What can apps do?
You will discover the full possibility of apps as you explore the documentation and start building, but for now let’s take a glance at some features you can build and integrate as you’re developing your app.Send and manage messages
Messages are a core part of Discord, and that’s true for apps too. Apps can send messages in a few ways—they can call the Create Message endpoint, create and execute webhooks, or respond with a message when responding to an interaction. Apps can also manage messages if they have the proper permissions, which is covered more in the Message documentation.Interact with users
Apps can use interactions to create more engaging and intuitive experiences for users. When sending messages, apps can send interactive components like buttons and select menus in thecomponents field. Apps can also open form-like modals or launch an Activity in response to interactions.
Build embedded games and experiences
Using the Embedded App SDK, apps can create Activities which are cross-platform interactive games and social experiences in Discord. They run in iframes in Discord, where people who play games are already hanging out.Customize servers
With the right API endpoints and proper permissions, apps can customize the experience of using and moderating servers by accessing and customizing all sorts of resources core to Discord—including users, channels, and AutoMod to name a few. Explore the Resources documentation category to learn about the different Discord resources and how apps can use them.Update user metadata and presence
Apps can update a Discord’s user metadata with data from a party game or app in a few ways. Apps can also update a user’s profile with actionable data from a game or app by integrating Rich Presence. Apps can also use role connection metadata to associate third-party metadata (like stats or account type) with Discord users, which server admins can use to set up roles based on. You can explore more in the configuring metadata for linked roles tutorial.Add premium features
App subscriptions let apps charge users and/or servers for premium functionality on a recurring basis natively within Discord. You can read more about eligibility and adding monetization features to your app in the Monetization documentation.…and more
This developer documentation is full of nooks and crannies with all sorts of features to explore. Discover the possibilities by exploring more of the docs, or by building your own app.Where are apps installed?
Discord apps can be installed in two different contexts:- Apps installed to a server (called a guild throughout the API) by a user with the Manage Server (
MANAGE_GUILD) permission. Apps installed to a server can only be used within that server and DMs with the app’s bot user, and are visible to all server members. - Apps installed to a user account. Apps installed to a user are visible only to that user, across all of their servers, DMs, and Group DMs by default.
What APIs can apps use?
There are a handful of different APIs that you can pick and choose from based on your app’s functionality and which Discord features you want to access. Below is a quick overview of the main APIs on the Discord developer platform, but you can read more details and information about API usage in the API reference.HTTP API
The HTTP API is a REST API that lets you interact and modify core Discord resources like channels, servers (or guilds), users, and messages. Use the HTTP API to:- Retrieve information about a resource
- Create, update, or delete a resource
Gateway API
The Gateway API lets you receive event data over a WebSocket anytime an event occurs in a server where your app is installed. Use the Gateway API to:- Receive events happening in Discord