# Lamma for developers

> Build apps, bots and webhooks for Lamma servers.

Lamma lets you build **apps**: bots that join servers, answer slash commands and react to what happens there. It also has **webhooks**, secret links that post into a channel without signing in. Both use a small, versioned API that is close to Discord's on purpose, so most bot code feels familiar.

> [!NOTE]
> Apps are in beta. During the beta, building apps is open to developers we invite. To ask for access, email [lamma.help@gmail.com](mailto:lamma.help@gmail.com).

## What you can build

- **Bots** that read and send messages, add reactions and keep track of a server's channels, roles and members. See [Apps and installs](https://lammapp.sa/developers/apps).
- **Slash commands** that people pick by typing `/` in the message box. See [Slash commands](https://lammapp.sa/developers/commands).
- **Mod-log and welcome bots** that hear about joins, leaves, bans and audit log entries. See [Gateway events](https://lammapp.sa/developers/events).
- **Webhooks** that post updates from your own service into a channel. See [Webhooks](https://lammapp.sa/developers/webhooks).
- **Link cards** that design how your website's links look when someone shares them. See [Link cards](https://lammapp.sa/developers/link-cards).

## How it fits together

| Piece | What it does | Address |
| --- | --- | --- |
| REST API | Read servers, channels and messages; send, edit and react | `https://lammapp.sa/v1` |
| Gateway | A WebSocket that pushes events to your bot as they happen | `wss://lammapp.sa/v1/gateway` |
| Webhooks | Post into one channel with a secret URL | `https://lammapp.sa/api/webhooks/{id}/{secret}` |
| SDKs | [lamma.js](https://lammapp.sa/developers/lamma-js) and [lamma.py](https://lammapp.sa/developers/lamma-py), shaped like discord.js and discord.py | |

Every app works through its own bot account, and Lamma's permission checks apply to it like to anyone else. An app only joins a server when someone who manages that server approves exactly what it asks for.

## Privacy comes first

Some things are never offered to apps, because Lamma keeps them between people:

- Direct messages, presence (online status and activity) and typing.
- Servers the app isn't installed in, and channels its bot can't see.
- Message text, unless the app is approved for it or the message mentions the bot.

Read the [developer rules](https://lammapp.sa/developers/developer-rules) before you ship.

## Next steps

- [Build your first bot](https://lammapp.sa/developers/quick-start) in a few minutes.
- Coming from Discord? Follow [Migrate from discord.js](https://lammapp.sa/developers/migrate-discord-js) or [Migrate from discord.py](https://lammapp.sa/developers/migrate-discord-py).
- Using an AI assistant? Every page has a **Copy page** menu, and [llms.txt](https://lammapp.sa/llms.txt) lists all pages for AI tools.