Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions and answers about Daia.

General Questions
Setup and Installation
Configuration
Usage
Troubleshooting
Features
Privacy and Security
Development
Costs
Comparison
1. Daia vs ChatGPT Discord bots?
2. Daia vs other AI Discord bots?
Getting Help
1. Where can I get help?
2. How do I stay updated?
Miscellaneous
Still have questions?

General Questions

What is Daia?

Daia (Discord AI Agent) is an intelligent Discord bot powered by Google Gemini. It provides conversational AI capabilities with features like markdown table rendering, message history processing, and Google Search integration.

Is Daia free to use?

Yes, Daia is open source and free to use under the MIT License. However, you’ll need your own API keys:

Discord Bot Token (free)
Google Gemini API Key (free tier available)

What makes Daia different from other Discord bots?

Daia offers:

Advanced table rendering with multilingual support
Smart message chunking
Context-aware conversations
Built on PocketFlow for extensibility
Easy customization through system prompts

Can I use Daia in multiple servers?

Yes! The same bot instance can be added to multiple Discord servers. Each server maintains its own conversation history per channel.

Setup and Installation

What are the system requirements?

Python 3.12 or higher
Internet connection for API calls
~100MB disk space for fonts
Discord Bot Token
Google Gemini API Key

Do I need coding experience to set up Daia?

Basic command-line knowledge is helpful, but the setup process is straightforward. Follow the Getting Started guide for step-by-step instructions.

Can I run Daia on a Raspberry Pi?

Yes, as long as it supports Python 3.12+. Performance may vary depending on the model. Consider using gemini-1.5-flash for better performance on limited hardware.

How do I get a Discord Bot Token?

Go to Discord Developer Portal
Create a new application
Navigate to the “Bot” section
Click “Add Bot” and copy the token

See the Getting Started guide for detailed instructions.

How do I get a Gemini API Key?

Visit Google AI Studio, sign in with your Google account, and create an API key. The free tier includes generous quotas for testing and personal use.

Why does the first run take so long?

On first run, Daia downloads Noto CJK fonts (~100MB) for table rendering. This is a one-time download. Subsequent starts will be much faster.

Configuration

How do I customize the bot’s personality?

Edit the config/chat_sys_prompt.txt file. This system prompt defines how the bot behaves and responds. See Configuration & Usage for examples.

Can I make the bot respond without being mentioned?

Yes! Set the ALLOWED_CHANNELS environment variable to a comma-separated list of channel IDs where the bot should respond to all messages.

ALLOWED_CHANNELS=123456789,987654321

How do I change which AI model is used?

Edit the CHAT_MODEL variable in your .env file:

# Fast and cost-effective
CHAT_MODEL=gemini-1.5-flash

# More capable
CHAT_MODEL=gemini-1.5-pro

What does CHAT_TEMPERATURE do?

Temperature controls response randomness:

0.0-0.5: Focused, deterministic responses
0.5-1.5: Balanced (1.0 recommended)
1.5-2.0: More creative and varied

How many messages should HISTORY_LIMIT be?

Recommended values:

10-20: Fast, minimal context
30-50: Balanced (recommended)
50-100: Maximum context, slower

Higher values use more tokens and cost more.

Usage

How do I talk to the bot?

Three ways:

In allowed channels: just type your message
Anywhere: mention the bot (@Daia hello)
Direct message: send a DM to the bot

Does the bot remember previous messages?

Yes, up to the HISTORY_LIMIT you configured. Use /newchat to start fresh.

Can the bot search the internet?

Yes! Daia can automatically use Google Search when it needs up-to-date information. This happens automatically through Gemini’s tools.

Why are tables rendered as images?

Discord’s markdown support is limited and doesn’t handle complex tables well, especially with CJK characters. Rendering tables as images ensures they display correctly for all users.

What languages are supported for table rendering?

English
Simplified Chinese (简体中文)
Traditional Chinese (繁體中文)
Japanese (日本語)
Korean (한국어)

And any other language supported by Noto Sans CJK fonts.

Can the bot process images?

Not yet, but it’s on the roadmap!

How do I clear the conversation history?

Use the /newchat slash command. This clears the context and starts a fresh conversation.

