At Wyll, we recently adopted Discord as our enterprise messaging platform, opening up the door to developing a variety of bots tailored to our specific needs. As a Python enthusiast, I naturally sought out Python libraries capable of interfacing with the Discord API.

My initial exploration led me to Discord.py, a widely used library that offers a straightforward development experience. However, after realizing its limitations in implementing slash commands, I embarked on a quest for an alternative. My search ultimately brought me to Pycord, a fork of Discord.py that introduces modern features such as asynchronous programming and improved rate limiting control.

What Is Pycord ?

Pycord is an open-source Python library specifically designed to interact with the Discord API. It offers well-documented, comprehensive features for developing powerful and customizable Discord bots. With Pycord, you can create bots to perform various tasks, such as member management, message broadcasting, data collection, and much more. An additional advantage is its native implementation of slash commands, which I will demonstrate in the tutorial.

Why Choose Pycord ?

Pycord swiftly captured my attention due to its user-friendly development process, extensive feature support, and thriving community. It served as the ideal foundation for creating our Discord bot, WOOP, meticulously designed to manage seating arrangements and lunch reservations within our open office space. WOOP’s seamless integration with Discord has streamlined our daily operations, making it an invaluable asset to our team.

Why choose Pycord, among the numerous libraries available for Discord bot development? Here are a few compelling reasons that make it an excellent choice:

1. User-Friendly

Pycord is known for its user-friendliness. Developers appreciate its comprehensive documentation and clear guides, making it easy even for beginners to create Discord bots quickly. The API is intuitive, reducing the time required to set up your bot. As the icing on the cake, its repository offers a variety of sample features from which to draw inspiration.

2. Active Community

Pycord has an active and engaged community. You can find forums, Discord servers, and online resources to get help and advice. The library is continuously evolving, with frequent updates adding new features and improving stability.

3. Customization

Pycord allows you to customize your Discord bot endlessly. You can add custom commands, create automatic responses, and develop unique features for your server. The only limit is your creativity.

4. Performance

Pycord is designed to be performant. Thanks to its efficient architecture, your Pycord bots can handle large communities effortlessly. The library is also compatible with the latest Python versions, ensuring optimal performance.

How to Get Started with Pycord?

To get started with Pycord, here are the basic steps:

Step 1: Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have Python installed on your system. You will also need a Discord account and administrative rights on a Discord server to add your bot. Personally, for practical reasons, I created my own Discord server. It’s free, so why not? Thanks to it, I was able to test all my developments almost instantly.

Step 2: Create a Discord Application

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal.
2. Enter your username and password if you are not already logged in to Discord.
3. Click “Login”
4. Click on “New Application” to create a new application.
5. Give your application a name; this name will also be your bot’s name.
6. Click “Create” to confirm.

Step 3: Create a Bot

1. In the settings of your new application, select “Bot” from the left menu.
2. Click “Add Bot” to create a bot for your application.
3. You can customize your bot’s avatar and give it a username.

Step 4: Get the Bot Token

In the “Token” section of the bot’s page, click “Copy” to copy your bot’s token. Keep this token confidential. Do not share it with anyone, and never publish it online.

Step 5: Create virtual environment

Before to get start to develop your project, I advise you to create a virtual environment with the venv module Open your terminal and run the following command to create a virtual environment

python3 -m venv .env_bot

Then, for activate this virtual environment, run:

source .env_bot/bin/activate

Step 6: Install Pycord

For install Pycord, run:

pip install py-cord

Step 7: Create the project directory

Run:

mkdir my_first_bot

Go to the directory:

cd my_first_bot

Step 8: Python Code for Your Bot

Create a Python file, for example, bot.py, and open it in your favorite code editor. Then, add the following code to configure and run your bot:

from discord import Intents, Bot, ApplicationContext

# Create an instance of the bot
bot = Bot(description="This is my first bot", intents=intents)

# Startup event
@bot.event
async def on_ready():
    print(f'Connected as {bot.user}')

# Test slash command
@bot.slash_command(
    description="Slash command description",
    name="hello"
)
async def hello(ctx: ApplicationContext):
    await ctx.respond(f"Hello {ctx.author.nick}")

# Start the bot with the token
bot.run('YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE')

Make sure to replace YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE with the token you copied in Step 4.

Step 9: Run Your Bot

Run your Python script using the following command in the terminal:

python bot.py

Your Discord bot should now connect and be ready to respond to the /hello command that we defined in our example. That’s it! You’ve created a basic Discord bot using Pycord. You can now customize and extend your bot’s features to meet the needs of your Discord server. To learn more about Pycord’s features and creating more advanced bots, check out the official Pycord documentation. Happy coding!