I’m working on creating a Discord bot using Python and I’m confused about how certain parts work. Here’s my current code:
# my_bot.py
import os
import discord
from dotenv import load_dotenv
load_dotenv()
bot_token = os.getenv('BOT_TOKEN')
server_name = os.getenv('SERVER_NAME')
bot = discord.Client()
@bot.event
async def on_ready():
for server in bot.guilds:
if server.name == server_name:
break
print(
f'{bot.user} has connected to server:\n'
f'{server.name} (ID: {server.id})'
)
bot.run(bot_token)
I’m really confused about what @bot.event actually does in this context. Is it some kind of event listener? Also, the on_ready function seems to have the same name in every tutorial I see. Is this a predefined function that comes with discord.py library?
@bot.event registers your function as a callback for Discord events. Think of it like subscribing to notifications.
When Discord sends an event (bot comes online), the library looks for functions with @bot.event that match the event name.
on_ready is a predefined name from Discord’s API. You have to use that exact name or Discord won’t recognize what event you’re handling. Same goes for on_message, on_guild_join, etc.
Discord bots get complex fast once you add more features—commands, database calls, scheduled tasks.
I’ve been using Latenode for automating Discord workflows. It’s drag-and-drop for integrations, connects to databases, triggers actions on schedules, and handles workflows without writing event handlers.
Way easier to maintain, and no worrying about hosting or keeping the bot online 24/7.
The decorator registers your function with Discord’s event system. When discord.py receives an event from Discord’s gateway, it calls the function you’ve decorated. You must name it on_ready exactly, as discord.py utilizes reflection to match function names with Discord events. If you use a different name, the library won’t recognize the event to handle. Understanding this has significantly aided my debugging of events that fail to trigger. Your code appears correct, but consider adding error handling for cases when the server isn’t included in your guild list.
The @bot.event decorator is essential as it tells discord.py which functions will handle specific Discord events. By registering your function with this decorator, it becomes part of the bot’s event dispatcher. Function names like on_ready need to exactly match those defined in Discord’s API. For instance, on_ready corresponds to the READY event, while on_message aligns with the MESSAGE_CREATE event. It’s important not to modify these names since discord.py relies on them to function correctly. Additionally, in your current code, if no guild matches the specified server name, the server variable might remain undefined, leading to potential errors. Incorporating appropriate error handling will enhance your code’s robustness.
totally! @bot.event is like saying “hey discord, run this func when something happens”. on_ready runs when ur bot is online. there are more like on_message, on_member_join, etc. it ties ur func to discord’s events.