Do I really need a privacy policy?

Yes. If your website collects any data — including analytics, cookies, or email addresses — you're legally required to have one. GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), PIPEDA (Canada), and LGPD (Brazil) all mandate it. Google AdSense, Apple App Store, and Stripe also require one.

Is this a legally valid privacy policy?

PolicyForge generates professionally structured policies based on current privacy law frameworks. While we cover all major compliance areas, we recommend consulting an attorney for complex or high-risk situations. For most small businesses and startups, our policies provide solid coverage.

Why PolicyForge instead of a free template?

Free templates are generic and often outdated. PolicyForge customizes your policy based on your specific data practices — whether you use cookies, process payments, have user accounts, or handle children's data. Pro policies include GDPR/CCPA-specific rights sections that most templates miss entirely.

What's the difference between Free and Pro?

Free gives you 2 basic privacy policies per day. Pro ($12.99 one-time) adds unlimited generations, full GDPR/CCPA rights sections, data retention clauses, security measures, children's privacy, Terms of Service generator, and removes PolicyForge branding.

Is this a subscription?

No. All plans are one-time payments. Pay once, use forever. No recurring charges.

What data does my Discord bot collect that needs to be disclosed?

Common data types collected by Discord bots include: user IDs and usernames, message content (if using the Message Content privileged intent), server (guild) IDs and metadata, voice channel participation data, user roles and permissions, reactions and interaction data, and any data stored in your bot's database. Your privacy policy must disclose every type of data your bot accesses, processes, or stores.

What happens if my Discord bot doesn't have a privacy policy?

Without a privacy policy, your bot cannot pass Discord's verification process (required at 75+ servers). Unverified bots are capped and cannot join new servers beyond the limit. Discord can also remove your bot entirely for violating the Developer Terms of Service. Additionally, if your bot serves users in the EU, you are violating GDPR, which carries fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of annual global turnover.

Do I need a privacy policy if my bot only uses slash commands and doesn't store data?

Yes. Even if your bot only responds to slash commands and doesn't persist any data, it still processes user IDs, channel IDs, and interaction payloads temporarily. Discord's Developer Terms of Service require a privacy policy for any application that accesses the API. A minimal policy stating that no data is stored permanently and explaining what is processed transiently is sufficient, but you still need one.

Privacy Policy for Discord Bots: The Complete Guide

Discord requires every bot that accesses user data to have a privacy policy. At 75+ servers, verification is mandatory — and a privacy policy URL is required to pass. This guide covers Discord's requirements, common data bots collect, and how to generate and add a compliant policy.

Generate Your Discord Bot Privacy Policy in 2 Minutes

Don't let a missing privacy policy block your bot's verification. PolicyForge generates a compliant privacy policy covering user IDs, message content, server data, and all Discord-specific data types.

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Why Discord Bots Must Have a Privacy Policy

Discord's Developer Terms of Service and Developer Policy explicitly require bot developers to provide a privacy policy whenever their application accesses user data through the Discord API. This is not optional — it is a condition of using the platform. Here's why it matters:

Discord Developer Terms of Service (Mandatory)

Section 7 of Discord's Developer Terms requires you to “provide and make available to end users a privacy policy that clearly and accurately describes to users what data you collect and how you use and share it.” Any bot that accesses the Discord API — which is every bot — must comply. Violating these terms can result in your bot being removed and your developer account suspended.

Bot Verification Requirement (75+ Servers)

When your bot reaches 75 servers, Discord requires you to submit a verification application. One of the mandatory fields in the verification form is a privacy policy URL. Without it, your application is automatically rejected. Unverified bots that hit the 75-server cap are blocked from joining any additional servers, effectively freezing your bot's growth.

Privileged Gateway Intents Approval

If your bot needs privileged intents (Message Content, Server Members, Presence), Discord reviews your privacy policy as part of the approval process. Bots that access message content without disclosing it are routinely denied.

