Discord has over 200 million monthly active users, and bots are a core part of the platform experience. From server moderation with MEE6 or Dyno, to custom bots built with Discord.js or Pycord, millions of bots process user data every day. Yet the majority of Discord bot developers either have no privacy policy at all or use a vague one-paragraph statement that fails to meet legal requirements.

In 2026, this is a real problem. Discord's Developer Policy explicitly requires a privacy policy for any bot that collects user data. The platform's bot verification process checks for one. And if your bot has users in the EU, UK, California, or any of the 20+ US states with privacy laws, you have legal obligations on top of Discord's platform requirements.

Why Your Discord Bot Needs a Privacy Policy

Discord's Developer Policy Requires It

Discord's Developer Terms of Service and Developer Policy require that any application (including bots) that collects, stores, or processes user data must provide a privacy policy. This is not optional. When you submit your bot for verification — which is required once your bot reaches 75 servers — Discord reviews your privacy policy as part of the approval process. Bots without an adequate privacy policy will be rejected.

Legal Requirements Apply to Bots Too

Many bot developers assume that because they are not running a “real business” or a “real website,” privacy laws do not apply to them. This is incorrect. If your bot collects any personal data — and virtually all bots do, since Discord user IDs, usernames, and message content are all personal data under GDPR — you are a data controller with legal obligations.

The key regulations that apply to Discord bots include:

GDPR — If any of your bot's users are in the EU or UK (and unless your bot is restricted to a private server of people you know, they almost certainly are)
COPPA — Discord's minimum age is 13, but many younger users are on the platform. If your bot could interact with children under 13, COPPA applies
CCPA/CPRA — If your bot has California users and you meet the thresholds
US state privacy laws — Over 20 states now have comprehensive privacy laws that may apply

User Trust and Transparency

Server administrators increasingly evaluate bots before adding them. A clear, professional privacy policy signals that you take user data seriously. It builds trust with both server admins and the users who interact with your bot. Conversely, bots without privacy policies are increasingly viewed with suspicion, especially in larger communities.

What Data Do Discord Bots Typically Collect?

Before writing your privacy policy, you need to audit what data your bot actually collects and stores. Most bot developers are surprised by how much data their bot handles. Here are the common categories:

Data Collected Automatically

Discord user IDs — Unique numerical identifiers for each user who interacts with the bot
Usernames and display names — Current usernames at the time of interaction
Server (guild) IDs — Identifiers for the servers where the bot operates
Channel IDs — Which channels messages are sent in
Message content — If your bot reads or logs messages (requires the Message Content privileged intent)
Server member lists — If your bot uses the Server Members privileged intent
Presence data — Online status, activity, if your bot uses the Presence privileged intent
Voice state data — If your bot connects to voice channels

Data Collected Through Commands

Command inputs — Any text, options, or attachments users provide when using slash commands or message commands
Configuration preferences — Settings that server admins or users configure
Custom user data — Profiles, levels, XP, warnings, notes, or any bot-specific data tied to a user

Data Stored in Your Database

User profiles or records — Any persistent data your bot stores about users
Server configurations — Settings, prefixes, enabled features per server
Moderation logs — Warnings, bans, mutes, and associated reasons
Message logs — If your bot logs deleted or edited messages
Analytics data — Command usage statistics, error logs

Essential Sections for a Discord Bot Privacy Policy

Your privacy policy should be written in clear, plain language. Discord users are often younger and less likely to wade through dense legal jargon. Here are the sections you need:

1. Introduction and Bot Identity

State the name of your bot, who operates it (you or your organisation), and how users can contact you. If you are an individual developer, you do not need to publish your home address, but you must provide a working contact method such as an email address or a Discord server for support.

