How to configure Claude Code channels locally

# Entry

Claude Code Channels is quickly becoming a practical alternative to OpenClaw for people who want to connect Claude to chat platforms without setting up a heavier agent environment. It’s easier to get started, works with your Claude subscription out of the box, and provides a straightforward way to interact with your local Claude Code session via Discord.

In this article, you’ll learn how to set up Claude Code channels locally and connect them to your Discord server. The key thing to understand from the beginning is that this setup depends on your local live Claude Code session. The bot only works when this session is actively running on your computer.

# What you need before you start

Before you set everything up, make sure you have:

You should also know that Channels requires Log in to Claude.ai and it doesn’t work with API key only authentication.

Note: This guide uses the Windows 11 operating system to perform setup steps and commands, but the same general process can be performed on Linux and macOS as well.

# Installing Claude Code and logging in

First, install Claude Code in PowerShell:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Then create a working folder, navigate to it and run Claude Code:

mkdir my-channels
cd my-channels
claude

Once Claude Code is open, log in to your Claude.ai account:

This step is required before the channels will work.

# Installing Bun and adding the Discord plugin

Official Claude Code channel plugins are used Bunso install it next:

irm bun.sh/install.ps1 | iex

You can confirm the installation with:

Then, in Claude Code, run the following commands in the same order. Each command prepares the next step, so it is crucial not to skip the order.

First, add the official plugin marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-official

Then update the marketplace so that Claude Code can download the latest available plugins:

/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official

Then install the official Discord plugin:

/plugin install discord@claude-plugins-official

Finally, reload the plugins to make the newly installed Discord integration available in your current Claude Code session:

At this point, Claude Code is ready to apply the Discord channel integration.

# Creating and configuring a Discord bot

Now go to Discord Developer Portal and create a recent application. Inside this application, open the file Nerve section, reset the token and copy it to a secure place.

You also need to enable Message content Intentionbecause without it the bot won’t be able to read text messages sent by people.

Then generate an invite link for the bot using OAuth2 URL Generator. Give it the necessary permissions, such as:

• View channels
• Send messages
• Send messages in threads
• Read the news history
• Attach files
• Add reactions
• Send voice messages

Then apply the generated link to add the bot to your Discord server.

# Connecting Claude Code to Discord

Return to Claude Code and configure the Discord plugin with your bot token:

/discord:configure YOUR_DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN

Claude Code usually stores this token automatically in its channel configuration directory.

After configuring the token, restart Claude Code with channels enabled:

claude --channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official

This will launch Claude Code with the Discord Channels plugin enabled.

If you don’t want Claude Code to ask for permission every time it needs to apply a tool or take a recent action, you can instead run it with the auto-commit flag:

claude --dangerously-skip-permissions --channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official

This makes the session more automatic, which can be useful for a smoother Discord experience. However, you should only apply this if you trust the environment and understand that Claude Code will be able to run without asking for confirmation every time.

# Pair your Discord account and start using it

Once Claude Code is running with channels enabled, send your bot a direct message on Discord. It should respond with a pairing code.

Take this code and enter it in Claude Code:

/discord:access pair YOUR_PAIRING_CODE

Then block access to approved users only:

/discord:access policy allowlist

You can then send a message to the bot on Discord and Claude Code will respond in your local session.

# Final Notes and Troubleshooting

If something isn’t working as expected, the following sections describe the most common issues with Claude Code channels and the quickest ways to resolve them.

• The bot is online but says nothing: Switch on Message content Intention in the Discord bot settings. Without this, the bot receives an empty message content.
• Claude never connects to Discord: Restart Claude Code with --channels plugin:discord@claude-plugins-official flag. The Discord plugin will not work if channels are not enabled at launch.
• The bot does not respond after configuration: Complete the pairing step by sending the bot a DM, copying the pairing code, and running the pair command in Claude Code.
• DMs don’t work at all: Make sure your Discord account and bot are on the same server, as Discord requires this for direct messages to work.
• Plugin commands not appearing: Start /reload-plugins after you install or update a plugin so that the current session captures it.
• Replies stop when session resumes: Avoid relying --resume for now, as a recent issue with Claude Code reports that channel plugins may not restart properly after resuming.
• Claude says he’s listening, but nothing comes through: Check /mcp to confirm that the Discord plugin is indeed connected. Recent reports show cases where the plugin fails to launch even though Claude Code appears ready.
• The messages arrive, but Claude remains idle: This may be a current channel notification error. Restarting the session is the simplest workaround for now.
• Replies stop when the Allow or Deny prompt appears: This is a recently reported issue with Discord Permission Relay. If this happens, restart your session.

If the bot stops working when you close the terminal, this is normal. Claude Code channels only work while the local Claude Code session is still running.

Abid Ali Awan (@1abidaliawan) is a certified data science professional who loves building machine learning models. Currently, he focuses on creating content and writing technical blogs about machine learning and data science technologies. Abid holds a Master’s degree in Technology Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications Engineering. His vision is to build an AI product using a graph neural network for students struggling with mental illness.