A Discord bot that integrates with CustomGPT's API to answer questions using your agent's knowledge base.

More information on GitHub - https://github.com/Poll-The-People/customgpt-integrations

Get you CustomGPT.ai RAG API key here, needed to use this integration.

Features

AI-Powered Responses: Uses CustomGPT's API to provide intelligent answers
Conversation Memory: Maintains context within Discord channels
Starter Questions: Interactive buttons for common questions
Source Citations: Shows sources for answers when available
Rate Limiting: Prevents abuse with configurable limits
Security: Channel and role-based access control
Pagination: Handles long responses elegantly
Real-time: Typing indicators and responsive UI

Setup Instructions

1. Prerequisites

Python 3.8 or higher
Discord Bot Token (Create a bot here)
CustomGPT API Key and Agent ID (Get from CustomGPT)

2. Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd discord

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Copy environment variables
cp .env.example .env

3. Configuration

Edit .env file with your credentials:

# Required
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token
CUSTOMGPT_API_KEY=your_customgpt_api_key
CUSTOMGPT_AGENT_ID=your_agent_id

# Optional (defaults shown)
DISCORD_COMMAND_PREFIX=!
RATE_LIMIT_PER_USER=10
RATE_LIMIT_PER_CHANNEL=30

4. Discord Bot Setup

Go to Discord Developer Portal
Create a New Application
Go to Bot section and create a bot
Copy the bot token
IMPORTANT: Enable Privileged Gateway Intents:
- Scroll down to "Privileged Gateway Intents"
- Toggle ON the "MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT" (Required for the bot to read messages)
- Click "Save Changes"
Go to OAuth2 > URL Generator
Select scopes: bot, applications.commands
Select permissions: Send Messages, Embed Links, Read Message History, Use Slash Commands
Use the generated URL to invite the bot to your server

5. Running Locally

python bot.py

Deployment Options

Option 1: Railway (Recommended - Free Tier Available)

Install Railway CLI:

npm install -g @railway/cli

Deploy:

railway login
railway init
railway up

Set environment variables in Railway dashboard

Option 2: Fly.io (Free Tier Available)

Install Fly CLI:

curl -L https://fly.io/install.sh | sh

Deploy:

flyctl launch
flyctl deploy
flyctl secrets set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=xxx CUSTOMGPT_API_KEY=xxx CUSTOMGPT_AGENT_ID=xxx

Option 3: Replit (Free with Limitations)

Create new Python repl on Replit
Upload all files
Set environment variables in Secrets tab
Run the bot
Use UptimeRobot to keep it alive

Option 4: Heroku (No longer free)

See heroku/ directory for Heroku-specific files.

Option 5: VPS (Self-hosted)

Use systemd service (see discord.service file)
Or use Docker (see Dockerfile)

Bot Commands

!ask [question] - Ask a question to the CustomGPT agent
!help - Show interactive help menu
!info - Display agent information
!starters - Show starter questions with buttons
!reset - Reset conversation in current channel

Advanced Configuration

Rate Limiting

Configure in .env:

RATE_LIMIT_PER_USER: Queries per minute per user
RATE_LIMIT_PER_CHANNEL: Queries per minute per channel
REDIS_URL: Optional Redis URL for distributed rate limiting

Access Control

Configure in .env:

ALLOWED_CHANNELS: Comma-separated channel IDs
ALLOWED_ROLES: Comma-separated role IDs

Redis Setup (Optional)

For distributed rate limiting across multiple bot instances:

Free Redis: Redis Cloud (30MB free)
Set REDIS_URL in .env

Monitoring

Check logs for errors
Monitor rate limit hits
Track API usage in CustomGPT dashboard

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding

Check bot token is correct
Verify bot has proper permissions
Check allowed channels/roles configuration

PrivilegedIntentsRequired Error

Go to Discord Developer Portal
Select your application > Bot section
Enable "MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT" under Privileged Gateway Intents
Save changes and restart the bot

API errors

Verify CustomGPT API key and Agent ID
Check API rate limits
Ensure agent is active

Rate limiting issues

Adjust limits in .env
Consider using Redis for better rate limiting

Security Best Practices

Never commit .env file
Use environment variables in production
Regularly rotate API keys
Monitor for unusual activity
Set appropriate rate limits
Use channel/role restrictions

Resources

CustomGPT Links

Video Tutorial

Discord Bot Setup Video

Platform Documentation

Discord.py Documentation: discordpy.readthedocs.io