2. What Data You Collect

List every category of data your bot collects, both automatically and through user interactions. Be specific. Do not just say “we collect user data” — list the actual data types as described in the audit above. Separate the data into categories:

Data collected automatically when the bot is in a server
Data collected when users interact with the bot
Data that is stored persistently versus data that is only processed in memory

3. Why You Collect the Data (Purpose)

For each category of data, explain why you need it. Common purposes include:

Providing the bot's core functionality
Server moderation and safety
Personalisation (user profiles, preferences)
Analytics and improvement of the bot
Abuse prevention and security

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If your bot has EU or UK users, you need to state your legal basis for processing their data under GDPR. For most Discord bots, the applicable bases are:

Legitimate interest — The bot needs to process user IDs and server IDs to function. Users add or interact with the bot voluntarily.
Consent — For any optional data collection beyond what is needed for the bot to function (e.g., analytics, marketing)
Contract performance — If users agree to terms of service when using the bot, some processing may be necessary to fulfil that agreement

5. Data Storage and Security

Describe where your bot's data is stored (e.g., a database hosted on AWS, a VPS, your local machine) and what security measures you have in place. You do not need to reveal your exact infrastructure, but you should state:

Where data is hosted (country or region)
Whether data is encrypted at rest and in transit
Who has access to the data (just you, your team, hosting providers)
How you protect against unauthorised access

6. Data Retention

State how long you keep each type of data. For example:

Server configurations are retained while the bot is in the server and deleted within 30 days of the bot being removed
User data is retained for the lifetime of the bot's operation or until a deletion request is received
Moderation logs are retained for a specified period (e.g., 12 months)
Message logs are retained for a specified period or not stored at all

7. Data Sharing and Third Parties

Disclose any third parties that receive or can access the data your bot collects. Common examples for Discord bots:

Hosting providers — Where your database runs (AWS, DigitalOcean, Railway, etc.)
AI providers — If your bot uses OpenAI, Anthropic, or another AI service to process messages
Analytics services — If you use any tracking or analytics tools
Payment processors — If your bot has a premium tier

If you do not share data with any third parties, state this explicitly. It is a trust signal.

8. User Rights

Users have rights over their data. At minimum, your policy should explain how users can:

Request their data — Get a copy of all data the bot holds about them
Request deletion — Have their data removed from the bot's database
Opt out — Stop the bot from collecting their data (this typically means leaving servers where the bot operates)
Object to processing — Under GDPR, users can object to processing based on legitimate interest

Provide a clear method for making these requests — an email address, a command within the bot (like /privacy delete), or a support server.

9. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Discord's Terms of Service require users to be at least 13 years old (16 in some EU countries). Your privacy policy should state that your bot is not intended for children under 13 and that you do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you become aware that you have collected such data, you will delete it promptly.

If your bot is specifically designed for younger audiences or operates in servers that may have underage users, you need to take additional COPPA precautions, including potentially obtaining parental consent before collecting data.

10. Changes to the Privacy Policy

State how you will notify users about changes to your privacy policy. Common approaches include:

Posting updates in a dedicated channel on your bot's support server
Adding a notification when users first interact with the bot after a policy change
Updating the “last modified” date on the policy page

Where to Host Your Discord Bot Privacy Policy

Your privacy policy needs to be accessible via a public URL. Discord's Developer Portal has a specific field for your bot's privacy policy URL, and it is displayed to users who review your bot's profile. Here are the common hosting options:

Your own website — Ideal if you have a website for your bot (e.g., mybotname.com/privacy)
GitHub Pages — Free hosting via a GitHub repository. Create a simple HTML page or use a markdown file
Notion or Google Docs — Quick and free, though less professional in appearance
Your bot's landing page — If you use top.gg or a similar bot listing site, link to your privacy policy from your bot's description

Whichever option you choose, make sure the URL is stable and will not break. Discord links to it from your bot's profile, and a broken privacy policy link looks unprofessional and may cause issues during verification.

Discord Bot Verification and Your Privacy Policy

When your bot reaches 75 servers, Discord requires verification before it can continue to grow. The verification process includes a review of your bot's privacy policy. Here is what Discord looks for:

The privacy policy must be accessible at a public URL
It must accurately describe the data your bot collects
It must explain how users can request data deletion
If your bot uses privileged intents (Message Content, Server Members, or Presence), the policy must specifically address these data types
The policy must be specific to your bot, not a generic template that does not mention your bot by name

Bots that use privileged intents face additional scrutiny. If you request the Message Content intent, for example, Discord will want to see a clear explanation in your privacy policy of why your bot reads messages, what it does with the content, and whether messages are stored.

