Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Discord skill for AI agents: setup and examples
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
This guide explains the Discord agent skill from the spinabot/brigade project, which teaches an AI agent to work with Discord servers through a general message tool. It is written for readers who have not used agent skills before. By the end you will know what the skill lets the agent do, how to install it, how to ask for things in plain language, and which safety limits to keep in mind.
Discord Operations via Message Toolspinabot/brigade · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it so SKILL.md sits in a skill folder.
- 2Place the skill folder. Move the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or .claude/skills/ for a single project, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Configure the bot token. Set your Discord bot token at channels.discord.token in the Brigade configuration.
- 4Collect channel and server IDs. Note the channelId, guildId and messageId values you want the agent to use.
- 5Enable gated actions if needed. Turn on any channels.discord.actions options you need, such as roles or moderation, only after deciding they are appropriate.
- 6Ask in plain language. Request a Discord task, naming the channel or server and giving IDs where possible.
- 7Check the result. Look at the message or poll in Discord to confirm the agent did what you asked.
What the Discord skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent instructions for one kind of task. This skill covers Discord operations. Instead of a Discord-specific tool, the agent uses a general message tool with channel set to discord.
Once installed, the agent knows the request formats for sending messages (including files, polls and rich layouts), reading recent messages, editing or deleting messages, reacting, pinning, creating threads and searching.
- Send messages, optionally with a file attachment or silently (no notification)
- Read recent messages from a channel
- Edit or delete a specific message
- Add a reaction, pin a message, or create a thread from a message
- Create polls and search messages within a server
Install the Discord skill (ZIP or Claude apps)
Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it. For a personal setup, place the unzipped skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
In the Claude apps you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
The skill's only file is SKILL.md, so after unzipping you should see that file inside the skill folder.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: .claude/skills/ inside the project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Set up the requirements before you use it
The skill needs the Brigade agent framework with the message tool, a Discord bot token configured at channels.discord.token, and the Discord channel and server (guild) IDs you want the agent to target. Without a configured bot token the skill will not work.
Some actions are gated by configuration under channels.discord.actions. The source says roles, moderation, presence and channels default to off, so an admin must turn them on deliberately.
- Brigade agent framework with the message tool
- Discord bot token at channels.discord.token
- Channel and server (guild) IDs for targeting
- Optional accountId if you use multiple accounts
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Ask the agent for a Discord task in plain language and name the channel or server. The agent should pick the right message action and fill in the IDs it needs.
Give explicit IDs where you can. The source recommends guildId, channelId, messageId and userId over guesses, because they make each action unambiguous.
- "Post the release announcement in channel 123 and keep it silent."
- "Start a poll in channel 123: lunch options pizza, sushi or salad, open for 24 hours."
- "Read the last 20 messages in channel 123 and summarise them."
- "Pin message 456 in channel 123."
- "Search server 999 for messages about release notes."
Action examples you can copy from
Each action is a JSON request to the message tool. The examples below come from the skill. Sending to a channel uses to set to channel:<id>; actions on a specific message use channelId plus messageId.
For a poll, pollQuestion and pollOption are required fields in the example, and pollDurationHours sets how long it stays open.
{"action": "poll", "channel": "discord", "to": "channel:123", "pollQuestion": "Lunch?", "pollOption": ["Pizza", "Sushi", "Salad"], "pollMulti": false, "pollDurationHours": 24}Formatting rules the agent follows
The skill sets house rules for how messages look in Discord. Avoid Markdown tables in outbound Discord messages. Mention users in the form <@USER_ID>.
For rich layouts, the skill prefers Discord components v2 (components). Legacy embeds are used only when necessary. Do not combine components with embeds, because Discord rejects v2 combined with embeds, and embeds are ignored when components v2 are present.
- No Markdown tables in Discord messages
- Mention users as <@USER_ID>
- Use components for rich UI; embeds only when required
- Never send components and embeds in the same message
Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs no scripts. It uses the network, because it sends requests to Discord through your configured bot token.
Moderation, role changes and presence changes are gated and can affect real members. The skill's own 'not for' guidance says to avoid these on a live server without close human review. Review every destructive action (delete, edit, moderation) before it runs, and keep your bot token private.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes
- Keep channels.discord.token private
- Review moderation and role actions by a human first
What people use it for
- Posting announcements to a community channel, optionally silently
- Running a quick poll to pick a meeting time or lunch option
- Reading recent channel messages so the agent can summarise a discussion
- Opening a thread from a bug report message for triage
- Searching a server for past release notes or decisions
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Discord agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
What do I need before the Discord skill works?
You need the Brigade agent framework with the message tool, a Discord bot token configured at channels.discord.token, and the channel and server (guild) IDs you want to target. Without the bot token the skill will not function.
Is the Discord agent skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.
Does the skill run scripts on my computer?
No. The skill runs no scripts, but it does use the network to send requests to Discord with your bot token.
Why won't the agent moderate or change roles on my server?
Roles, moderation, presence and channels actions are gated under channels.discord.actions and some default to off. An admin must enable them, and the skill advises close human review before running them on a live server.
Can the agent use this skill with multiple Discord accounts?
Yes. The skill supports an optional accountId for multi-account setups.
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Our verdict
This skill suits community or server admins who want an agent to post announcements, run polls and read or search channels, and developers building a Discord integration on the Brigade framework. It is a poor fit if you have no configured Discord bot token, or if you want an agent to make moderation or role changes on a live server without close human review. In those cases, pick a tool with direct admin controls or keep a human in the loop.
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