How to Host a Discord Bot 24/7 (Node.js and Python)

Your bot works perfectly, right up until you close your laptop. To host a Discord bot 24/7, it has to run on a machine that never sleeps, with your code, its packages and its token in place. This guide walks through the whole setup for Node.js (discord.js) and Python (discord.py), from creating the bot to keeping it online for good.

TL;DR

• Create the bot in the Discord Developer Portal, copy its token, and invite it with the bot and applications.commands scopes.
• Run it on a small always-on server. Most bots are happy with 256 to 512 MB of memory. Music bots, dashboards and bots with a big database want 1 GB or more.
• Upload your code or connect a Git repo, set the main file, and let the server install your packages every time it starts.
• Keep the token in a .env file, never in your code or a public repo.
• Watch the console on the first start. Most errors are a missing package, a wrong file name or an intent you forgot to switch on.

Why does my Discord bot go offline?

A Discord bot is a program that keeps a connection open to Discord. When the program stops, the bot goes offline. That happens when your PC sleeps, restarts for an update or drops its Wi-Fi, and it happens on free hosting tiers that pause apps after a stretch of inactivity. If you want slash commands answered at 3 a.m. and moderation running while you sleep, the bot needs a home that stays on.

What do you need to host a Discord bot?

• A Discord application with a bot user and its token.
• Your bot's code: a JavaScript or TypeScript project using discord.js, or a Python project using discord.py.
• A list of its packages: package.json for Node.js or requirements.txt for Python.
• An always-on server. Bots are light, so you don't need much.

Step 1: Create the bot and copy its token

1. Open the Discord Developer Portal and click New Application.
2. Go to Bot, click Reset Token and copy it. Treat it like a password: anyone with the token can control your bot.
3. If your bot reads message text, tracks members or watches presences, switch on the matching Privileged Gateway Intents on the same page.
4. Go to OAuth2, open the URL generator, tick bot and applications.commands, pick the permissions your bot needs, then open the generated link to add the bot to your server.

Step 2: Pick your runtime and a plan

On BruceNode you choose Node.js or Python at checkout, and the server comes ready for that runtime.

• Micro (256 MB) runs a typical moderation or utility bot.
• Basic (512 MB) gives breathing room for a bot in a few busy servers.
• Standard (1 GB) suits music bots, bots with a database and bots with a web dashboard.
• Pro (2 GB) is for larger setups.

Plans start at $1 a month, and you can upgrade your plan from the dashboard any time your bot grows.

discord.js v14 needs Node.js 18 or newer, and discord.py 2.x needs Python 3.8 or newer. If your project needs a specific version, pick it from the Docker Image list on the Startup tab of the game panel.

Step 3: Upload your code

There are two ways to get your bot onto the server.

Upload the files. Open your server in the game panel, go to Files and upload your project. For big projects, connect with SFTP using the details on the Settings tab. Skip node_modules and any Python virtual environment: the server installs packages itself.

Deploy from Git. If your bot lives on GitHub or GitLab:

1. On the Startup tab, fill in Git Repo Address and, if you want a specific branch, the branch field (Install Branch on Node.js, Git Branch on Python). For a private repo, add Git Username and a Git Access Token with read access.
2. Set User Uploaded Files to off.
3. Make sure the Files tab is empty, then go to Settings and click Reinstall Server. The server clones your repo and installs its packages.
4. Turn on Auto Update. From then on the server runs git pull every time it starts, so shipping an update is: push, then restart.

Step 4: Set the main file and your packages

On the Startup tab:

• Node.js: set Main file to the file that starts your bot, for example index.js or dist/index.js. If there's a package.json, the server runs npm install on every start, so new dependencies install themselves. For TypeScript, the simplest route is to build to JavaScript and point Main file at the built file. Deploying from Git? Commit the built folder, or add a prepare script so npm install builds it.
• Python: set App py file to your entry point, for example bot.py. If there's a requirements.txt, the server installs it on every start. Make sure it lists discord.py.

Need one extra package without editing your project? The Startup tab has an Additional Node packages or Additional Python packages field.

Step 5: Keep your token out of your code

Never paste the token into a file you commit. Put it in a .env file instead:

DISCORD_TOKEN=your-token-here

Then load it in your code with dotenv for Node.js or python-dotenv for Python, and add .env to your .gitignore. Upload the .env file through the Files tab. A Git pull never touches it, so your token stays put between deploys.

If a token ever leaks, reset it in the Developer Portal right away and update your .env.

Step 6: Start it and read the console

Hit Start on the Console tab and watch the first few lines. The usual suspects:

• TokenInvalid or Improper token has been passed: the token is wrong or was reset. Copy a fresh one.
• Used disallowed intents or PrivilegedIntentsRequired: your code asks for an intent that isn't switched on in the Developer Portal.
• Cannot find module or ModuleNotFoundError: a package is missing from package.json or requirements.txt.
• The bot is online but ignores messages: turn on the Message Content intent in your code too (GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent or intents.message_content = True), not just in the portal.
• The bot starts, then nothing happens: check that Main file or App py file points at the right file, and that slash commands are registered for your server.

Once the console shows your bot logged in, it's online and stays online, no laptop required.

Bottom line

Hosting a Discord bot 24/7 takes three things: a token kept safe, code that installs its own packages, and a server that never sleeps. Set it up once and your bot answers commands around the clock. Discord bot hosting on BruceNode starts at $1 a month with Node.js or Python ready to go, and code BRUCE20 takes 20% off your first month.

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