Build a Discord Bot in Python and Host It

Writing a Discord bot in Python takes an evening. Keeping it online 24/7 takes a hosting plan. Below is the complete path: from creating the bot application to a working bot on the HostValues game panel.

Step 1: create the bot application

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal and click "New Application".
2. Give the application a name and click "Create".
3. Go to the "Bot" tab and click "Reset Token" to generate a token. Copy the token and store it safely. You only see it once.
4. Under "Privileged Gateway Intents", enable: Presence Intent, Server Members Intent and Message Content Intent.
5. Go to "OAuth2", select "bot" under Scopes and the permissions your bot needs under Bot Permissions (minimum: Send Messages, Read Message History).
6. Copy the generated URL and open it in your browser to add the bot to your server.

Step 2: the code

Create a folder with two files:

requirements.txt

discord.py>=2.5
python-dotenv

bot.py

import os
import discord
from discord.ext import commands
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

bot = commands.Bot(
    command_prefix="!",
    intents=discord.Intents.all()
)

@bot.event
async def on_ready():
    print(f"Online as {bot.user}")

@bot.command()
async def ping(ctx):
    await ctx.send(f"Pong! Latency: {round(bot.latency * 1000)}ms")

@bot.command()
async def hello(ctx):
    await ctx.send(f"Hi {ctx.author.display_name}!")

bot.run(os.getenv("DISCORD_TOKEN"))

.env

DISCORD_TOKEN=your_token_here

Test locally: pip install -r requirements.txt, then python bot.py. Type !ping in your Discord server. If it works, move on to hosting.

Step 3: host on the game panel

1. Order a Discord bot plan.
2. Upload bot.py, requirements.txt and .env via the Files tab. Do not upload the __pycache__ folder or a virtual environment.
3. In the Startup tab, set the start file to bot.py and choose Python 3.12.
4. Start the server. The panel automatically installs packages from requirements.txt.
5. In the console, "Online as BotName" appears. Your bot is now available 24/7.

Adding slash commands

Slash commands are the modern way to interact with bots. They appear in the Discord menu when you type /:

@bot.tree.command(name="info", description="Shows server information")
async def info(interaction: discord.Interaction):
    guild = interaction.guild
    await interaction.response.send_message(
        f"{guild.name} has {guild.member_count} members."
    )

# Add to on_ready:
@bot.event
async def on_ready():
    await bot.tree.sync()
    print(f"Online as {bot.user}")

The three mistakes everyone makes

• Token in the code. Put the token in a .env file, not in bot.py. A token that ends up on GitHub is automatically revoked by Discord.
• Intents not enabled. If you use discord.Intents.all() but do not tick the intents in the Developer Portal, the bot starts but responds to nothing.
• Forgotten requirements.txt. The panel cannot install packages if the file is missing. It works locally because you installed them manually.

See the Discord bot plans or a VPS if you run a website or database alongside the bot.

How much RAM does my bot need?

A simple command or moderation bot: under 256 MB. The smallest 1 GB plan is more than enough. A music bot on multiple servers: 2 GB.

Can I run multiple bots on one plan?

Yes. Use pm2 (npm install -g pm2) to run multiple Python scripts simultaneously. Three small bots fit in 1 GB.

discord.py or discord.js?

Python if you are new to programming: the syntax is more readable. JavaScript if you already have web experience or want to build a dashboard. Both libraries are actively maintained and equal in functionality.