Overview
The JDABuilder class is the primary way to create and configure JDA instances. It uses the builder pattern to provide a fluent API for configuration.
Builder Presets
JDA provides three builder presets to match common use cases:
createDefault()
Recommended for most bots. Provides balanced caching and event access.
JDA jda = JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
.addEventListeners(new MyListener())
.build();
- Uses
GatewayIntent.DEFAULT intents
MemberCachePolicy.DEFAULT (caches voice members)ChunkingFilter.NONE (no member chunking)- Disables
CacheFlag.ACTIVITY and CacheFlag.CLIENT_STATUS
createLight()
Minimal caching and resource usage. Best for lightweight bots.
JDA jda = JDABuilder.createLight(token, EnumSet.of(
GatewayIntent.GUILD_MESSAGES,
GatewayIntent.MESSAGE_CONTENT
))
.addEventListeners(new MyListener())
.build();
- You specify which intents to enable
MemberCachePolicy.NONE (no member caching)ChunkingFilter.NONE- Disables all cache flags
create()
Maximum caching. Use when you need access to all guild members.
JDA jda = JDABuilder.create(token, EnumSet.of(
GatewayIntent.GUILDS,
GatewayIntent.GUILD_MEMBERS,
GatewayIntent.GUILD_MESSAGES,
GatewayIntent.MESSAGE_CONTENT
))
.addEventListeners(new MyListener())
.build();
- You specify which intents to enable (typically all you need)
MemberCachePolicy.ALL (caches all members)ChunkingFilter.ALL (requests all members)- Enables all cache flags
Using create() requires the privileged GUILD_MEMBERS intent to be enabled in your Discord Developer Portal.
Common Configuration
Event Listeners
Add event listeners to handle Discord events:
JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
.addEventListeners(new MessageListener())
.addEventListeners(new ReactionListener(), new VoiceListener())
.build();
Gateway Intents
Control which events your bot receives:
JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
// Enable additional intents
.enableIntents(GatewayIntent.MESSAGE_CONTENT, GatewayIntent.GUILD_MEMBERS)
// Disable intents you don't need
.disableIntents(GatewayIntent.GUILD_MESSAGE_TYPING)
.build();
Cache Configuration
Control what JDA caches in memory:
JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
// Enable specific cache flags
.enableCache(CacheFlag.VOICE_STATE, CacheFlag.EMOJI)
// Disable flags you don't need
.disableCache(CacheFlag.ACTIVITY, CacheFlag.CLIENT_STATUS)
// Set member cache policy
.setMemberCachePolicy(MemberCachePolicy.VOICE)
.build();
Presence and Status
Set your bot’s presence:
JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
.setActivity(Activity.playing("with Java"))
.setStatus(OnlineStatus.ONLINE)
.build();
Thread Pools
Customize thread pool configuration for advanced use cases:
ScheduledExecutorService pool = Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(10);
JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
.setCallbackPool(pool)
.setGatewayPool(pool)
.build();
Complete Example
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.JDA;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.JDABuilder;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.entities.Activity;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.requests.GatewayIntent;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.utils.ChunkingFilter;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.utils.MemberCachePolicy;
import net.dv8tion.jda.api.utils.cache.CacheFlag;
import java.util.EnumSet;
public class MyBot {
public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
String token = System.getenv("BOT_TOKEN");
JDA jda = JDABuilder.createDefault(token)
// Enable intents
.enableIntents(
GatewayIntent.MESSAGE_CONTENT,
GatewayIntent.GUILD_MEMBERS
)
// Configure caching
.setMemberCachePolicy(MemberCachePolicy.ALL)
.setChunkingFilter(ChunkingFilter.ALL)
.enableCache(CacheFlag.VOICE_STATE)
// Set presence
.setActivity(Activity.playing("with JDA"))
// Add listeners
.addEventListeners(new MyEventListener())
// Build
.build();
// Wait for JDA to be ready
jda.awaitReady();
System.out.println("Bot is ready!");
}
}
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