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sidebar_label: Developer Policy
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# Discord Developer Policy

:::info
We’re updating our Developer Terms of Service and Developer Policy, effective July 8, 2024. Please review the updated Policy below and Terms [here](/docs/policies-and-agreements/developer-terms-of-service). If you access or use the APIs on or after July 8, 2024, it means you agree to the updated Policy and Terms. Until then, the current [Developer Terms of Service](https://github.com/discord/discord-api-docs/blob/e5cd463cd1412df2e55fce8ecb81e7d1ed5755b0/docs/policies_and_agreements/Developer_Terms_of_Service.md) and [Developer Policy](https://github.com/discord/discord-api-docs/blob/e5cd463cd1412df2e55fce8ecb81e7d1ed5755b0/docs/policies_and_agreements/Developer_Policy.md) will apply.
:::

## Effective date: July 8, 2024

## Last updated: June 6, 2024

*For a link to the previous policy, please see **[here](https://github.com/discord/discord-api-docs/blob/e5cd463cd1412df2e55fce8ecb81e7d1ed5755b0/docs/policies_and_agreements/Developer_Policy.md)**. For a translated version in your selected language, as available, please see **[here](https://support-dev.discord.com/hc/articles/8563934450327)**.*

Discord is a place where developers can come to build cool experiences to further the way that people connect. As Discord continues to grow and support our developers, it’s important to be transparent about the responsibilities and our expectations of developers and their Applications. This document sets forth the rules developers will need to follow to develop and operate their Applications.

## Introduction

This Discord Developer Policy is incorporated into the [Discord Developer Terms of Service](/docs/policies-and-agreements/developer-terms-of-service) (“Developer Terms”), and you agree that it applies to your access to and use of our APIs in addition to the Developer Terms and other Terms. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein (including “API Data” and “Application”) have the meaning assigned to them in the Developer Terms. For clarity, the term “including” as used herein means “including without limitation.”

As described in the Developer Terms (including Section 9), we may take enforcement actions for any Enforcement Reason, including if we believe you or your Application have violated this Developer Policy. If you come across an Application that you believe violates any of these policies, [please report it to us](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/requests/new).

Please check back here regularly, as we may update these policies from time to time, and your continued access to or use of the APIs after such updates go into effect means you accept and agree to them. Additional terms and policies may also apply to your access to or use of certain APIs (including as described in or available via our [Developer Portal](/docs/intro) or [Help Center](https://support-dev.discord.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000656491)).

## Monetization Requirements

All Applications attempting to monetize through our services must abide by Discord’s [Monetization Terms](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/5330075836311) and [Monetization Policy](https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/10575066024983).

Beginning on October 7, 2024, in regions where Discord supports monetization through its Premium Apps products, all developers who offer paid features or capabilities for their Application will be required to:

- (i) support purchase of such features or capabilities through Discord’s Premium Apps products; and, 
- (ii) offer such features or capabilities at prices on Discord that are no higher than the prices at which they are offered through other payment options.

“Paid features or capabilities” can include things like subscriptions to your Application, access to certain features or content, one-time purchases, recurring subscriptions, and more. Only paid features or capabilities that are offerings supported by Discord’s Premium Apps products will be subject to these requirements. As new types of offerings are supported via Discord’s Premium Apps products, developers will be given a reasonable period of time to implement them into their Application, if applicable.

## Protect Discord users

**1. Do not modify a Discord user’s account without explicit permission from the Discord user.** Functionality that intends to make any changes to a Discord account (e.g., adding the account to a server) must clearly and properly inform the Discord account owner of the changes and receive explicit permission to enact the changes.

**2. Do not initiate processes on a user or server’s behalf without first obtaining their permission.** The manner of providing the option for permission must be clearly labeled and apparent, and contain an accurate description of the purpose or feature being enabled.

**3. Do not enable your Application to bypass or circumvent Discord’s privacy, safety, and/or security features.** Your Application must respect user decisions to opt out of or block the Application, as applicable. Your Application must respect users’ ability to remove the Application from spaces (e.g., servers or channels) where it is present.

**4. Do not collect, solicit, or deceive users into providing passwords or other credentials.** Under no circumstances may you or your Application request or attempt to obtain login credentials from Discord users. This includes information such as passwords or account access or login tokens.

**5. Do not contact users on Discord without their explicit permission.** This includes frequently sending unsolicited direct messages and/or sending direct messages not directly related to maintaining or improving an Application's functionality.

**6. Do not target users with advertisements or marketing.** Messaging to Discord users from any Application or developer team should be relevant to the function of the Application and may not contain material unrelated to an Application’s function or information.

**7. Do not contact users outside of Discord without their explicit permission.** You should not contact Discord users outside of the Discord platform using API Data (including any data obtained, disclosed, or inferred through the use of your Application).

## Respect Our Platform Rules
**8. Do not use the APIs for any dangerous or illegal activity.** This includes, but is not limited to, activities that facilitate or promote:

- Risks to physical safety;
- Environmental damage; 
- Financial scams; or,
- Illegal online gambling.

