Question 1

How do I set environment variables for my bot?

Accepted Answer

Environment variables are the correct way to store secrets like your bot token, API keys, and database credentials. Never put them directly in your code files. In the panel, open the Startup page for your server. The "Variables" section lists all configurable startup variables. Add your variable name (e.g. TOKEN) and its value. The panel injects these as environment variables when the server starts. In your code, read them using process.env.TOKEN (Node.js) or os.environ["TOKEN"] (Python). The variable is available as soon as the process starts. To add a new variable that is not listed, contact support, because some egg configurations allow arbitrary variables, others are fixed. If your egg supports it, a "Add variable" button will appear on the Startup page.

Question 2

How do I update my bot code?

Accepted Answer

Stop the server from the panel. Upload your updated files via File Manager: navigate to the folder and use the upload button, or drag and drop files. For large updates with many files, compress your project into a ZIP, upload it, and extract it using the File Manager's extract option. If you have added new dependencies (new entries in package.json or requirements.txt), the panel will re-run the install automatically on next start. Start the server and check the Console page for any errors from the updated code.

Question 3

My bot is offline or not responding: what should I check?

Accepted Answer

First check whether the server is running in the panel. If it shows as Stopped or Crashed, click Start and watch the Console page for the first 30 seconds of output. Common causes of bot failure: Missing or invalid token: if you see "An invalid token was provided" or "TokenInvalidError", your DISCORD_TOKEN environment variable is missing or has a typo. Check the Startup page variable value. Regenerate the token in the Discord Developer Portal if needed and update the variable. Missing intents: if your bot uses GuildMembers, GuildPresences, or MessageContent but has not enabled these in the Discord Developer Portal, the gateway connection will be refused. Enable the required Privileged Intents on your application's Bot page at discord.com/developers. Crash on startup: a syntax error or missing import throws an exception before the bot logs in. The Console page will show the exact error and file path. Bot connects but does not respond to commands: check that slash commands are registered and that you are in the correct guild. If you registered commands to a guild, they only appear there. If registered globally, allow up to an hour for Discord to propagate them.

Question 4

How do I set up automatic restarts for my bot?

Accepted Answer

Use the Schedules page to restart the bot on a fixed schedule, for example daily at 4am to ensure fresh credentials and clear any memory drift. Create a schedule with the cron time you want, add a "Send power action: Restart" task, and enable it. For crash recovery (restart when the bot unexpectedly exits), check whether your server egg supports the "Restart on crash" option. If it does, the setting is on the Startup page under the server configuration options. When enabled, the panel automatically restarts the process if it exits with a non-zero code.

Question 5

What Node.js and Python versions are available?

Accepted Answer

Node.js and Python versions available depend on the server egg configured for your bot. The current version in use is shown on the Startup page next to the runtime field. If you need a specific version for compatibility reasons, contact support, as we can update the egg or configure an alternative runtime if one is available.

Question 6

How do I install npm packages or Python pip dependencies?

Accepted Answer

For Node.js: list all your dependencies in package.json under the dependencies key. The panel runs npm install automatically on each startup. Do not add packages to devDependencies if they are needed at runtime; those are not installed in production mode. For Python: list dependencies in requirements.txt, one package per line with optional version pins (e.g. discord.py==2.3.2). The panel runs pip install -r requirements.txt on startup. If a package fails to install, the error appears in the Console page during startup. Common causes: a typo in the package name, a version that is not available for the current Python version, or a package that requires a system library that is not installed on the host.

Question 7

Can I use a database with my Discord bot?

Accepted Answer

SQLite works without any external service; your database file lives inside your server directory and is read/written directly by your code. It is the simplest option for a bot that does not need to share data across multiple processes. For PostgreSQL or MySQL, you will need an external database server; Zeros Host does not currently provide managed database hosting alongside Discord bot servers. Use a cloud database provider and connect via your database URL as an environment variable. Store the connection string in the DATABASE_URL startup variable and read it with process.env.DATABASE_URL or os.environ["DATABASE_URL"].

Question 8

How do I keep my bot token secure?

Accepted Answer

Your bot token is equivalent to a password. Anyone with the token can control your bot, send messages, and perform any action the bot has permission to do. Never put the token in your code files. Use the Startup page environment variables instead; it's injected directly into your process at runtime without ever appearing in your file tree. Do not commit your token to a GitHub repository. If you accidentally expose a token, go to the Discord Developer Portal immediately, open your application's Bot page, and click "Regenerate" under the token. Update the Startup variable in the panel with the new token. If your bot is behaving unexpectedly (sending messages you did not trigger, joining servers on its own), assume the token is compromised, so regenerate it immediately.

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