Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/discord-jda/JDA/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

​
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();
Configuration:
  • 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();
Configuration:
  • 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();
Configuration:
  • 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!");
    }
}