messageCreate isn't firing

[hollow epoch]

I'm not getting messageCreate triggers when a message is sent in a chat channel.

To cover items from similar questions:

• I've triple-checked my intents (see below)
• I've got the "partials" thing in the code
• The bot is in the server (/commands work)
• The bot has access to all (one) channels
• Perms are properly set in the bot portal

Relevant Code:

// create a new Client instance
const discord_client = new Client({
    intents: [
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
        GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
        GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessageReactions,
        GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
        GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessageTyping,
        GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
    ],
    partials: [
        Partials.Message,
        Partials.Channel,
    ]
});

// listen for the client to be ready
discord_client.once(Events.ClientReady, (c) => {
    console.log(`Ready! Logged in as ${c.user.tag}`);
});

// listen for general chat and respond
discord_client.on(Events.MessageCreate, async interaction => {
    console.log(`Responding to chat in ${interaction.channelId}`);
});

The log from the ClientReady event is seen as expected, but the log from MessageCreate never shows up at all.

Unless I'm totally understanding things, I should see that log every time someone writes something in the server where the bot is present, right?

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[cloud valve]

In the ready event, can you log discord_client.channels.cache.get(<"channel_id">).viewable?

[hollow epoch]

Looks like that narrows the problem...

I added:

var count = discord_client.channels.cache.size;
console.log(`Channels: ${count}`);
if( count > 0 ){
    var temp = discord_client.channels.cache.get("general").isSendable();
    console.log(`Can send in #general: ${temp}`);
}

And it tells me the bot has 0 cached channels.

Now the question is why...

(Incidentally, viewable doesn't appear to be a property of channels.)

[cloud valve]

It’s a property of guild channels

You would need to cast or use the type guard

[hollow epoch]

Gotcha.

In any case, there's nothing in the collection there.

I've double checked the perms and they look right to me.

Any thoughts on what's missing?

[cloud valve]

Can you check the guilds cache?

[hollow epoch]

Sure thing 🙂

It also reports being in 0 guilds.

(or there are zero in the cache at least - not sure if that means what I expect it to)

[cloud valve]

And this is being logged in the ready event?

[hollow epoch]

Yup:

// listen for the client to be ready
discord_client.once(Events.ClientReady, (c) => {
    console.log(`Ready! Logged in as ${c.user.tag}`);
    let count = discord_client.channels.cache.size;
    let gcount = discord_client.guilds.cache.size;
    console.log(`Channels: ${count}, Guilds: ${gcount}`);
    if( count > 0 ){
        let temp = discord_client.channels.cache.get("general");
        console.log(`Can see #general: ${(temp as GuildChannel).viewable}`);
    }
});

[stark dune]

Sounds like the part about the bot being in the server isn't true - you may have added the slash commands, or the slash commands are user installed, with the bot scope being enabled for that server

[hollow epoch]

I... think that makes sense, but I'm not entirely sure I actually understand 😄

In fact, I'm fully sure I don't completely understand...

Can you throw that at me in different words and/or speculate about how that happens and how to fix it?

I have verified that the /commands are in fact talking to this specific server and back by checking the server logs and changing the message sent back in response to a simple "ping" even to something unique.

[stark dune]

Slash commands use (or can use) a completely different system to adding the bot user to a server

The user is required for the guild (and its channels) to be in cache, and for regular events like messageCreate to be received and processed

If you only add its slash commands to the guild it will only receive and process interactionCreate events

[hollow epoch]

That makes sense, thanks.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to google that problem considering it contains almost no unique search terms 😄

[stark dune]

Its based on the scopes you defined when you add a bot to a server

"bot" is the bot user, "applications.commands" is the slash commands

So try re-adding it first with those scopes

[ornate seal]

You can use the URL generator in the dev portal to create an invite link with the necessary scopes.

[hollow epoch]

Thanks much - this was in fact the issue, and easily fixed with your guidance. 🙂
Much appreciated to all who helped! ♥️