Get started

These pages will help you get started building a Root Bot. By the end of this section, you'll be able to:

• Set up your development machine and Root account.
• Accurately describe the components of a Root Bot and the function of each.

📄️ 1. Overview

A Root Bot is a software application that extends the functionality of Root communities. Developers build Root Bots and publish them to the Root Store. Community administrators then install Bots from the Store into their communities. A Bot runs as server-only without any client-side graphical user interface (GUI) in the community.

📄️ 2. Setup

You can develop for the Root Platform on Windows or macOS. You'll need to do a few Root setup tasks before starting to write code. Skip any steps that you've completed previously.

📄️ 3. Generate starter code

Root supplies a command-line utility named create-root that generates starter code. You'll need npx installed on your machine in order to run the tool (npx is included with Node).

📄️ 4. Build your Bot

Building a Bot with Root requires a few key steps to set up your Bot's test environment and compile your project. In this guide, we’ll walk you through adding your DEV_TOKEN to your project and compiling your code. After going through these steps, your Bot will be ready to run locally.

📄️ 5. Test your Bot

Root supports testing your Bot locally. Your Bot still needs a valid DEV_TOKEN because execution isn't fully local. Calls to the Community API (e.g., programmatically creating a new message in a community channel) will go through Root's servers and then to the Root native client.

📄️ 6. What's next?

You're ready to start building. Your dev setup is done, your Root account is active, and you've seen how Root code is organized.