Legal Compliance (GDPR, CCPA)

Discord bots serve users globally. Under GDPR, processing personal data (user IDs, usernames, message content) requires a privacy policy. Fines reach €20M or 4% of global revenue. Even free hobby bots must comply if they process EU user data.

User Trust and Server Adoption

Server admins increasingly review privacy practices before adding bots. The “verified” checkmark signals Discord has reviewed your bot. Without a privacy policy, you cannot earn this badge. On listing sites like top.gg, a privacy policy is a differentiator.

What Data Do Discord Bots Commonly Collect?

Most bot developers underestimate how much data their bot accesses. Even a “simple” bot that responds to commands processes personal data. Here is a breakdown of the data categories your privacy policy must address based on the Discord API data your bot receives:

User Identifiers

Every interaction with the Discord API exposes user IDs, usernames, discriminators (if applicable), and avatar hashes. These are considered personal data under GDPR because they can identify an individual. Your privacy policy must disclose that you receive this data, whether you store it in a database, and how long you retain it. If your bot maintains a user profile, leaderboard, or moderation log, you are storing personal identifiers.

Message Content

If your bot uses the MESSAGE_CONTENT privileged intent, it receives the full text of every message in channels it can access — not just messages directed at the bot. This is the most privacy-sensitive data your bot can collect. Your policy must explain why your bot needs message content access, whether messages are logged or stored, how long message data is retained, and whether message content is sent to any third-party services (such as AI APIs, moderation services, or analytics platforms).

Server (Guild) Data

Your bot receives server IDs, names, channel lists, role hierarchies, and member counts. If your bot stores server configurations (prefixes, welcome messages, moderation settings), disclose this and clarify what happens to that data when the bot is removed from a server.

Voice, Presence, and Interaction Data

Bots in voice channels receive voice state data. Music and recording bots must disclose whether audio is recorded or processed. The GUILD_PRESENCES and GUILD_MEMBERS intents expose online status, activity data, and member lists. Even slash-command-only bots collect interaction data: the invoking user, channel, server, and arguments. If your bot logs commands for debugging, this must be disclosed.

Data Collection Checklist

If your bot accesses a data type below, your policy must include the corresponding disclosure:

Data Type	API Source / Intent	Required Disclosure
User IDs & usernames	`All interactions`	Storage, retention period, deletion process
Message content	`MESSAGE_CONTENT intent`	Why needed; logging; third-party sharing; retention
Server metadata	`GUILDS intent`	What is stored; data handling on bot removal
Member lists & roles	`GUILD_MEMBERS intent`	Purpose; whether full list is cached; retention
Presence & activity	`GUILD_PRESENCES intent`	What activity data is tracked; user opt-out method
Voice state	`GUILD_VOICE_STATES intent`	Whether audio is recorded; voice data processing
Reactions & interactions	`MESSAGE_REACTIONS / interactions`	Logging; analytics use; what is stored
Command arguments	`Slash commands / interactions`	Whether inputs are logged; personal data in arguments

What Your Discord Bot Privacy Policy Must Include

Discord's Developer Policy specifies that your privacy policy must “clearly and accurately” describe your data practices. Based on Discord's requirements and GDPR compliance, your privacy policy should contain these sections:

1. What Data Is Collected and How It Is Used

List every data type your bot accesses or stores. Be specific: “user IDs, usernames, and message content in channels where the bot has read access” is correct. “Some user data” is not. For each data type, explain the purpose. Vague statements like “to improve the service” are insufficient under GDPR.

2. Data Storage, Retention, and Third Parties

State where data is stored, how long it is retained, and your deletion schedule. If your bot sends data to external services — AI APIs, analytics, databases (MongoDB, Supabase), or moderation services — each must be named with what data is shared. This is the most commonly missing section in Discord bot privacy policies.

3. User Rights, Data Deletion, and Contact Info

Under GDPR, users can request access, correction, and deletion of their data. Explain how — common approaches include a /deletedata slash command, a support server invite, or an email. Provide contact information for privacy inquiries.

