This guide walks you through creating a Discord bot application and obtaining your bot token.

Prerequisites

• Discord Account with verified email
• Web Browser to access Discord Developer Portal

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Access Developer Portal

Visit the Discord Developer Portal

Log in with your Discord account if prompted.

2. Create New Application

1. Click "New Application" (top right)
2. Enter a name for your bot (e.g., "Tux" or "My Server Bot")
3. Accept the Developer Terms of Service
4. Click "Create"

3. Configure General Information

On the General Information tab:

• Name: Your bot's name
• Description: Brief description of what your bot does
• Icon: Upload a bot avatar (optional)
• Tags: Add relevant tags (optional)

Click "Save Changes" at the bottom.

4. Create Bot User

1. Navigate to the "Bot" tab in the left sidebar
2. Click "Add Bot"
3. Confirm by clicking "Yes, do it!"

5. Get Your Bot Token

1. In the Bot tab, find the Token section
2. Click "Reset Token" (or "Copy" if first time)
3. Confirm the action if prompted
4. Copy the token immediately and save it securely

6. Configure Bot Settings

Still in the Bot tab:

Public Bot

• Uncheck "Public Bot" if you only want to use it in your servers
• Check if you want others to be able to invite it

Requires OAuth2 Code Grant

• Leave unchecked (not needed for most bots)

Presence Intent

• Check if you need to track user presence (for status roles feature)

Server Members Intent

• Check - Required for Tux to see guild members

Message Content Intent

• Check - Required for prefix commands and message processing

7. Configure OAuth2

Navigate to "OAuth2" → "URL Generator":

Select Scopes

• ☑️ bot - Basic bot functionality
• ☑️ applications.commands - Slash commands

Select Bot Permissions

Essential Permissions:

• ☑️ Read Messages/View Channels
• ☑️ Send Messages
• ☑️ Send Messages in Threads
• ☑️ Embed Links
• ☑️ Attach Files
• ☑️ Read Message History
• ☑️ Add Reactions
• ☑️ Use External Emojis

Moderation Permissions:

• ☑️ Manage Messages (for purge)
• ☑️ Kick Members
• ☑️ Ban Members
• ☑️ Moderate Members (for timeouts)
• ☑️ Manage Roles (for jail system)

Advanced (Optional):

• ☑️ Manage Channels (for temp VC)
• ☑️ View Audit Log (for enhanced tracking)

Copy the generated URL - you'll use this to invite your bot later.

What You'll Need

From the Developer Portal, you need:

Bot Token

Found in: Bot tab → Token section

Your token looks like:
MTIzNDU2Nzg5MDEyMzQ1Njc4OQ.GHIJK.aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ1234567890

Save this in your .env file:

BOT_TOKEN=your_token_here

Client ID

Found in: General Information tab → Application ID

Used for:

• Generating invite URLs
• OAuth2 flows

Client Secret

Found in: OAuth2 tab → Client Secret

Usually not needed for basic bot deployment.

Security Best Practices

Token Storage

✅ Do:

• Store in .env file (git-ignored)
• Use environment variables
• Secure file permissions (600)
• Use secrets management in production

❌ Don't:

• Commit to Git
• Share publicly
• Hardcode in source
• Share in Discord/support channels

Token Compromise

If your token is leaked:

1. Immediately reset token in Developer Portal
2. Update your .env file with new token
3. Restart your bot
4. Review recent bot activity for suspicious actions
5. Consider security review

Regenerating Token

To reset your token:

1. Go to Bot tab
2. Click "Reset Token"
3. Confirm the action
4. Copy new token
5. Update your configuration
6. Restart bot

Permission Calculator

Use Discord's permission calculator to generate permission integers:

1. Visit Discord Permissions Calculator
2. Select required permissions
3. Copy the permission integer
4. Use in invite URL: &permissions=YOUR_NUMBER

For Tux, recommended permissions integer: 1099511627775

Invite URL Template

https://discord.com/api/oauth2/authorize?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&permissions=1099511627775&scope=bot%20applications.commands

Replace YOUR_CLIENT_ID with your Application ID.

Troubleshooting

Can't Create Application

Cause: Account not verified or restrictions

Solution:

• Verify your email address
• Check account standing
• Try different browser

Token Reset Doesn't Work

Cause: Browser cache or Discord issue

Solution:

• Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R)
• Clear browser cache
• Try different browser
• Wait a few minutes and try again

Bot Shows Offline After Token Reset

Cause: Didn't update .env with new token

Solution:

1. Copy new token from Developer Portal
2. Update BOT_TOKEN in .env
3. Restart bot: docker compose restart tux

"Invalid Token" Error

Cause: Token is wrong, expired, or malformed

Solution:

• Verify token is copied correctly (no spaces)
• Check for extra characters
• Reset token and try again
• Verify it's the BOT token, not client secret

Next Steps

Once you have your bot token:

1. Set Up Database - Configure PostgreSQL
2. Configure Environment Variables - Create .env file
3. Deploy Tux - Choose deployment method
4. Invite bot to your server using the OAuth2 URL

Related Documentation

• Environment Variables - Using the bot token
• Security Best Practices - Protecting your token
• Deployment Guide - Deploying Tux

Next: Set up your database →