---
id: discord-py
version: "2.7.1"
license: The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2015-present Rapptz Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# discord.py — A Python wrapper for the Discord API

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 6.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

discord.py is a modern, async-first Python library that wraps the Discord API, allowing developers to build bots and client applications that interact with Discord servers, channels, messages, and users. It uses Python's async/await syntax for non-blocking I/O and includes built-in rate-limit handling and memory optimization. The library supports both simple client-based interactions and more complex bot frameworks via its commands extension.

The package depends on aiohttp for HTTP requests and audioop-lts for optional voice support. It is actively maintained, supports Python 3.8 through 3.12, and has a large user base. Installation is straightforward via pip, with optional voice features available through an extra dependency (PyNaCl). The library is production-stable and suitable for building anything from simple command bots to complex Discord applications.

Use it for:

- Build a Discord bot that responds to commands and automates server moderation or management tasks.
- Create a bot that monitors channels, reacts to messages, or sends notifications based on server events.
- Develop a custom Discord client application that interacts with the API for data collection or analytics.
- Implement voice channel features such as audio playback or recording in a Discord bot.
- Integrate Discord notifications into an external application or workflow.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

discord.py is an async-ready Python wrapper for the Discord API that lets you build bots and client applications to interact with Discord servers, channels, and users.

Yes. discord.py is a mature, actively maintained library with low install friction, permissive licensing, no known vulnerabilities, and strong community support. It is the standard choice for Python-based Discord bot development. Install it if you need to build Discord bots or integrate Discord API functionality into a Python application.

## Install

pip install discord-py
uv add discord-py
poetry add discord-py

## Installing discord.py

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-wheel distribution. Actively maintained with recent commits and a large community (16135 stars). Requires Python 3.8 or higher; voice support optionally depends on aiohttp and audioop-lts at runtime.

License in practice: MIT License permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for commercial and private projects alike.

Quickstart:

pip install discord.py

import discord
from discord.ext import commands

bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='>', intents=discord.Intents.default())
bot.run('your_token')

Requires Python 3.8 or higher. A Discord bot token is needed to authenticate; voice support requires optional system packages (libffi-dev, python-dev on Linux).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package's rate-limit handling and memory optimizations meet specific production workload requirements.
- Performance characteristics when handling large numbers of concurrent guild connections or message events.

## Package facts

- License: The MIT License (MIT) Copyright (c) 2015-present Rapptz Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the… (full text in the JSON record) (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 6.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

discord bot library python, discord api wrapper, python discord client, async discord library, discord.py bot framework, discord server automation, python discord integration, discord-bot, async-api, api-wrapper

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