5. Bot Deployment and 24/7 Operation
A Discord bot must run 24 hours a day, requiring deployment to a stable server (VPS or cloud). A local computer is not suitable.
5.1. Server Selection and Environment Setup
Common deployment options include Vultr, DigitalOcean like VPS(Virtual Private Server) or Heroku, Railway like cloud hosting services.
Install Node.js and Git on your chosen server, and then copy your bot code to the server.
5.2. Using a Process Manager (PM2)
Use PM2 (Process Manager 2) to ensure the bot automatically restarts if it crashes due to an error. PM2 runs and manages the bot in the background.
# PM2 Installation and Bot Execution
npm install pm2 -g
pm2 start index.js --name "MyDiscordBot"
pm2 save
Using PM2 maximizes the bot's stability and reduces server maintenance burden. Congratulations on your successful 24-hour bot operation!