Installation

Archived project: This repository is now a public archive. The bot code is preserved for educational/reference purposes and may no longer function without updates. Use or deploy at your own discretion.

This guide provides comprehensive installation instructions for Yato Discord Bot, including system requirements, dependencies, and environment setup.

System requirements

Node.js version

Original target: Node.js v14–16 (for discord.js v12)Recommended for modern use: Node.js v18+ with migration to discord.js v14+

Yato was originally built for Node.js v14-16, but if you’re setting up a new instance, we recommend using Node.js v18 or later for better security and performance. Check your Node.js version:

node --version

Package manager

You’ll need either:

npm (comes with Node.js)
yarn (alternative package manager)

Check your npm version:

npm --version

Optional: MongoDB

MongoDB is required only if you plan to use persistence features like:

Guild configuration storage
User data tracking
Token management
Custom settings per server

You can run Yato without MongoDB, but these features will be disabled. MongoDB options:

Local installation (MongoDB Community Server)
Cloud hosting (MongoDB Atlas - free tier available)
Docker container: docker run -d -p 27017:27017 mongo

Discord application setup

Before installing Yato, you need a Discord Bot Application:

Create a Discord Application

Go to the Discord Developer Portal
Click New Application
Give it a name (e.g., “Yato”)
Click Create

Create a bot user

Navigate to the Bot tab in the left sidebar
Click Add Bot
Confirm by clicking Yes, do it!

Get your bot token

Under the Bot tab, find the Token section
Click Reset Token (or Copy if it’s your first time)
Save this token securely - you’ll need it for your .env file

Never share your bot token publicly. Anyone with your token can control your bot.

Enable privileged intents

Under the Bot tab, scroll to Privileged Gateway Intents and enable:

Server Members Intent (required for member tracking)
Message Content Intent (required for message-based commands)
Presence Intent (optional, for member status features)

Get your Client ID

Navigate to the General Information tab
Copy your Application ID - this is your CLIENT_ID

Installation steps

1. Clone the repository

Clone Yato from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/qonTesq/Yato.git
cd Yato

Or download as ZIP and extract:

wget https://github.com/qonTesq/Yato/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
unzip main.zip
cd Yato-main

2. Install dependencies

Install all required npm packages:

npm install

This installs the following key dependencies:

Package	Version	Purpose
discord.js	^12.5.3	Discord API wrapper
gcommands	^5.2.4	Slash command framework
mongoose	^5.12.12	MongoDB ODM
canvas	^2.8.0	Image generation
anilist-node	^1.9.0	AniList API wrapper
jikan-node	^1.2.1	MyAnimeList API wrapper
gamedig	^3.0.5	Game server queries
dotenv	^9.0.2	Environment variable loader
moment	^2.29.1	Date/time formatting
axios	^0.21.1	HTTP client

You may see deprecation warnings or security vulnerabilities due to outdated packages. This is expected for an archived project.

3. System dependencies for Canvas

The canvas package requires system-level libraries:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libcairo2-dev libpango1.0-dev libjpeg-dev libgif-dev librsvg2-dev

If you encounter Canvas installation errors, see the node-canvas installation guide.

4. Configure environment variables

Create a .env file in the project root directory:

touch .env

Add your configuration:

.env

# Required
TOKEN=your_discord_bot_token_here
CLIENT_ID=your_bot_application_client_id

# Optional - MongoDB (for persistence)
MONGO_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/yato
# Or for MongoDB Atlas:
# MONGO_URI=mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]/yato?retryWrites=true&w=majority

# Optional - Development (for faster command registration)
GUILD_ID=your_test_server_id

# Optional - Feature configuration
LOG_CHANNEL_ID=channel_id_for_logs
WELCOME_CHANNEL_ID=channel_id_for_welcome_messages

Setting GUILD_ID during development makes slash commands register instantly in that server instead of waiting for global propagation (up to 1 hour).

5. Verify installation

Check that everything is set up correctly:

# Verify .env file exists and is not committed
cat .env
git status  # Should show .env as untracked/ignored

# Check Node.js and npm versions
node --version
npm --version

# List installed packages
npm list --depth=0

Running the bot

Development mode

For development with automatic restarts on file changes:

npm run dev

This uses nodemon to watch for changes and restart automatically.

