Resolving the 'Cannot close a running event loop' error in a Python Discord bot

Other Questions Discord bot
1

I’m working on a Discord bot using Python and I’ve run into a problem. When I try to run my code, I get an error saying ‘Cannot close a running event loop’. Here’s a simplified version of what I’m trying to do:

import discordpy

bot = discordpy.Bot()

@bot.listen()
async def handle_message(msg):
    if msg.author != bot.user and msg.content.startswith('!greet'):
        reply = f'Hey there, {msg.author.mention}!'
        await msg.channel.send(reply)

@bot.on_ready
async def startup():
    print('Bot is online')
    print(f'Name: {bot.user.name}')
    print(f'ID: {bot.user.id}')

bot.start('my_secret_token')

The error happens on the last line when I try to start the bot. Everything else seems fine, but without that line, the bot doesn’t connect to Discord. I’ve looked at other answers online, but they don’t seem to fit my situation. Any ideas on how to fix this?

2

hey finn, i had a similar issue. try using bot.run(‘my_secret_token’) instead of bot.start(). that fixed it for me. also, make sure you’re not accidentally running the script multiple times or in a loop. hope this helps!

3

I’ve dealt with this exact issue in my Discord bot projects. The problem lies in how the event loop is managed. Here’s what worked for me:

Instead of using bot.start() or bot.run(), try creating an async main function and use asyncio.run() to execute it. This approach ensures proper handling of the event loop.

Here’s a quick example of how to restructure your code:

import asyncio
import discord

async def main():
    bot = discord.Bot()
    
    # Your event handlers and other bot setup here
    
    await bot.start('your_token_here')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    asyncio.run(main())

This method worked like a charm for me and should resolve your ‘Cannot close a running event loop’ error. Just make sure you’re not running the script multiple times simultaneously, as that can also cause issues with the event loop.

4

I encountered this error before, and it’s often related to how the event loop is managed. Instead of using bot.start(), try wrapping your main code in an asyncio.run() call. Here’s how you could modify your script:

import asyncio
import discord

async def main():
    bot = discord.Bot()
    
    @bot.listen()
    async def handle_message(msg):
        # Your existing message handling code here

    @bot.event
    async def on_ready():
        # Your existing on_ready code here

    await bot.start('my_secret_token')

asyncio.run(main())

This approach ensures proper event loop handling and should resolve the ‘Cannot close a running event loop’ error. Remember to import asyncio at the top of your script.