Capabilities & Scoped Secrets

Every app connection has a capability surface. That surface is negotiated from two inputs:

• the events the bot process can actually produce from its enabled intents
• the events and actions the configured secret allows

What a scoped secret controls

A scoped secret can narrow:

• allowed events
• allowed actions

That turns a single bridge into a controlled access layer for multiple app consumers.

const bridge = createBotBridge({
  token: process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN!,
  intents: ['Guilds', 'GuildMessages', 'MessageContent'],
  server: {
    port: 3001,
    secrets: [
      {
        id: 'dashboard',
        value: process.env.DASHBOARD_SECRET!,
        allow: {
          events: ['messageCreate'],
          actions: ['sendMessage'],
        },
      },
    ],
  },
});

What app.capabilities() gives you

Call app.capabilities() after await app.ready() to inspect the negotiated surface for the current connection.

Use it to confirm:

• the event you subscribed to is actually available
• the action you plan to call can succeed
• your deployed secret scope matches your mental model

The practical rule

Do not treat manifests as the maximum scope. They define the minimum contract an app needs.

If you need to fail startup when a connection is broader than expected, use strict startup with expectedScope.