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When two Discord pages appear to disagree about bot rules, don’t assume either is lying. Identify the exact claim, then compare each page’s date, scope and purpose. Discord’s Developer Terms incorporate its developer documentation, Developer Policy, general Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and other applicable policies or guidance, so the answer depends on the issue—not just which page looks more formal. If applicable current sources still conflict after that comparison, preserve the conflict and ask Discord for clarification rather than guessing.
How to resolve an apparent conflict between Discord pages
- Write down the precise claim. Note the feature, API, data type, account type or user action at issue. A rule about privileged intents, for example, may not apply to every bot.
- Identify each page’s purpose. Terms establish obligations; the Developer Policy states developer rules; API documentation explains implementation; help-center articles explain controls or a particular process; announcements describe changes. An implementation note should not be treated as a general exception to a policy.
- Check dates and status. Record publication, effective and update dates where shown. Discord’s Developer Policies + Terms index separates current documents from archived versions, including material from 2022, 2020 and 2017. A page remaining accessible does not make it current.
- Compare scope and transition language. Check which apps, users, data or API behavior a page covers, and whether a newer source gives an effective date, notice period, grandfathering or application window.
- Keep unresolved conflicts unresolved. If two current, applicable sources still cannot be reconciled, quote or summarize both with their dates and request clarification. The reviewed Discord sources do not establish an official automated precedence algorithm for every dispute.
For the specific case of privileged-intent access, Discord’s June 2026 announcement and its more operational help article agree on the new threshold and review process. That is a transition the sources explain explicitly, rather than evidence that one page is lying.
What Discord’s 2026 privileged-intent change says
Discord’s help-center guidance, dated June 11, 2026, says review is now tied to the number of unique users who can access an app across all servers where it is installed. An app below 10,000 users may continue using the Developer Portal toggle; once it reaches 10,000 users, its owner must apply for privileged-intent access.
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- Discord notifies the owner and provides 90 days to submit an application. Missing that window results in removal of access, although the developer can apply later.
- Apps that were already granted access through review must reapply annually after notification, with the same 90-day application window.
- An app may continue growing while an application is under review. Previously reviewed access remains active while the developer submits and completes the review on time.
- The help article says the data provided by each privileged intent did not change; the review threshold and renewal process changed.
The article describes the former self-service threshold as fewer than 100 servers, with review required at 100 or more. That is the prior rule as described in the change notice, not current guidance. Discord’s June 10, 2026 blog announcement gives the broader context and says most apps do not use the affected information and continue working. The help-center article is the more detailed source for application timing and process.
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What Discord’s policy says about bot data and AI
The Discord Developer Policy limits API Data use to what is needed for an app’s stated functionality, and to approved functionality where App Review applies. It allows application improvement only when data is aggregated or de-identified so it cannot be associated with or used to identify an individual.
Rule 21 states: “Do not use message content obtained through the APIs to train machine learning or AI models (including large language models) unless express permission is granted by Discord.” This restriction specifically concerns message content obtained through Discord APIs and training; it should not be broadened beyond the policy’s wording.
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The policy also prohibits scraping content available on or through Discord and disclosing API Data to data brokers, advertising networks or other monetization-related services. It defines API Data use broadly to include access, collection, storage, retention, transmission, sharing and other processing.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe Developer Terms add data-handling duties: developers must promptly update API Data when Discord or the applicable user requests it, and promptly delete data when it is no longer needed for permitted functionality, the app stops operating, Discord or the user requests deletion, or the law requires it. The Terms recognize an exception when applicable law or regulation requires retention.
Bot users, user accounts and application commands are not interchangeable
Discord’s OAuth2 documentation describes bot users as accounts dedicated to automation and says developers must not automate standard user accounts outside the OAuth2/bot API. A self-bot tutorial or an old workaround is not equivalent to the supported bot flow.
A bot user is not required for every app. Discord’s application-command documentation says an app can request the applications.commands scope independently. If the app does not need a bot user in a guild, it does not need to add the bot scope or a bot permission bitfield just to make those commands work.
Command-permission operations also depend on the credential and permissions used: updating command permissions requires a user with sufficient permissions and a Bearer token. Using a bot token for that operation produces an error.
How users can check what a bot can access
Users can open a bot’s profile in Discord’s desktop or browser app and inspect its Data Access tab. Discord’s guide to bot data access visibility lists examples such as basic server-member profile details, roles, message day and time metadata, voice-channel and voice-state metadata, reactions, and a user’s selected language. Users can also consult the bot developer’s terms and policies; the access information may change over time.
Which Discord pages to compare
| Page type | What it helps establish | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Developer Terms and Developer Policy | Developer obligations and platform-wide rules | Effective date, update date, exact rule and any stated exception |
| API documentation | How a feature or API is implemented | Specific endpoint, scope, credential and feature covered |
| Help-center guidance | Operational steps, controls or review processes | Who the process applies to, dates, thresholds and deadlines |
| Blog announcement | Why a change is happening and its broad timing | Whether a detailed policy or help article supplies the actual steps |
| Archived policy or terms | What an earlier rule said | Whether the page is explicitly archived and whether a current source replaced it |
The Developer Policy and Developer Terms state an effective date of July 8, 2024, and a last-updated date of June 6, 2024. For a live compliance decision, check the current policy index and Developer Portal notices, since rules and access processes can change.
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