Troubleshooting

The bot doesn’t respond to my messages

Check:

Message Content Intent is enabled in Discord Developer Portal
Bot has “View Channels” and “Send Messages” permissions
Bot is online (check member list)
You’re either in an allowed channel or mentioning the bot

I get “Invalid API Key” errors

Verify your CHAT_MODEL_API_KEY in .env is correct
Check the key is active in Google AI Studio
Ensure you haven’t exceeded your API quota

Tables aren’t rendering as images

Check that fonts downloaded successfully (check console output)
Verify bot has “Attach Files” permission
Look for errors in the console

The bot’s responses are cut off

This shouldn’t happen as Daia automatically chunks long messages. If it does:

Check console for errors
Verify you’re running the latest version
Report the issue on GitHub

Font download fails

Check your internet connection
Fonts are downloaded from GitHub releases
If it fails, the bot will retry on next startup
You can manually download fonts to assets/fonts/

The bot is slow to respond

Possible causes:

High HISTORY_LIMIT (try reducing it)
Using gemini-1.5-pro (try gemini-1.5-flash)
API rate limiting
Network latency

I’m getting rate limited

Reduce HISTORY_LIMIT to send fewer tokens
Add delays between requests (requires code modification)
Check your Gemini API quota
Consider upgrading your API tier

Features

Can I use other AI models besides Gemini?

Currently, only Gemini is supported. OpenAI and other providers are on the roadmap.

Can the bot remember things long-term?

Not yet. Currently, memory is limited to the conversation history (HISTORY_LIMIT). Long-term memory is planned.

Can I add custom commands?

Yes! You can modify the code to add new slash commands. See the Development Guide for instructions.

Does the bot support voice channels?

No, Daia is text-only. Voice support is not currently planned.

Can the bot moderate my server?

Daia is designed for conversation, not moderation. While you could extend it for moderation tasks, there are better-suited bots for that purpose.

Privacy and Security

What data does Daia store?

By default, Daia doesn’t store any data persistently. Message history is kept in memory only during active conversations. Database support for optional persistence is planned.

Is my conversation data sent to Google?

Yes, messages are sent to Google Gemini API for processing. Review Google’s privacy policy for details on how they handle data.

Can I self-host Daia?

Yes! Daia is designed to be self-hosted. You run it on your own server with your own API keys.

Is my API key secure?

Your API key is stored in the .env file, which should never be committed to git (it’s in .gitignore). Keep this file secure and don’t share it.

Can I use Daia in a private server?

Absolutely! Daia works in any Discord server where you have permission to add bots.

Development

Can I contribute to Daia?

Yes! Contributions are welcome. See the Development Guide for instructions.

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue on GitHub Issues with:

Description of the bug
Steps to reproduce
Expected vs actual behavior
Console output (if applicable)

How do I request a feature?

Open a discussion on GitHub Discussions or check the roadmap to see if it’s already planned.

What is PocketFlow?

PocketFlow is a workflow framework that Daia is built on. It organizes functionality into modular nodes that can be composed into workflows. Learn more at the PocketFlow repository.

Can I create plugins for Daia?

The plugin system is not formalized yet, but you can extend Daia by:

Adding new nodes
Creating utility functions
Modifying the workflow

See the Project Structure guide.

Costs

How much does it cost to run Daia?

Costs depend on usage:

Discord Bot: Free
Gemini API: Free tier available, then pay-per-use
Hosting: Free if running on your own computer, or cloud hosting costs

What’s the Gemini API pricing?

Check Google’s pricing page for current rates. The free tier is generous for personal use.

How can I reduce API costs?

Use gemini-1.5-flash instead of gemini-1.5-pro
Lower HISTORY_LIMIT to send fewer tokens
Restrict bot to specific channels
Implement rate limiting

Comparison

Daia vs ChatGPT Discord bots?

Daia advantages:

Open source and self-hosted
Customizable system prompts
Advanced table rendering
Built on extensible framework
No subscription required

Daia vs other AI Discord bots?

Daia is designed for:

Developers who want customization
Communities that need self-hosting
Users who want multilingual table support
Projects that need extensibility

Getting Help

Where can I get help?

Documentation: zhiro-labs.github.io/daia
GitHub Issues: Report bugs
GitHub Discussions: Ask questions
Discord Developer Docs: Discord documentation

How do I stay updated?

Watch the GitHub repository
Check the roadmap for planned features
Follow release notes for updates

Miscellaneous

What does “Daia” mean?

Daia stands for “Discord AI Agent”. It’s also a friendly, easy-to-pronounce name!

Who created Daia?

Daia is developed by Zhiro Labs and built on the PocketFlow framework by Zachary Huang.

Can I use Daia commercially?

Yes, under the MIT License. You’re free to use, modify, and distribute Daia, including for commercial purposes.

How can I support the project?

⭐ Star the repository on GitHub
🐛 Report bugs and issues
💡 Suggest features
🔧 Contribute code
📖 Improve documentation
💬 Help others in discussions

Still have questions?

If your question isn’t answered here:

Check the full documentation
Search GitHub Issues
Ask in GitHub Discussions
Open a new issue if you found a bug