Interactions

Answer clicks, menu picks and form submits in time, then send or change the reply.

An interaction is something a member does that Discord expects an answer to: running a slash command, clicking a button, picking from a menu, or submitting a form.

Discord gives the bot 3 seconds to answer. With no answer, the member sees "This interaction failed".

Answering in time#

Only three things count as an answer:

Call	Use when
`defer_response(action="update")`	You will change the message the button is on.
`defer_response(ephemeral=True)`	You will send a new message later. `ephemeral=True` makes it visible to the clicker only.
`await send_modal(form)`	You open a form. Opening it is the answer.

Answer first, before reading a database or editing messages. Those can use up the 3 seconds.

Slash commands answer for you

With Show "thinking…" on, a slash command answers Discord at once. Your pre-hook then has as long as it needs. Turn it off only to open a form or to answer yourself.

respond_interaction is not an answer. It changes an answer that already exists. Call defer_response first.

defer_response#

Answers the current interaction now, and shows "thinking…" until you send the real reply. Works in component handlers, modal handlers and slash commands.

python

defer_response(ephemeral=False, action="create", modal=None)

Argument	What it does
`ephemeral`	`True`: the reply that follows is visible to the clicker only.
`action`	`"create"`: the reply is a new message. `"update"`: the reply changes the message with the button.
`modal`	A form to open instead. Same as `send_modal(form)`.

Any action other than "create" is treated as "update".

python

# Button Click event
defer_response(ephemeral=True)
coins = int(member_var("coins", 0))
respond_interaction(interaction, f"You have {coins} coins.")

defer#

Does the same as defer_response, but for an interaction you pass in. Use it in View callbacks, where the click is the callback's interaction. Needs await.

python

await defer(interaction, ephemeral=False, action="create", modal=None)

python

@button(label="Next", custom_id="next")
async def next_page(self, interaction, component):
    await defer(interaction, action="update")
    self.page += 1
    await self.update_view()

respond_interaction#

Sends or changes the reply to an interaction you already answered.

python

respond_interaction(
    interaction,
    content=...,
    embed=...,
    message=None,
    attachments=...,
    components=...,
    empty=False,
)

Argument	What it does
`interaction`	The interaction. In a handler, use the `interaction` variable.
`content`	The text.
`embed`	One embed.
`message`	A `Message(...)` with text and an embed.
`attachments`	A list of files. `None` removes existing files.
`components`	A `ComponentBuilder` or a `View`.
`empty`	`True` changes nothing.

Leave out an argument to keep what is there. Pass None to remove it.

python

# Button Click event: change the panel after a click
defer_response(action="update")
respond_interaction(interaction, content="Ticket closed.", components=None)

send_modal#

Opens a form as the answer. Needs await. See Modals.

python

await send_modal(form)
await send_modal(form, interaction)   # inside a View callback

A handler that opens a form must not call defer_response first. That would be a second answer, and Discord refuses it.

interaction#

The interaction variable holds the current interaction. Useful parts:

Part	What it is
`interaction.user`, `interaction.member`	Who did it.
`interaction.channel_id`, `interaction.guild_id`	Where.
`interaction.custom_id`	The button, menu or form name. Clicks and submits only.
`interaction.values`	What was picked in a menu, as a list. Menus only.
`interaction.command_name`, `interaction.options`	Slash commands only.
`interaction.locale`	The member's Discord language.

See Objects for the full list.

An interaction is something a member does that Discord expects an answer to: running a slash command, clicking a button, picking from a menu, or submitting a form.

Discord gives the bot 3 seconds to answer. With no answer, the member sees "This interaction failed".

Answering in time#

Only three things count as an answer:

Call	Use when
`defer_response(action="update")`	You will change the message the button is on.
`defer_response(ephemeral=True)`	You will send a new message later. `ephemeral=True` makes it visible to the clicker only.
`await send_modal(form)`	You open a form. Opening it is the answer.

Answer first, before reading a database or editing messages. Those can use up the 3 seconds.

Slash commands answer for you

With Show "thinking…" on, a slash command answers Discord at once. Your pre-hook then has as long as it needs. Turn it off only to open a form or to answer yourself.

respond_interaction is not an answer. It changes an answer that already exists. Call defer_response first.

defer_response#

Answers the current interaction now, and shows "thinking…" until you send the real reply. Works in component handlers, modal handlers and slash commands.

python

defer_response(ephemeral=False, action="create", modal=None)

Argument	What it does
`ephemeral`	`True`: the reply that follows is visible to the clicker only.
`action`	`"create"`: the reply is a new message. `"update"`: the reply changes the message with the button.
`modal`	A form to open instead. Same as `send_modal(form)`.

Any action other than "create" is treated as "update".

python

# Button Click event
defer_response(ephemeral=True)
coins = int(member_var("coins", 0))
respond_interaction(interaction, f"You have {coins} coins.")

defer#

Does the same as defer_response, but for an interaction you pass in. Use it in View callbacks, where the click is the callback's interaction. Needs await.

python

await defer(interaction, ephemeral=False, action="create", modal=None)

python

@button(label="Next", custom_id="next")
async def next_page(self, interaction, component):
    await defer(interaction, action="update")
    self.page += 1
    await self.update_view()

respond_interaction#

Sends or changes the reply to an interaction you already answered.

python

respond_interaction(
    interaction,
    content=...,
    embed=...,
    message=None,
    attachments=...,
    components=...,
    empty=False,
)

Argument	What it does
`interaction`	The interaction. In a handler, use the `interaction` variable.
`content`	The text.
`embed`	One embed.
`message`	A `Message(...)` with text and an embed.
`attachments`	A list of files. `None` removes existing files.
`components`	A `ComponentBuilder` or a `View`.
`empty`	`True` changes nothing.

Leave out an argument to keep what is there. Pass None to remove it.

python

# Button Click event: change the panel after a click
defer_response(action="update")
respond_interaction(interaction, content="Ticket closed.", components=None)

send_modal#

Opens a form as the answer. Needs await. See Modals.

python

await send_modal(form)
await send_modal(form, interaction)   # inside a View callback

A handler that opens a form must not call defer_response first. That would be a second answer, and Discord refuses it.

interaction#

The interaction variable holds the current interaction. Useful parts:

Part	What it is
`interaction.user`, `interaction.member`	Who did it.
`interaction.channel_id`, `interaction.guild_id`	Where.
`interaction.custom_id`	The button, menu or form name. Clicks and submits only.
`interaction.values`	What was picked in a menu, as a list. Menus only.
`interaction.command_name`, `interaction.options`	Slash commands only.
`interaction.locale`	The member's Discord language.

See Objects for the full list.