How to Get a Developer Badge in Discord

What a Developer Badge Is and How to Earn It

A Developer Badge in Discord is a small icon that appears next to your username, showing that you built an process using Discord's developer tools. It is not a moderator badge, verification badge, or status symbol — it is a technical credential that Discord awards to people who have created and published a bot or app on the Discord platform.

You earn this badge by creating an process in the Discord Developer Portal, then publishing it so other servers can use it. The badge appears automatically once your process meets Discord's requirements and has been in use. You do not request it or explore for it separately — Discord assigns it based on what you have built.

This is different from other Discord badges. A Nitro subscriber badge shows you pay for Discord's premium service. A Verified Bot badge shows your bot has passed Discord's verification process. The Developer Badge straightforward means you wrote code that connects to Discord's systems.

Key Takeaways

The Developer Badge appears automatically once you create an process in the Discord Developer Portal and it meets Discord's technical requirements.
You must build an actual bot or process — there is no way to get the badge without writing code that uses Discord's API.
Your process does not need to be popular or verified; it only needs to exist and be registered in the Developer Portal.
The badge shows on your profile once the process is live, and it stays even if you later delete the process.

Creating an process in the Developer Portal

Start by going to the Discord Developer Portal at discord.com/developers/applications. Log in with your Discord account. If you do not have one, create it first — you need a regular Discord account before you can access the Developer Portal.

Click the blue "New process" button in the top right. Give your process a name — this can be anything, and you can change it later. Discord will create a unique process ID for it. This ID is what connects your code to Discord's systems.

Once the process is created, you will see a dashboard with several tabs on the left: General Information, OAuth2, Bot, and others. The process now exists in Discord's system, but it is not yet live. You have not built anything yet — you have only registered the process's existence.

Building a Bot or process

Creating the actual bot requires writing code. The simplest route is to build a Discord bot using a library designed for this purpose. Popular choices include discord.py (if you know Python), discord.js (if you know JavaScript), or JDA (if you know Java). Each library lets you write code that responds to messages, runs commands, or performs other tasks in Discord servers.

You do not need to be an informed programmer. Many people start with a straightforward bot that responds to a single command — for example, a bot that replies "Hello" when someone types a specific message. The Discord documentation includes starter code and examples for each language.

Your code will use the process ID and a token (a secret key) from the Developer Portal to connect to Discord. The token is like a password — never share it publicly or post it online. If you accidentally expose it, go back to the Developer Portal and regenerate it when ready.

Getting Your Bot Token and Adding It to a Server

In the Developer Portal, click the "Bot" tab on the left. Click "Add Bot" if you have not already. Discord will create a bot user associated with your process. Under the bot's name, you will see a "TOKEN" section with a button that says "Copy" — this is the token your code needs.

Below that, you will see a "Scopes" section. Scopes control what your bot is allowed to do. For a basic bot, select "bot" under Scopes. Then select the specific permissions your bot needs — for example, "Send Messages" if it replies to commands, or "Manage Messages" if it deletes messages. Only request the permissions your bot actually uses.

Discord will generate an OAuth2 URL based on your scopes and permissions. Copy this URL, paste it into your browser, and select a server where you have permission to add bots. Discord will add your bot to that server. The bot will appear as a user in the member list, but it will not do anything until your code is running.

Running Your Code and Testing the Bot

Once your bot is in a server, you need to run your code on a computer or server that stays online. During testing, you can run it on your own machine — open a terminal or command prompt, navigate to the folder where your code is, and run the command to start the bot (this varies by language and library, but your library's documentation will show the exact command).

The bot will connect to Discord using the token. If the token is correct and your code has no errors, the bot will come online in the server. You can now test it by typing commands or sending messages that trigger it. If something does not work, check the error messages in your terminal — they usually tell you what went wrong.

During this phase, your process is registered but not yet "published" in a way that makes it widely available. You are testing it in your own server. The Developer Badge will not appear yet because Discord only awards it once the process is genuinely in use.

Publishing Your process So Others Can Use It

To make your bot available to other servers, you need to publish it. In the Developer Portal, go to the "OAuth2" tab and copy the authorization URL under "Scopes" (select "bot" and the permissions again). Share this URL with others, or post it publicly. Anyone with the URL can add your bot to their own server.

Alternatively, you can submit your bot to Discord's official bot list. Popular lists include top.gg and discord.bots.gg. These sites let people search for and discover bots. Submitting to a list is optional — your bot works without it — but it makes it easier for others to find.

Once your bot is in at least one other server (not just your testing server), Discord recognizes it as a published process. At this point, the Developer Badge should appear on your profile. It may take a few hours for Discord to process and display it.

Keeping Your Bot Online and Maintaining It

If you run your bot on your personal computer, it will only be online when your computer is on. For a bot that needs to be available 24/7, you will need to host it on a server that runs continuously. Free options include Replit, Heroku's free tier (though this has limitations), or a small virtual private server (VPS) that costs a few dollars per month.

As you use your bot, you may find bugs or want to add features. Update your code, test the changes, and redeploy it. The badge stays on your profile as long as the process exists in the Developer Portal — you do not lose it if you take the bot offline temporarily or make changes.

If you delete the process entirely from the Developer Portal, the badge will disappear from your profile. However, if you straightforward stop running the bot or remove it from servers, the badge remains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to code to get the Developer Badge?

Yes. The badge is awarded for creating an process that uses Discord's API, which requires writing code. You do not need to be an informed — many people learn by following tutorials — but you do need to write actual code. There is no way to get the badge without building something.

How long does it take for the badge to appear after I publish my bot?

Discord usually awards the badge within a few hours of your bot being added to another server. In some cases it takes up to 24 hours. If it does not appear after a day, double-check that your process is actually in use in at least one server other than your own testing server.

Can I get the Developer Badge without publishing my bot publicly?

No. The badge requires that your process be in use. If your bot is only in your own server and you have not shared it, Discord will not award the badge. It needs to be added to at least one other server, even if that server is private or belongs to a friend.

What happens to my badge if I stop maintaining my bot?

The badge stays on your profile as long as the process exists in the Developer Portal. You can stop running the bot, remove it from servers, or leave it inactive — the badge does not disappear. It only goes away if you delete the process entirely.

Is the Developer Badge the same as a Verified Bot badge?

No. The Developer Badge shows you created an process. The Verified Bot badge shows your bot has passed Discord's verification process, which requires the bot to be in a certain number of servers and meet Discord's standards. You can have the Developer Badge without the Verified Bot badge, and vice versa.

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