Production mode

For production deployment:

node src/index.js

Using process managers

For production environments, use a process manager to keep the bot running:

# Install PM2
npm install -g pm2

# Start bot
pm2 start src/index.js --name yato

# View logs
pm2 logs yato

# Restart
pm2 restart yato

# Auto-start on system boot
pm2 startup
pm2 save

Verify bot is running

When Yato starts successfully, you should see:

➤ Logged in as Yato#1234 (123456789012345678)
✔ Connected to MongoDB

If MongoDB is not configured, you’ll see:

➤ Logged in as Yato#1234 (123456789012345678)
✖ Failed to connect to MongoDB
[Error details]

This is normal if you’re running without database features.

Invite bot to your server

Generate an OAuth2 invite URL:

Open URL Generator

In the Discord Developer Portal, select your application and go to OAuth2 → URL Generator

Select scopes

Check these scopes:

bot
applications.commands

Select permissions

Choose permissions based on features you’ll use:Recommended minimum:

Read Messages/View Channels
Send Messages
Embed Links
Attach Files
Read Message History
Use Slash Commands

For moderation features:

Kick Members
Ban Members
Manage Roles
Manage Messages
Manage Channels

For voice features (if implementing music):

Connect
Speak

Or simply use Administrator for full access (not recommended for production)

Copy and use URL

Copy the generated URL, open it in your browser, select your server, and authorize the bot.

Post-installation

Test the bot

Try these commands in your Discord server:

/help
/serverinfo
/userinfo @someone

Monitor logs

Watch the console output for:

Command registrations
Error messages
Database connection status
User interactions

Security checklist

✅ .env is in .gitignore
✅ Bot token is never committed to git
✅ Elevated commands restricted to admin roles
✅ Using environment variables for all secrets
✅ Rate limiting configured for API calls

Next steps

Configuration

Customize bot behavior and configure features

Commands

Explore all available commands

Development

Learn how to extend Yato with custom commands

Deployment

Deploy Yato to production hosting

Troubleshooting

Common installation issues

npm install fails with Canvas errors

The canvas package requires system dependencies. Install them first:Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install build-essential libcairo2-dev libpango1.0-dev libjpeg-dev libgif-dev librsvg2-dev

macOS:

brew install pkg-config cairo pango

See the node-canvas documentation for more details.

Error: Cannot find module 'dotenv'

Dependencies weren’t installed properly. Run:

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Bot token is invalid

Verify you copied the complete token from Discord Developer Portal
Check for extra spaces or newlines in your .env file
Regenerate the token if you suspect it was compromised

MongoDB connection timeout

Verify your MongoDB instance is running
Check the MONGO_URI format is correct
For MongoDB Atlas, ensure your IP is whitelisted
Test connection: mongo "your_connection_string"

Slash commands not appearing

Global slash commands can take up to 1 hour to propagate
Set GUILD_ID in .env for instant registration in a test server
Restart the bot after changing command files
Check bot permissions include “Use Application Commands”

Permission denied errors

The bot lacks necessary permissions in your Discord server:

Re-invite the bot with correct permissions
Check role hierarchy (bot’s role must be above roles it manages)
Verify channel-specific permissions

Getting help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

Check the GitHub repository issues
Join the Yato Support Server
Review discord.js documentation for API-related questions

Get Started

Configuration

Core Features

Deployment

System requirements

Node.js version

Package manager

Optional: MongoDB

Discord application setup

Installation steps

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies

3. System dependencies for Canvas

4. Configure environment variables

5. Verify installation

Running the bot

Development mode

Production mode

Using process managers

Verify bot is running

Invite bot to your server

Post-installation

Test the bot

Monitor logs

Security checklist

Next steps

Configuration

Commands

Development

Deployment

Troubleshooting

Common installation issues

Getting help

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Configuration

Core Features

Deployment

​System requirements

​Node.js version

​Package manager

​Optional: MongoDB

​Discord application setup

​Installation steps

​1. Clone the repository

​2. Install dependencies

​3. System dependencies for Canvas

​4. Configure environment variables

​5. Verify installation

​Running the bot

​Development mode

​Production mode

​Using process managers

​Verify bot is running

​Invite bot to your server

​Post-installation

​Test the bot

​Monitor logs

​Security checklist

​Next steps

Configuration

Commands

Development

Deployment

​Troubleshooting

​Common installation issues

​Getting help

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

System requirements

Node.js version

Package manager

Optional: MongoDB

Discord application setup

Installation steps

1. Clone the repository

2. Install dependencies

3. System dependencies for Canvas

4. Configure environment variables

5. Verify installation

Running the bot

Development mode

Production mode

Using process managers

Verify bot is running

Invite bot to your server

Post-installation

Test the bot

Monitor logs

Security checklist

Next steps

Troubleshooting

Common installation issues

Getting help