Discord nodes — semantics for the agent (read before wiring graphs)

These rules prevent common runtime failures. get_extension_schema is authoritative for exact config / input field names and types; this file explains what IDs mean and which node to pick.

Interaction Protocol Requirements ⚠️

CRITICAL: Certain Discord triggers impose strict timing requirements on how you respond. Violating these causes "The application did not respond" or "interaction failed" errors, even if your other actions succeed.

First response nodes (interaction triggers only)

These count as acknowledging the interaction (Interactions API). Pick one as the first action after the trigger:

discord_send_message, roles, bans, HTTP, AI, etc. do not acknowledge the interaction — use them after one of the nodes above (or after defer + a node that clears defer; see below).

Rule summary

If your trigger is an interaction type (slash command, button, select menu, or modal submit):

1. First action MUST be one of the first response nodes in the table above.

2. After defer (discord_defer_interaction), you must complete the deferred response or Discord keeps "thinking" for up to ~15 minutes:

   • discord_respond_to_interaction or discord_edit_interaction_response — replaces the thinking message (preferred)
   • discord_followup_message — first use after defer edits that placeholder; later uses are additional messages
   • If the graph only posts via discord_send_message, the runtime removes the orphan thinking indicator when the automation finishes

3. After the interaction is acknowledged, you may use any other action (discord_send_message, moderation, variables, HTTP, etc.).

4. NEVER use discord_send_message alone as the first action after an interaction trigger.

Why This Matters

Discord's interaction model uses two separate APIs:

• Interactions API: interaction.reply() / deferReply() — must be called within ~3 seconds
• Messages API: posting to channels via channelId

Your discord_send_message node uses the Messages API. It can post text to a channel successfully, but Discord still shows "interaction failed" because the interaction was never acknowledged.

Common Pattern

[Slash Command /hello]  →  [Interaction Response]
                              responseType: reply
                              content: "Hello! You ran /hello"
                              ephemeral: false

Do NOT do this:

[Slash Command /hello]  →  [Send message]  ← WRONG! Interaction not acknowledged
                              channelId: {{outputs.trigger.channel.id}}

For slow operations (AI, database, etc.)

[Slash Command]  →  [Defer interaction]  →  ... your work ...  →  [Respond to interaction]

Use Respond to interaction (or Edit interaction response) after defer — not only Follow-up message on its own, unless it is the first message after defer (that node edits the thinking placeholder when deferred).

Always check get_extension_schema for handlerConfig.interactionProtocol metadata when using interaction-based triggers.

Messaging

Rule of thumb: If the user says “DM”, “private message”, “welcome them personally”, or “not in the server chat”, plan discord_send_message for the public welcome channel and discord_send_dm for the direct message — not two discord_send_message nodes with mixed id types.

Moderation / guild (typical inputs)

• discord_add_role / discord_remove_role: guildId, userId, roleId
• discord_ban_member: check schema for deleteMessageDays vs seconds in API; use get_extension_schema
• discord_timeout_member: schema uses duration (milliseconds), not durationMs, unless the schema says otherwise — always confirm with get_extension_schema

Multiple TRIGGER nodes on one automation

The graph can include more than one TRIGGER node (e.g. Message Create + Message Reaction Remove). The Discord gateway dispatches each gateway event to every trigger whose definition matches that event; execution begins at that node’s id (triggerNodeId). The automation.trigger field is still the designated primary for defaults — it does not forbid extra trigger nodes.

Triggers vs actions

• Trigger nodes only need to match the gateway event; payload shape is in trigger outputs / discordTriggerData.
• Action nodes perform API calls; wrong id types produce 4xx errors that look generic in logs — cite channelId vs userId when explaining fixes.

Debugging “Unknown Channel” (10003)

1. Confirm the node is discord_send_message and channelId is copied from a channel id (Developer Mode in Discord), not a user id, guild id, or role id.
2. If the intent was a DM, replace the node with discord_send_dm and map userId from the trigger’s user.id / member.id.

Extensions on the bot

• install_extension / uninstall_extension — use the same extensionName as in the catalog (list_extensions). After swapping extensions, validate_automation again (graph must not reference an uninstalled extension). Prefer get_extension_schema before changing nodes.