Section titled IntentsIntents

Intents are an important part of establishing a WebSocket connection, as they define behaviour regarding gateway events and impact received data via the REST API.

Section titled UsageUsage


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import { Client, GatewayIntentBits } from 'discord.js';
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const client = new Client({
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intents: [GatewayIntentBits.Guilds],
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});

This is the most basic usage of intents for discord.js. By specifying GatewayIntentBits.Guilds, we will receive gateway events regarding guilds. This includes receiving information about guilds as the bot starts up, such as the roles in the guild and the respective shard id.

It is recommended to set at least the GatewayIntentBits.Guilds intent for discord.js.

Tip

Let's look at another example.


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import { Client, GatewayIntentBits } from 'discord.js';
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const client = new Client({
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intents: [GatewayIntentBits.Guilds, GatewayIntentBits.GuildScheduledEvents],
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});

We've included an additional intent: GuildScheduledEvents. This intent will allow us to receive gateway events regarding scheduled events.

Imagine a scenario where we have a moderation bot that needs to listen to bans occurring in the server. It would also need to listen to messages to moderate them. The following intents would be needed:


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import { Client, GatewayIntentBits } from 'discord.js';
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const client = new Client({
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intents: [
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GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
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GatewayIntentBits.GuildModeration,
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GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
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GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
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],
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});

The GatewayIntentBits.GuildModeration intent allows us to listen for bans occurring in the server.

The last two intents are required to read messages. GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages allows us to receive gateway events for messages in a guild. However, we are unable to view the contents of the message as that is tied to a privileged intent: GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent. That's why this gateway event is specified. Read on for more details about privileged intents.

The full list of GatewayIntentBits one can specify can be found on the documentation. An explanation of what each intent does can be found on Discord's documentation.

Section titled Privileged intentsPrivileged intents

Some gateway events are considered privileged. Currently, these are:

  • GatewayIntentBits.GuildPresences
  • GatewayIntentBits.GuildMembers
  • GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent

To use these intents, you will need to enable them in the developer portal. If your bot is in over 75 guilds, you will need to verify your bot and request usage of your desired intents.

Carefully think if you need these gateway intents. They are opt-in so users across the platform can enjoy a higher level of privacy. Presences can expose some personal information, such as the games being played and overall online time. You might find that it isn't necessary for your bot to have this level of information about all guild members at all times.

Section titled Disallowed intentsDisallowed intents

Should you receive an error stating you are using disallowed intents, please review your developer dashboard settings for all privileged intents you use. Check the Discord API documentation for up-to-date information.