.<id>.ui.components.accentColor.
  • embeds are ignored when components v2 are present.

Example:

{
  channels: {
    discord: {
      ui: {
        components: {
          accentColor: "#5865F2",
        },
      },
    },
  },
}

Voice messages

Discord voice messages show a waveform preview and require OGG/Opus audio plus metadata. OpenClaw generates the waveform automatically, but it needs ffmpeg and ffprobe available on the gateway host to inspect and convert audio files.

Requirements and constraints:

  • Provide a local file path (URLs are rejected).
  • Omit text content (Discord does not allow text + voice message in the same payload).
  • Any audio format is accepted; OpenClaw converts to OGG/Opus when needed.

Example:

message(action="send", channel="discord", target="channel:123", path="/path/to/audio.mp3", asVoice=true)

Troubleshooting

- enable Message Content Intent
- enable Server Members Intent when you depend on user/member resolution
- restart gateway after changing intents


- verify `groupPolicy`
- verify guild allowlist under `channels.discord.guilds`
- if guild `channels` map exists, only listed channels are allowed
- verify `requireMention` behavior and mention patterns

Useful checks:

openclaw doctor
openclaw channels status --probe
openclaw logs --follow

Common causes:

- `groupPolicy="allowlist"` without matching guild/channel allowlist
- `requireMention` configured in the wrong place (must be under `channels.discord.guilds` or channel entry)
- sender blocked by guild/channel `users` allowlist

channels status --probe permission checks only work for numeric channel IDs.

If you use slug keys, runtime matching can still work, but probe cannot fully verify permissions.


- DM disabled: `channels.discord.dm.enabled=false`
- DM policy disabled: `channels.discord.dmPolicy="disabled"` (legacy: `channels.discord.dm.policy`)
- awaiting pairing approval in `pairing` mode

By default bot-authored messages are ignored.

If you set `channels.discord.allowBots=true`, use strict mention and allowlist rules to avoid loop behavior.

Configuration reference pointers

Primary reference:

High-signal Discord fields:

  • startup/auth: enabled, token, accounts.*, allowBots
  • policy: groupPolicy, dm.*, guilds.*, guilds.*.channels.*
  • command: commands.native, commands.useAccessGroups, configWrites
  • reply/history: replyToMode, historyLimit, dmHistoryLimit, dms.*.historyLimit
  • delivery: textChunkLimit, chunkMode, maxLinesPerMessage
  • media/retry: mediaMaxMb, retry
  • actions: actions.*
  • presence: activity, status, activityType, activityUrl
  • UI: ui.components.accentColor
  • features: pluralkit, execApprovals, intents, agentComponents, heartbeat, responsePrefix

Safety and operations

  • Treat bot tokens as secrets (DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN preferred in supervised environments).
  • Grant least-privilege Discord permissions.
  • If command deploy/state is stale, restart gateway and re-check with openclaw channels status --probe.