Common Mistakes in Discord Bot Privacy Policies

Using a website privacy policy template. A standard website privacy policy covers cookies, web analytics, and contact forms — none of which are relevant to a Discord bot. Your privacy policy must be written specifically for how a Discord bot collects and processes data.
Not mentioning the bot by name. Generic policies that say “our service” without ever identifying the specific bot will be rejected during Discord's verification process.
Forgetting about privileged intents. If your bot uses Message Content, Server Members, or Presence intents, these must be specifically disclosed in your privacy policy. These intents give your bot access to sensitive data, and Discord takes this seriously.
No deletion mechanism. Users must be able to request that their data be deleted. If your bot has no way for users to do this — whether via a command, an email, or a support server — you are not meeting Discord's requirements or GDPR obligations.
Claiming you collect no data. If your bot responds to any user interaction, it processes data. Discord user IDs and message content are personal data. Claiming “we don't collect any data” when your bot clearly processes messages is dishonest and will not pass verification.
Ignoring third-party AI services. If your bot sends user messages to an external AI provider for processing, this is a data transfer that must be disclosed. Many AI-powered Discord bots fail to mention this.

Special Considerations for Different Bot Types

Moderation Bots

Moderation bots often log deleted messages, track user infractions, store warning histories, and may automatically scan messages for prohibited content. Your privacy policy must disclose all of this, including how long moderation logs are retained and who can access them (server admins, your support team, etc.).

Music and Media Bots

Music bots typically collect minimal data — mostly user IDs and command inputs. However, if you log what users listen to, track play counts, or store playlists, this must be disclosed.

AI-Powered Bots

Bots that use AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, or open-source models) to generate responses have additional disclosure requirements. You must state which AI provider processes user messages, whether conversations are stored by the AI provider, and whether user data may be used for model training.

Economy and Gaming Bots

Bots with virtual economies, levelling systems, or game mechanics often store significant amounts of user data. Disclose what you store (balances, inventory, XP, transaction history), how long you retain it, and what happens to the data if a user leaves a server or requests deletion.

Premium or Monetised Bots

If your bot has a premium tier with payments (via Patreon, Ko-fi, Stripe, or Discord's built-in monetisation), you must disclose what payment data you collect or have access to, name your payment processor, and explain how payment data is handled.

Generate Your Discord Bot Privacy Policy

Writing a privacy policy for a Discord bot is different from writing one for a website. You need to address Discord-specific concepts like guilds, intents, user IDs, and slash commands. You need to cover GDPR, COPPA, and Discord's Developer Policy simultaneously. And the policy needs to be specific to your bot and the data it actually collects.

LegalForge generates privacy policies that work for Discord bots. Tell us your bot's name, what data it collects, which intents it uses, whether it connects to external services, and whether it has a premium tier — and we produce a complete, compliant privacy policy you can host anywhere. The entire process takes about 60 seconds and gives you a policy ready for Discord's verification review.

Key Takeaways

Every Discord bot that collects user data needs a privacy policy. This is required by Discord's Developer Policy, enforced during bot verification, and mandated by privacy laws including GDPR and COPPA. Your policy must specifically describe what data your bot collects, why it collects it, where it is stored, who it is shared with, how long it is retained, and how users can request deletion.

Do not use a generic website privacy policy template for your Discord bot. The data collection model is entirely different. Discord-specific concepts like privileged intents, guild data, and slash commands need to be addressed directly.

The most common reason bots fail Discord's verification process is an inadequate or missing privacy policy. Getting this right is not just a legal requirement — it is a practical necessity for growing your bot beyond 75 servers. Invest the time (or use a tool like LegalForge) to create a proper policy, and you will save yourself significant headaches down the line.

Privacy Policy for Discord Bots: Complete Guide for Developers