Right-click commands (context menus)

Not every command belongs in the / list. Some make more sense as a right-click: right-click a member for User Info, right-click a message for Report. These are context menu commands — they take no typed options, just the thing the user clicked on. This recipe builds one of each and reads the target.

Context menus register the same way slash commands do — through application.commands.set([...]) in ClientReady — and arrive through the same InteractionCreate event. Only the builder and the way you read input change.

Two kinds

🎯 Good to know: A context menu command takes no options — the "input" is whatever the user right-clicked. That's the whole point: it acts on something already on screen, so there's nothing to type.

Build both

Import the builder and the type enum:

const {
  Client, Events, GatewayIntentBits,
  ContextMenuCommandBuilder, ApplicationCommandType,
} = require('discord.js');

A context menu is a name plus a type. Build one of each:

const userInfo = new ContextMenuCommandBuilder()
  .setName('User Info')
  .setType(ApplicationCommandType.User);

const reportMsg = new ContextMenuCommandBuilder()
  .setName('Report Message')
  .setType(ApplicationCommandType.Message);

Register them in ClientReady, in the same array as your slash commands — they all live in one command list:

client.once(Events.ClientReady, async (c) => {
  await c.application.commands.set([userInfo, reportMsg]);
  console.log(`Listening as ${c.user.tag}`);
});

💡 Tip: The name is what users see in the right-click menu, so write it in plain Title Case — User Info, not user_info. Unlike slash command names, spaces and capitals are allowed.

Handle the clicks

Both arrive through InteractionCreate. Guard each with its own check, then read the target:

client.on(Events.InteractionCreate, async (interaction) => {
  if (interaction.isUserContextMenuCommand() && interaction.commandName === 'User Info') {
    const user = interaction.targetUser;
    await interaction.reply({
      content: `**${user.tag}**\nID: ${user.id}\nJoined Discord: <t:${Math.floor(user.createdTimestamp / 1000)}:R>`,
      ephemeral: true,
    });
    return;
  }

  if (interaction.isMessageContextMenuCommand() && interaction.commandName === 'Report Message') {
    const message = interaction.targetMessage;
    await interaction.reply({
      content: `Reported a message from ${message.author.tag}.`,
      ephemeral: true,
    });
  }
});

The two things that make this work:

• isUserContextMenuCommand() / isMessageContextMenuCommand() tell the two kinds apart (and apart from slash commands and buttons).
• interaction.targetUser is the clicked member; interaction.targetMessage is the clicked message — with its .author, .content, .id, everything a message has.

The <t:…:R> in the reply is a Discord timestamp: give it a Unix time in seconds and Discord renders a live "3 years ago" that updates itself. Handy for join dates and "created" fields.

⚠️ Heads up: Reading a message's .content inside a Message context menu needs the Message Content privileged intent enabled on the Bot page — even though the command itself doesn't. Reporting that a message exists (author, ID) works without it; showing what it said does not.

Context menu or slash command?

Many bots offer both: /userinfo @someone for typing a name, plus a User Info right-click for the person in front of you. They can share the same reply-building code.

Limits worth knowing

• A name is up to 32 characters.
• An application may have up to 5 user context menus and 5 message context menus (separate from your slash command budget).
• No options, no subcommands — if you need input, it's a slash command or a follow-up modal.

Verify it works

Start the bot, then in Discord right-click a member and open Apps → User Info, and right-click any message and open Apps → Report Message. Each replies privately (ephemeral). First-time registration can take a few minutes to appear, same as slash commands.

Troubleshooting

• The command isn't in the right-click menu — first-time global registration lags a few minutes; also confirm the bot was invited with the applications.commands scope.
• "This interaction failed" — no matching guard, or you didn't reply within about three seconds. Match on commandName exactly and reply promptly.
• targetMessage.content is empty — the Message Content intent isn't enabled. Turn it on in the Developer Portal, or don't rely on the text.
• Both handlers fire / wrong one runs — you're missing a return after handling one. Return after each branch so a single interaction takes one path.

Next steps

• Modals: collect structured input
• /kick /ban /timeout with permission checks
• Select menus for choices