Why isn't my Discord bot responding to commands?

Other Questions Discord bot
1

I’m new to creating Discord bots with Python and I’m stuck. My bot just won’t react to any commands. I’ve tried everything I can think of:

  • Set up DM functions for users and roles
  • Made a simple ping-pong command
  • Enabled all intents in both code and Discord Developer Portal
  • Checked tons of online resources and videos

The weird thing is, I have an event that makes the bot reply with a random message when a specific word is said, and that works fine. But nothing else does.

Here’s a snippet of my code:

import discord
from discord.ext import commands
import random
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
TOKEN = os.getenv('DISCORD_TOKEN')
GUILD = os.getenv('DISCORD_GUILD')

intents = discord.Intents.default()
bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='!', intents=intents)

@bot.event
async def on_ready():
    print(f'{bot.user} is online and ready!')

@bot.command()
async def hello(ctx):
    await ctx.send('Hey there!')

# Rest of the code...

What am I missing? Why aren’t my commands working?

2

hey man, i had the same issue. turns out i forgot to enable message content intent in the developer portal. its not on by default. check that and make sure ur using the latest discord.py version. that fixed it for me. good luck!

3

I’ve been there, mate. Frustrating as hell when the bot just sits there like a lump. Here’s what worked for me:

First off, make sure you’ve got the message content intent enabled in your code AND in the Discord Developer Portal. Easy to miss that second part.

Also, double-check your bot’s permissions in the server. Sometimes it’s set up right but can’t actually see or respond to channels.

If that doesn’t sort it, try adding some debug prints in your command functions. Helped me figure out my commands weren’t even being triggered.

Lastly, if you’re using any libraries or dependencies, make sure they’re all up to date. An outdated package can cause all sorts of weird issues.

Keep at it - you’ll crack it eventually!

4

Have you verified that your bot is actually connected to the server? Sometimes, the bot might appear online but not be properly linked. Try adding a print statement in your on_ready event to list the servers the bot is connected to. Also, ensure you’re running the bot with the correct script - I once spent hours debugging only to realize I was running an old version of my code. Lastly, check if your commands are properly registered. If you’re using cogs, make sure they’re loaded correctly. If all else fails, try creating a new bot application and token, as sometimes the issue can be on Discord’s end.

5

I encountered a similar issue when developing my first Discord bot. Have you verified that you’ve enabled the message content intent in your code? It’s crucial for command processing. Add intents.message_content = True before initializing your bot. Also, ensure you’re using the correct token and that the bot has the necessary permissions in your server. Double-check your command prefix - sometimes a simple typo can cause commands to fail. If none of these solve the problem, consider reviewing your event loop implementation. Debugging with print statements at key points in your code can help pinpoint where the issue occurs.

6

yo, check if ur bot has the right permissions in the server. sometimes that’s the issue. also, make sure ur using the correct prefix when calling commands. if nothing else works, try recreating the bot application and getting a new token. that fixed it for me once.