# Help! My Discord bot is acting up
I've been working on a Discord bot and it was running fine until I added a new command, !random. Now my bot is throwing a syntax error. Below is an example of my revised code:
```python
import discord
import random
client = discord.Client()
@client.event
async def on_startup():
print('Bot is online')
@client.event
async def on_message(message):
if message.content.lower().startswith('!flip'):
flip_result = random.choice(['Heads', 'Tails'])
await message.channel.send(flip_result)
if message.content.lower().startswith('!roll'):
await message.channel.send(str(random.randint(1, 6)))
client.run('my_alternate_token')
The error I see is:
File "path/to/my/bot.py", line 18
client.run('my_alternate_token')
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
I’ve confirmed that my token is correct and I’m at a loss. Does anyone have insights on why this syntax error may be occurring? I’m still learning how Discord bots work and any advice is welcome. Thanks a lot!
I’ve encountered similar issues before, and it looks like the problem might be with your indentation. Python is sensitive to indentation, so make sure all your function definitions and event handlers are properly indented. Also, double-check that you’ve closed all your brackets and parentheses correctly.
Another thing to consider is the version of Discord.py you’re using. Some older versions had different syntax requirements. Try updating to the latest version of Discord.py if you haven’t already.
Lastly, ensure you’re running the script with Python 3, not Python 2. The syntax differences between these versions can cause unexpected errors. If none of these solve your issue, try running your script with the -v flag for more verbose error output, which might give you more insight into the problem.
yo i had the same issue. its prolly cuz ur missing the async keyword before ur on_startup function. try changing it to:
@client.event
async def on_startup():
print(‘Bot is online’)
that should fix it. also make sure ur using the latest discord.py version
Hmm, I’ve run into this exact problem before. The syntax error you’re seeing is actually a red herring. The real issue is likely that you’re missing the if __name__ == '__main__': block at the end of your script. Without it, Python might be trying to execute client.run() when it’s importing your module, which can cause weird errors.
Try modifying the end of your script like this:
if __name__ == '__main__':
client.run('my_alternate_token')
This ensures the bot only runs when you execute the script directly. Also, double-check that you’ve properly closed all your function definitions with the correct indentation. Python can be finicky about that stuff.
If you’re still having issues after trying this, you might want to consider using a linter like pylint or flake8. They can catch a lot of these subtle syntax problems before they become runtime errors. Good luck with your bot!