I built a Python bot that connects to the RetroAchievements API and sends notifications about newly earned achievements to Discord channels. Right now I only tested it with my own account but I want to expand it so other people in my Discord server can use it too. I’m working on adding encryption for user API keys so I won’t be able to see anyone’s private info. Does anyone know if this kind of bot integration is actually allowed by RetroAchievements? I don’t want to get in trouble for using their API this way. The bot works great so far but I want to make sure I’m following their rules before I let other people start using it.
yea, really interesting project! just make sure to review their terms of service or ask them directly. usually, as long as you aren’t spamming, they’re chill about it. always good to double-check tho!
I’ve worked with gaming APIs before, and RetroAchievements is way more restrictive than most when it comes to automated tools hitting user data. They don’t outright ban bots, but they watch usage patterns like hawks. Since you’re handling multiple users’ API keys, you’re not just another single-user app anymore. Definitely reach out to their team through the contact form before you scale up past personal use. They’ll revoke API access without warning if they spot anything suspicious - even if you’re technically under rate limits. Your encryption looks good, but batch your requests and throw in random delays between calls so you don’t look like a scraper. Their API terms change without much heads up too, so staying in touch with them directly is your best protection.
I’ve developed a web app that accessed the RetroAchievements API previously, and based on my experience, they generally permit third-party integrations as long as server spamming is avoided. It’s crucial to adhere to their rate limits and manage your requests judiciously. Implementing caching is a good strategy to minimize API calls and using delays between your requests can help maintain a balance. Your approach to encrypt API keys is commendable, and it might be beneficial to reach out to their support or check on GitHub for any specific guidelines related to bots. They tend to provide assistance quite promptly for inquiries. Just ensure that user data is managed responsibly while following standard API usage etiquette.
Your bot sounds really cool! I’ve been down this exact road and hit some headaches managing API keys and user permissions manually.
Most APIs including RetroAchievements are fine with bots if you respect rate limits and don’t abuse their service. Still, check their terms or reach out directly to be sure.
The real challenge is managing encrypted API keys and handling auth for multiple users. I had a similar project connecting gaming APIs to Discord and it became a nightmare to maintain.
What saved me was switching to Latenode. Instead of writing custom Python for API calls, encryption, and Discord webhooks, I built the whole flow visually. Latenode handles secure API key storage automatically, manages rate limiting, and has built-in Discord integrations.
You can set up triggers for new achievements, process the data however you want, and push clean notifications to Discord channels. When other users want to add their accounts, they just authenticate through Latenode’s secure flow instead of you handling their sensitive data.
Way cleaner than managing encryption and user data yourself. You can focus on making the bot features better instead of dealing with security concerns.
I dealt with something similar when building a RetroAchievements tool last year. The API docs say automated tools are fine - just stick to their rate limits. Your notification bot sounds totally acceptable. But seriously implement proper rate limiting. I got hit with temp blocks when my requests came in too fast. RetroAchievements is pretty developer-friendly, but they’re definitely watching request patterns. Check their GitHub repo regularly since new guidelines sometimes show up there before hitting the main docs.