**9. Do not direct your Application to people who are under the age of 13 or the minimum age required by the laws in their applicable countries.** As described in our [Terms of Service](https://discord.com/terms#2), our services are only for people who are at least 13 years old and meet the minimum age required by the laws in their applicable countries.
- Additionally, you will ensure your Application is properly rated based on its content (e.g., game ratings), as required by applicable laws or otherwise requested by Discord, and will display such ratings in a manner that is clear and visible to users prior to their authorization or use (e.g., in your Application's profile).

**10. Do not use the APIs in any way to violate, or to enable or promote others to violate, the [Discord Community Guidelines](https://dis.gd/guidelines).** As described in the Developer Terms, you are responsible for ensuring that your Application is not used to violate any of the Terms. We will take into consideration the abundance, explicit negligence, and intentional enabling of violating behavior when assessing appropriate enforcement. Prohibited behaviors and activities include, but are not limited to, those that:
- Enable the digital creation of illegal media (e.g., child-harm content, non-consensual pornography);
- Distribute adult content to users under the age of 18, or without age-restricted labels (where applicable) to users ages 18 and older; or,
  - Unless your Application is labeled as age-restricted, you will make sure your Application is appropriate for users under the age of 18 and complies with all applicable laws (including those applicable to users under the age of 18).
- Enable, promote, or organize any type of on- or off-platform harassment.

**11. Do not display, post, or promote violent or violent extremist content, messages, or images.** This includes the fields in an Application’s Settings page in the Discord Developer Portal.

**12. Do not impersonate other Applications, Discord employees or partners, or Discord services.** This includes deception via your and your Application’s account and identity. Note that we allow clearly labeled satire, parody, and fan accounts.

**13. Do not misrepresent or fraudulently manipulate engagement.** This includes participating in, enabling, or promoting the inflation of server membership with bot or user accounts. This also includes automating messages to be sent for the purpose of maintaining activity in a Discord server.

**14. Do not evade permanent Discord-level enforcement actions.** Developers of Applications removed for violating our Developer Policy may not recreate the same or substantially similar Applications.

In addition to the rules above, developers must: (1.) provide users of their Application with a way to report issues or violations relating to the Application or its use (including violations of our platform rules and other Terms); and, (2.) review such reports and take appropriate action. 

Additionally, developers should use commercially reasonable efforts to make themselves available for feedback or user support regarding their Application.

## Handle Data with Care

**15. Do not use API Data for any purpose outside of what is necessary to provide your stated functionality.** You may not request, access, or use API Data for any purpose other than as necessary to provide your Application’s stated (and approved through App Review, as applicable) functionality; provided that you may also use API Data for the purpose of improving your Application only if it has been aggregated or de-identified such that it cannot be associated with, or used to identify, any individual.

**16. Do not use API Data to:** profile Discord users, their identities, or their relationships with other users; to discriminate against anyone based on protected characteristics (as defined in our [Community Guidelines](https://dis.gd/guidelines)); or, for eligibility considerations for benefits or for purposes such as employment, housing, insurance, or otherwise.
Furthermore, you may not, and may not use your Application to, obtain API Data or transmit data to Discord (i) of persons under the age of 13 or the minimum age required by law in their jurisdiction (if older) or (ii) that includes protected health information, financial information, or other sensitive information under applicable law, except to the extent specifically allowed by our Terms for a given Discord service or if necessary to process a financial transaction as enabled by a Discord service.

**17. Do not disclose API Data to data brokers, advertising networks or services, or any other monetization-related service.**

**18. Do not sell, license, or otherwise commercialize API Data or any of Discord’s services (as defined in our [Terms of Service](https://discord.com/terms), e.g., Nitro subscriptions).**

**19. Do not attempt to re-identify, de-anonymize, unscramble, unencrypt, or reverse hash or reverse engineer API Data from the form in which you obtain it.**

**20. Do not mine or scrape any data, content, or information available on or through Discord services (as defined in our Terms of Service).**

**21. Do not use message content obtained through the APIs to train machine learning or AI models (including large language models) unless express permission is granted by Discord.**

Note that we require developers to notify Discord and affected users of potential unauthorized access to API Data, as described in Section 5 of the Developer Terms.

For the avoidance of doubt, the above policies apply in addition to the terms relating to API Data described in the Developer Terms (including Section 5 (User Privacy and Security)), and use of data includes how you access, collect, store, retain, transmit, share, and otherwise process it.

## API Limits
As described in the [Developer Terms](/docs/policies-and-agreements/developer-terms-of-service), Discord may set and enforce limits on your use of the APIs (e.g., by limiting the number of API requests that you may make, or the number of users you may serve) at our sole discretion. You agree to, and will not attempt to circumvent, such limitations we set for each API.

If you would like to use any API beyond these limits, you must obtain Discord’s express written consent. Discord may, at our discretion, decline such request or condition acceptance on your agreement to additional terms and/or charges for such use.