Creating a Discord Bot in Python (2025) | Episode 1: Setup & Basics

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a Discord bot using Python, specifically tailored for beginners. By following these steps, you'll learn how to register your bot, set up the necessary libraries, and write your first lines of code. This foundational knowledge will prepare you for more advanced bot development.

Step 1: Register Your Bot with Discord

To start, you need to create a new application on the Discord Developer Portal.

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal.
2. Click on "New Application" in the top right corner.
3. Enter a name for your application (this will be your bot's name) and click "Create."
4. Navigate to the "Bot" tab on the left sidebar.
5. Click on "Add Bot" and confirm by clicking "Yes, do it!"
6. Note down the Token provided, as you will need it later to connect your bot to your server. Keep this token secret.

Step 2: Set Up Your Development Environment

You will need to install Python and a code editor to write your bot's code.

1. Install Python

   • For Windows, follow the guide here.
   • For Mac, follow the guide here.

2. Download Visual Studio Code

   • Go to Visual Studio Code and download the version suitable for your operating system.

3. Install Required Libraries

   • Open your terminal or command prompt.
   • Install the Discord library using pip:

     pip install discord.py
     

Step 3: Write Your First Lines of Code

Now that your environment is set up, it's time to write the code for your bot.

1. Open Visual Studio Code and create a new file named bot.py.
2. Write the following code to create a simple bot that responds to a command:

   import discord
   from discord.ext import commands
   
   # Create a bot instance
   bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='!')
   
   # Define an event for when the bot is ready
   @bot.event
   async def on_ready():
       print(f'Logged in as {bot.user}')
   
   # Define a command
   @bot.command()
   async def hello(ctx):
       await ctx.send('Hello! I am your bot.')
   
   # Run the bot with your token
   bot.run('YOUR_BOT_TOKEN')
   

   • Replace 'YOUR_BOT_TOKEN' with the token you copied earlier.

Step 4: Run Your Bot

To see your bot in action, you need to run the script.

1. Ensure you are in the directory where bot.py is saved.
2. In your terminal or command prompt, run the following command:

   python bot.py
   

3. If everything is set up correctly, you should see a message indicating that the bot is logged in.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully created your first Discord bot using Python. You learned how to register your bot, set up your development environment, and write basic code.

Next steps could include adding more commands, learning about events, or exploring Discord's API for more advanced features. Keep experimenting and expanding your bot's capabilities!