How to Add a Privacy Policy to Your Discord Bot

Audit your bot's data access

Review your bot's code and list every Discord API endpoint it calls, every gateway intent it uses, and every piece of data it stores in a database or cache. Check your bot's intent configuration in the Developer Portal under the “Bot” tab.

Identify third-party data sharing

List every external service your bot sends data to. This includes your database host (MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Redis), any AI APIs for chat responses, image generation services, moderation APIs, and analytics platforms. Each one needs a disclosure.

Generate your privacy policy with PolicyForge

Use PolicyForge's free generator to create a privacy policy that covers Discord-specific data types. Customize it with your bot's name, the data it collects, and your contact information. The generated policy is legally reviewed and covers GDPR, CCPA, and Discord's Developer Terms.

Host at a public URL and add to Developer Portal

Host your policy on GitHub Pages, your website, or a static site (Vercel, Netlify). Then go to discord.com/developers/applications, select your app, and paste the URL in the “Privacy Policy URL” field under General Information. This URL is visible during bot authorization.

Add a Terms of Service URL and a /privacy command

Discord's Developer Portal also has a “Terms of Service URL” field, required for verification. Use PolicyForge's ToS generator to create one. Also consider adding a /privacy slash command that links to your policy and explains how users can request data deletion.

Discord Bot Verification: Privacy Requirements

Bot verification is mandatory at 75 servers. Discord specifically reviews your privacy policy. Here is what they check:

The 75-Server Threshold

At 75+ guilds, Discord blocks your bot from joining new servers until verified. The application requires a live privacy policy URL, a terms of service URL, and a description of your bot's functionality. Placeholder pages are rejected.

Intent Justification and Consistency

If your bot requests privileged intents, Discord checks that your privacy policy matches your justifications. If you claim you need Message Content for moderation but your policy does not mention message access, the application is flagged. Common rejection reasons: 404 URLs, generic templates, missing data deletion info, and policy/intent contradictions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a generic website privacy policy

Generic policies do not mention Discord data types, intents, or bot-specific data collection. Discord verification reviewers will reject these. Generate a Discord-specific policy with PolicyForge instead.

Not disclosing third-party AI API usage

If your bot sends message content to OpenAI, Anthropic, or any other external API, you must name the provider and describe what data is shared. This is the most commonly missing disclosure in AI-powered Discord bots.

Claiming “we don't collect data”

Your bot processes user IDs in every single interaction. Even if you don't store data in a database, you must distinguish between data “processed” in memory and data “stored” persistently. Both require disclosure.

FAQ: Discord Bot Privacy Policies

Does my Discord bot need a privacy policy?

Yes. Discord's Developer Terms of Service require all applications that access user data to have a privacy policy. If your bot is in 75+ servers, a privacy policy URL is mandatory for verification. Without one, your bot is blocked from joining additional servers.

What happens if my bot doesn't have a privacy policy?

Your bot cannot pass verification (required at 75+ servers) and will be capped. Discord can also remove your bot for violating Developer Terms. If your bot serves EU users without a privacy policy, you are violating GDPR, which carries fines up to €20M.

How do I add a privacy policy URL to my Discord bot?

Go to the Discord Developer Portal, select your application, navigate to “General Information,” and paste your URL in the “Privacy Policy URL” field. This URL is visible to users during bot authorization and must be live before submitting for verification.

Do I need a policy if my bot only uses slash commands?

Yes. Even slash-command-only bots process user IDs, channel IDs, and interaction payloads. Discord requires a privacy policy for any application that accesses the API. A minimal policy stating no data is stored permanently is sufficient, but you still need one.

What data do I need to disclose?

User IDs, usernames, message content (if using the Message Content intent), server metadata, voice data, roles, reactions, and anything stored in your database. Your policy must cover every data type your bot accesses, processes, or stores.

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