Choose an integration model

Status Stable · Last verified 2026-07-11 · API v10 · Sources Interactions overview, Webhook resource

Picking the wrong model is the most expensive early mistake. This page picks for you.

The 30-second decision

Do you only need to PUSH messages INTO a channel (notifications, alerts, logs)?
│
├─ YES ─────────────────────────────► Incoming Webhook.        (simplest)
│
└─ NO — users will invoke your app, or you need to READ/REACT to events.
    │
    Will users invoke it with slash/context-menu commands, buttons, or modals?
    │
    ├─ YES, and I don't want to run a socket ─► App + Interaction HTTP endpoint.
    │
    ├─ YES, and I also need live events ──────► App + Bot (gateway) + interactions.
    │
    └─ NO — I need to observe events continuously (messages, joins, voice) ─►
                                                 App + Bot on the Gateway.

Separately:
• Acting on behalf of a *user* (their identity, their guilds)? ─► OAuth2.
• A rich UI running *inside* the Discord client? ──────────────► Activity (Embedded App SDK).

The comparison table

	Incoming Webhook	Bot (Gateway)	App + Interaction endpoint	Activity	OAuth2 (user)
Primary use	Push messages to one channel	Observe + act on events in real time	Respond to commands/components over HTTP	Embedded in-client app/game	Act as / read data for a user
Needs a bot token	No	Yes	No (uses Public Key)	Depends	No (uses OAuth tokens)
Needs a running socket	No	Yes (persistent WS)	No (Discord calls you)	Yes (RPC)	No
Needs a public HTTPS URL	No	No	Yes	Yes (hosted iframe)	Redirect URI only
Can read messages/events	No	Yes (with intents)	Only the interactions sent to it	Via SDK	Only via granted scopes
Auth mechanism	Secret URL	Bot token	Ed25519 signature verify	OAuth2 + SDK	OAuth2 authorization code
Setup effort	Minutes	Medium	Medium	High	Medium
Hosting cost	None	Always-on process	Serverless-friendly	Hosted web app	Redirect handler
Best when	Alerts, CI, logs, cron	Moderation, live features, presence	Command bots without a socket	Games, watch-together, tools	“Login with Discord”, user data

Model-by-model notes

Incoming webhook — the “post-only” shortcut

A webhook is a URL bound to one channel. POST JSON and a message appears. No identity, no intents, no gateway. It cannot read anything or respond to interactions. Great for notifications; wrong for anything interactive. → Webhooks

Bot on the gateway — eyes and ears

A bot connects over a WebSocket and receives a filtered stream of events (intents). Use it when you must observe continuously — moderation, welcome messages, voice state, reactions. Requires an always-on process and careful intent hygiene. Bots also use REST to act. → Gateway

App + interaction HTTP endpoint — commands without a socket

Register an Interactions Endpoint URL; Discord POSTs interactions to it and you reply in the HTTP response. No persistent connection, so it runs beautifully on serverless (Workers, Lambda, Vercel). The catch: you must verify every request’s Ed25519 signature against your app’s Public Key — Discord actively probes with invalid signatures and disables endpoints that accept them. → Interactions · example: interaction-endpoint

You can also receive interactions over the gateway instead of an endpoint. Choose the endpoint for serverless/stateless; choose the gateway if you already maintain a socket for events.

Activity — an app inside Discord

Activities are web apps embedded in the Discord client via the Embedded App SDK, communicating over RPC and (optionally) voice. Highest effort, richest UX — games, collaborative tools, watch-together. Tracked in the platform map.

OAuth2 — acting for a user

OAuth2 is orthogonal to the above: it’s how a user authorizes your app and how your app is installed. It powers “Add to Server”, “Login with Discord”, and the newer user-install context (your app’s commands follow the user across servers and DMs). → OAuth2 & Installation

Common combinations

• Notification service → webhook only.
• Moderation bot → app + bot (gateway) + slash commands (over gateway).
• Utility slash-command bot, cheap to host → app + interaction endpoint (serverless), optionally user-installed so it works everywhere.
• “Login with Discord” web app → OAuth2 authorization-code flow, no bot.
• Game night app → Activity (Embedded App SDK) + an app for install.

Next

• New here → Your first 15 minutes
• Just need to post → Get a webhook URL
• Building commands → Interactions