Node.jsDiscord.jsDeploy5 min read

Deploy Discord bot with Node.js

Upload and run your Discord bot in Node.js with automatic restart and persistent logs.

Prerequisites

VPS or Discord Bot hosting plan at Baires Host
Your bot token from the Discord Developer Portal
Bot code ready to deploy
SSH access to your server

Step 1: Install Node.js with nvm

bash
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 20
nvm use 20
node --version

Step 2: Install PM2

PM2 keeps your bot running 24/7 with automatic restarts:

bash
npm install -g pm2

Step 3: Upload your bot code

Option A - Clone from Git:

bash
mkdir -p /opt/bots
cd /opt/bots
git clone https://github.com/youruser/your-bot.git
cd your-bot
npm install --production

Option B - Upload via SCP:

bash
# From your local machine
scp -r ./your-bot deploy@YOUR_IP:/opt/bots/

Step 4: Configure environment variables

Create a .env file for sensitive data:

bash
nano .env

env
DISCORD_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
GUILD_ID=your_test_guild_id
PREFIX=!
NODE_ENV=production

Important: Never commit your .env file to Git. Add it to .gitignore.

Step 5: Start with PM2

bash
pm2 start src/index.js --name "my-bot"
pm2 save

Or with an ecosystem file for more control:

bash
nano ecosystem.config.js

javascript
module.exports = {
  apps: [{
    name: 'my-bot',
    script: './src/index.js',
    env: {
      NODE_ENV: 'production'
    },
    max_memory_restart: '300M',
    restart_delay: 5000,
    max_restarts: 10,
    log_date_format: 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss',
    error_file: './logs/error.log',
    out_file: './logs/output.log'
  }]
};

bash
pm2 start ecosystem.config.js
pm2 save

Step 6: Enable auto-start on boot

bash
pm2 startup systemd
# Run the command it outputs
pm2 save

Step 7: Create a deploy script

Automate updates:

bash
nano deploy.sh

bash
#!/bin/bash
echo "Pulling latest changes..."
git pull origin main

echo "Installing dependencies..."
npm install --production

echo "Restarting bot..."
pm2 restart my-bot

echo "Deploy complete: $(date)"
pm2 status

bash
chmod +x deploy.sh

Alternative: systemd service

If you prefer systemd over PM2:

bash
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/discord-bot.service

ini
[Unit]
Description=Discord Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
User=deploy
WorkingDirectory=/opt/bots/your-bot
ExecStart=/home/deploy/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin/node src/index.js
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
EnvironmentFile=/opt/bots/your-bot/.env

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable discord-bot
sudo systemctl start discord-bot

Useful PM2 commands

bash
pm2 status           # View all processes
pm2 logs my-bot      # View real-time logs
pm2 logs my-bot --lines 100  # Last 100 lines
pm2 restart my-bot   # Restart
pm2 stop my-bot      # Stop
pm2 monit            # Real-time dashboard

Troubleshooting

Bot goes offline: Check pm2 logs for errors
Memory issues: Set max_memory_restart in ecosystem config
Token invalid: Verify your .env file and regenerate the token if needed
Missing intents: Ensure you've enabled required intents in the Developer Portal

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