my discord bot does not answer dm messages. How can I handle direct messages sent to a bot?

[hollow oasis]

Good evening,

I would like to get some help with my discord bot. I am trying to make my discord bot answer direct messages, but it does not react. I develop this bot using javaScript and Discord.js library. My code looks like this:

export const client = new Discord.Client({intents: [
GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
GatewayIntentBits.GuildVoiceStates,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
]});

await client.login(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);

client.on( "messageCreate", async (message) => {

console.log("message created...");

}

I have added intents to see direct messages with the bot and I do not understand why the "messageCreate" event only works when the message is sent in the guild (server), but sending dm to the bot does not trigger this event. When I use commands in the channels of my server, it works well and I get the log in my console (I run my bot locally for testing). I have already done some commands like ban/unban and creating embeds with gif files and it all works. Also I have tried to use conditions like this

if(message.channel.type === 'dm'){
console.log("dm received")
}

This also does not work for me.
The reason why I want to make my bot answer to DMs is I want to develop a game where one person make up a word and the other tries to guess it. So I want to be able to save the word sent to a Bot's DM in the Database. Also I would like to make my bot create secret messages in the servers channel, which only can be read by certain persons. This message can be send to a Bot's DM and then the bot would create an Embed with a button to open the message.

Would be nice if someone could help me
Thank you!

[thorny nova]

This is the eventemitter you would need to reply to DMS, I suggest you either A. Watch a youtube tutorial to learn how to write a bot or B. refer to the Discord.js docs to learn the methods and eventemitters you'd need for your bot. https://github.com/discordjs/discord.js/ The github has an entire folder dedicated to examples.

client.on('message', msg => {
  if (msg.channel.type == "dm") {
    msg.author.send("You are DMing me now!");
    return;
  }
});```

[hollow oasis]

ok thank you for your answer, I will try this now. Of course I have seen also youtube tutorials and discord.js documentation, but I have not found the soulution, that is why I decided to make a question in a discord server.

[thorny nova]

Also google is a great tool, Try googling your problem before hand. In this instance I googled: "how to reply to dm messages with discord js" and the first response on google was a stack overflow answer which is where i found said eventemitter.

[hollow oasis]

I see. Also I have used google, and found different answers. But, unfortunately, most of them are not current, because every library changes a lot. Unfortunately, the answer you found also seem to be an old one, so there is no more "message" event in the client object. If I check the guide I do not see event like this

it is called messageCreate now...

but I could not find anything about answering bot's dm in that guide

[thorny nova]

Okay

so how would you fix that?

also why is your eventemitter async if you're not gonna use the await keyword

export const client = new Discord.Client({intents: [
        GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
        GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
        GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
        GatewayIntentBits.GuildVoiceStates,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
        GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
    ]});

await client.login(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);

client.on( "messageCreate", (message) => {

if(message.channel.type === 'dm'){
        console.log("dm received")
 }
}```

Here, this should work

[hollow oasis]

but, this is the same I did, only without the async operator

I can remove it

[thorny nova]

No it is not, You do realize the if statement needs to be inside the eventemitter for the If statement to event execute, Yes?

the message variable is in the scope of the messageCreate eventemitter

if you do not understand that you should use a resource like: https://sololearn.com

[hollow oasis]

this is the same I already did

I used the async operator bc I need it for other commands, I made. Webstorm says that methods on message return promise that's why I used async await, I think it could work without

[thorny nova]

in your original message the if statement was not inside the eventemitter

[hollow oasis]

I know, maybe I should have made my message better for understanding

but even without the condition the event should be triggered, right?

if the "messageCreate" event would be triggered by dm messages

then I should see "message created..." in my console

[thorny nova]

message.channel.DMChannel

Try this in your if statement

Oh i accidently linked you the discord.py api

https://github.com/discordjs/discord.js/

[hollow oasis]

it seem not to work. But I think I don't need the condition at all

[thorny nova]

no, you need the condition

[hollow oasis]

the problem is that dm's don't trigger the event

if "messageCreate" event would be triggered by dm's I would see my console.log

if the event is not triggered then I don't get to the condition

[thorny nova]

message.guild === null``` 
 try this it will check for all DMs (if the messages server is null that will return true if the message was not sent via a server, that then must be a dm.)

[hollow oasis]

yes I understand I have tried this now and it still don't work

but I think the problem is that the event is not triggered at all by dm's

[thorny nova]

oh then are those all your intents in your original msg?

[hollow oasis]

if I send dm's to my bot the "messageCreate" event is not triggered

[thorny nova]

export const client = new Discord.Client({
intents: [
GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
GatewayIntentBits.GuildVoiceStates,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
], partials: [
'CHANNEL', // Required to receive DMs
]
}
);

[hollow oasis]

I don't have partials

[thorny nova]

and then for your if statement:

if (msg.partial) {
// Never triggers
console.log(Received partial message- ${msg.id});
return;
}

[thorny nova]

yes use this ^^

[hollow oasis]

Now it works, thank you!
I has worked this way

I had to import Partials Object

now the bot can see dm, thank you

[thorny nova]

Mind using the /close command?

[hollow oasis]

yes I want to change it to slash commands

I think it is better