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Discord bot token
Updated Sep 18, 2026
Developer portal → application → Bot → Reset token. DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN in .env. Not the application ID.
You will leave with DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN in .env and Vercel. The application ID and public key are not the bot token. Only the bot token can log the bot in. Treat it like a password.
Step 1: Create an application
discord.com/developers/applications → New Application → name it after the repo.
Step 2: Bot token
Left nav → Bot → Reset Token / Reset. Copy it once. Discord will not show it again.
Invite the bot to a server only if this project needs a guild. OAuth2 → URL Generator → scopes bot → the permissions the project actually needs (start with none, then Message Content / Send Messages if you must). Open the URL, pick a server you own.
Step 3: Names
.env.example:
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=
DISCORD_APPLICATION_ID=
.env gets real values. Application ID is not secret; the token is. Still keep both in .env so the agent is not guessing IDs. Do not put the token on NEXT_PUBLIC_.
Vercel → same names → Production → redeploy.
A bot that stays up when the laptop lid closes is Workers, then Always-on.
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