Managing plugins

Learn how to enable, disable, configure, and manage your BetterDiscord plugins

Plugins extend Discord’s functionality with new features. This guide covers everything you need to know about managing your installed plugins.

Accessing plugin settings

To manage your plugins:

1. Open Discord settings (click the gear icon)
2. Scroll down to the BetterDiscord section
3. Click on Plugins

Here you’ll see a list of all installed plugins with their current status.

Enabling and disabling plugins

1. Find the plugin

   In the Plugins tab, browse your installed plugins. Each plugin shows:

   • Plugin name and version
   • Author information
   • Description
   • Enable/disable toggle
2. Toggle the plugin

   Click the toggle switch next to the plugin name:

   • Green toggle = Plugin is enabled and running
   • Gray toggle = Plugin is disabled

   When you enable a plugin, you’ll see a success toast notification. If the plugin fails to start, you’ll see an error message.

Configuring plugins

Many plugins offer customizable settings:

1. Find the plugin in the Plugins tab
2. Click the Settings icon (gear icon) next to the plugin
3. Adjust the plugin’s settings as needed
4. Changes are usually applied immediately

Not all plugins have settings panels. If a plugin doesn’t have a settings icon, it means the plugin doesn’t offer user-configurable options.

Plugin actions

Each plugin has several actions available via the context menu (three dots icon):

Reload plugin

Reloads the plugin without restarting Discord. Useful when:

• The plugin isn’t working correctly
• You’ve edited the plugin file
• You want to apply updates

Edit plugin

Opens the plugin file for editing. You can choose how to edit:

• System editor - Opens in your default text editor
• Detached window - Opens in BetterDiscord’s built-in editor
• External editor - Opens in BetterDiscord’s web-based editor (if available)

Editing plugins requires knowledge of JavaScript. Incorrect changes can break the plugin or cause Discord to behave unexpectedly.

Delete plugin

Permanently removes the plugin file from your plugins folder.

This action cannot be undone. You’ll need to re-download the plugin to use it again.

Bulk actions

You can perform actions on all plugins at once:

• Enable All - Enables all installed plugins
• Disable All - Disables all running plugins
• Reload All - Reloads all enabled plugins

Use “Disable All” when troubleshooting issues to determine if a plugin is causing problems.

Understanding plugin states

Plugins can be in different states:

Enabled and running

The plugin is active and its features are available. The toggle is green.

Disabled

The plugin is installed but not running. The toggle is gray.

Partially loaded (error)

The plugin failed to load properly due to an error. You’ll see:

• A red error indicator
• An error message describing the issue
• The plugin cannot be enabled until the error is resolved

Partially loaded plugins remain in your plugins list so you can view the error, edit the file, or delete it.

Plugin lifecycle

When you enable a plugin, BetterDiscord:

1. Loads the plugin file and validates it
2. Initializes the plugin by calling its constructor
3. Calls the plugin’s load() method (if it exists)
4. Starts the plugin by calling its start() method

When you disable a plugin, BetterDiscord:

1. Stops the plugin by calling its stop() method
2. Cleans up any resources the plugin was using

All plugins must implement start() and stop() methods to be considered valid.

Plugin updates

BetterDiscord automatically detects changes to plugin files:

• When a plugin file is modified, it’s automatically reloaded
• You’ll see a toast notification when a plugin is updated
• If the update causes an error, the plugin will be disabled

Some plugins may have built-in update checkers that notify you when new versions are available.

Plugin requirements

For a plugin to work properly, it must:

1. Have a valid JSDoc metadata block with @name, @author, @description, and @version
2. Export a function or class
3. Implement start() and stop() methods
4. Use valid JavaScript syntax

Advanced features

Observer function

Plugins can implement an observer() method to watch for DOM changes in Discord. This allows plugins to react to page updates.

Switch function

Plugins can implement an onSwitch() method to react when users navigate between channels or servers.

Settings panel

Plugins can implement a getSettingsPanel() method to provide a custom settings interface.

Troubleshooting plugins

If a plugin isn’t working:

1. Check if it’s enabled - Look for the green toggle
2. Check for errors - Look for error messages in the plugin list
3. Try reloading - Use the reload action from the context menu
4. Check compatibility - Ensure the plugin works with your Discord version
5. Disable other plugins - Test if another plugin is causing conflicts

For more help, see the troubleshooting guide.