Are you tired of dealing with pesky users spamming profanities and unwanted language in your Discord server? Look no further! In this article, we’ll show you how to create a robust word filter using PyCord, a Python library for Discord development. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a fully functional word filter ready to tame the wild west of your server’s chat.
What You’ll Need
- Python 3.7 or higher installed on your system
- PyCord library installed (pip install pycord)
- A basic understanding of Python programming
- A Discord bot account and token (if you don’t have one, create a new bot on the Discord Developer Portal)
Understanding PyCord and Discord Bots
Before we dive into the word filter implementation, let’s quickly review the basics of PyCord and Discord bots. PyCord is a Python library that allows you to interact with the Discord API, enabling you to create bots that can perform various tasks, such as messaging, role management, and more.
A Discord bot is essentially a program that runs on a server and interacts with your Discord server. To create a bot, you need to create a new bot account on the Discord Developer Portal and obtain a bot token, which you’ll use to authenticate your bot with the Discord API.
Creating the Word Filter
Now that we have the basics covered, let’s get started with creating the word filter. We’ll break down the process into smaller sections for better understanding.
Step 1: Create a New PyCord Bot
import discord
from discord.ext import commands
bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='!')
@bot.event
async def on_ready():
print(f'{bot.user.name} has connected to Discord!')
bot.run('YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE')Replace `YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE` with your actual bot token from the Discord Developer Portal. This code creates a new PyCord bot with a command prefix of `!`. The `on_ready` event is triggered when the bot connects to Discord, and it prints a message to the console indicating that the bot is online.
Step 2: Define the Word Filter Function
def contains_profanity(message: str) -> bool:
bad_words = ['badword1', 'badword2', 'badword3'] # Add your list of bad words here
message = message.lower() # Convert the message to lowercase for case-insensitive matching
for word in bad_words:
if word in message:
return True
return FalseThis function takes a message string as input and checks if it contains any profanity. You can add your list of bad words to the `bad_words` list. The function converts the message to lowercase for case-insensitive matching and checks if any of the bad words are present in the message. If a match is found, it returns `True`, indicating that the message contains profanity.
Step 3: Implement the Word Filter in the Bot
@bot.event
async def on_message(message):
if message.author == bot.user:
return
if contains_profanity(message.content):
await message.delete()
await message.channel.send(f'{message.author.mention} Your message was deleted for containing profanity!')
else:
await bot.process_commands(message)This code defines an `on_message` event that listens for new messages in your Discord server. When a message is received, it checks if the message author is the bot itself (to avoid infinite loops) and then calls the `contains_profanity` function to check if the message contains any profanity. If it does, the bot deletes the message and sends a warning message to the channel. If the message is clean, the bot processes any commands that may be present in the message.
Tuning and Customizing the Word Filter
By now, you should have a basic word filter up and running. However, you may want to customize and fine-tune your filter to suit your server’s specific needs.
Adding Custom Bad Words
You can add custom bad words to the `bad_words` list in the `contains_profanity` function. For example:
bad_words = ['badword1', 'badword2', 'badword3', 'newbadword', 'anotherbadword']Just add your custom bad words to the list, and the filter will start checking for them.
Case-Sensitive Matching
If you want to enable case-sensitive matching, simply remove the `message = message.lower()` line from the `contains_profanity` function. This will allow the filter to detect profanity with different capitalization.
Ignorning Certain Channels or Roles
You can modify the `on_message` event to ignore certain channels or roles. For example, you can add a check to ignore messages from administrators or moderators:
@bot.event
async def on_message(message):
if message.author == bot.user:
return
if message.author.roles.has_perm(' administrator'):
return # Ignore messages from administrators
if contains_profanity(message.content):
await message.delete()
await message.channel.send(f'{message.author.mention} Your message was deleted for containing profanity!')
else:
await bot.process_commands(message)This code checks if the message author has the `administrator` role and ignores the message if they do.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
While implementing the word filter, you may encounter some issues. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| The bot is not deleting messages | Check that the bot has the necessary permissions to delete messages. Make sure the bot role has the `Manage Messages` permission enabled. |
| The bot is deleting messages from administrators | Add a role check in the `on_message` event to ignore messages from administrators. See the example above. |
| The bot is not detecting profanity | Check that the `bad_words` list is updated with the correct profanity. Make sure the bot is checking for the correct case (lowercase or uppercase) and that the filter is not ignoring certain channels or roles. |
Conclusion
That’s it! You now have a fully functional word filter using PyCord. With this guide, you should be able to create a robust and customizable word filter to keep your Discord server clean and family-friendly. Remember to continuously update your `bad_words` list and fine-tune your filter to suit your server’s unique needs.
Happy coding, and don’t forget to keep it clean!
Frequently Asked Question
Getting stuck on creating a word filter in Pycord? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions to help you get started:
What is a word filter, and why do I need it in Pycord?
A word filter is a feature that allows you to block or restrict certain words or phrases from being sent in your Discord server. You need a word filter in Pycord to maintain a clean and respectful environment in your community, preventing spam, harassment, or inappropriate content. It’s an essential tool for server administrators to ensure a positive and safe experience for all members.
How do I create a basic word filter in Pycord using Python?
To create a basic word filter in Pycord, you can use the `on_message` event and check if the message content contains any restricted words or phrases. Here’s a simple example:
“`
import discord
from discord.ext import commands
bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix=’!’)
bad_words = [‘bad_word1’, ‘bad_word2’, ‘bad_word3’]
@bot.event
async def on_message(message):
if any(word in message.content.lower() for word in bad_words):
await message.delete()
await message.channel.send(f”You can’t say that! {message.author.mention}”)
else:
await bot.process_commands(message)
bot.run(‘YOUR_BOT_TOKEN’)
“`
Replace `YOUR_BOT_TOKEN` with your actual bot token, and add or remove words from the `bad_words` list as needed.
How can I make my word filter case-insensitive?
To make your word filter case-insensitive, you can convert both the message content and the restricted words to lowercase using the `lower()` method. Here’s an updated example:
“`
if any(word.lower() in message.content.lower() for word in bad_words):
# do something
“`
This way, the filter will catch words regardless of their capitalization.
Can I use regular expressions to improve my word filter?
Yes, you can use regular expressions (regex) to enhance your word filter! Regex allows you to match complex patterns and phrases more efficiently. For example, you can use the `re` module in Python to search for words with variations (e.g., plural forms or variations with punctuation):
“`
import re
bad_words = [‘bad_word1’, ‘bad_word2’, ‘bad_word3’]
regex_pattern = ‘|’.join(re.escape(word) for word in bad_words)
@bot.event
async def on_message(message):
if re.search(regex_pattern, message.content, re.IGNORECASE):
# do something
“`
This will match words regardless of capitalization, punctuation, or plural forms.
How can I store my word filter data in a database or file?
To store your word filter data in a database or file, you can use libraries like `asyncpg` for PostgreSQL, `aiomysql` for MySQL, or even simple text files with `json` or `csv` modules. This allows you to easily update or manage your word list without modifying the code. For example, you can store your bad words in a JSON file and load them into your bot:
“`
import json
with open(‘bad_words.json’, ‘r’) as f:
bad_words = json.load(f)
# then use the bad_words list in your word filter
“`
Remember to adjust the code according to your chosen storage method and database/file structure.
