Skip to main content

​
From quickstart

1

Create github repo from template

Go to the quickstart repository and click on the Use this template button.
2

Install dependencies

bun install
3

Setup environment variables

Rename the .env.example file to .env and set your Discord bot token (Discord Developer Portal):
TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token
4

Start your bot

bun run start

​
From scratch

Set up a new djs-core project from scratch with complete control over your project structure.
1

Initialize your project

Create a new Bun project:
bun init
This creates a basic package.json and initializes your project structure.
2

Install dependencies

Install djs-core packages:
bun i -D @djs-core/dev
bun i @djs-core/runtime discord.js
  • @djs-core/dev is a dev dependency providing build tools and CLI commands
  • @djs-core/runtime is the runtime library containing the framework logic
  • Make sure you also have discord.js installed: bun i discord.js
3

Add scripts to package.json

Add the following scripts to your package.json:
{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "djs-core dev",
    "build": "djs-core build",
    "start": "djs-core start"
  }
}
​
dev
script
Runs the bot in development mode with hot reload - automatically restarts when files change
​
build
script
Compiles TypeScript to JavaScript in the dist/ folder for production
​
start
script
Runs the compiled bot from the dist/ folder (use after build)
4

Create configuration file

Create a djs.config.ts file in your project root:
import type { Config } from "@djs-core/dev";

if (!process.env.TOKEN) {
  throw new Error("TOKEN environment variable is required");
}

export default {
  token: process.env.TOKEN,
  servers: ["YOUR_GUILD_ID"],
} satisfies Config;
​
token
string
Your Discord bot token from the Discord Developer Portal
​
servers
string[]
Array of guild (server) IDs where commands should be registered. Use an empty array [] for global commands (takes up to 1 hour to propagate).
Never commit your bot token to version control! Store it in a .env file and add .env to your .gitignore.
5

Setup environment variables

Create a .env file in your project root:
TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token_here
Make sure to add .env to your .gitignore:
.env
node_modules/
dist/
6

Create your first command

Create the directory structure and your first command at src/interactions/commands/ping.ts:
import { Command } from "@djs-core/runtime";

export default new Command()
  .setDescription("Ping the bot")
  .run(async (interaction) => {
    await interaction.reply("Pong!");
  });
The command name is automatically derived from the file path. src/interactions/commands/ping.ts becomes /ping in Discord.
7

Start your bot

Run your bot in development mode:
bun run dev
Your bot should now be online and the /ping command should be available in Discord!
In development mode, commands are automatically registered when the bot starts. You’ll see console output indicating which commands were registered.

​
Next Steps

Now that your bot is set up, here’s what to explore next:

Project Structure

Learn about the directory structure and how to organize your bot’s code.

Commands

Create slash commands with options, autocomplete, and more advanced features.

Context Menus

Add right-click commands for users and messages.

Components

Create reusable buttons, modals, and select menus to enhance your interactions.