zulip/api_docs/running-bots.md

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# Running interactive bots
Zulip's API has a powerful framework for interactive bots that react to messages
in Zulip. You can [write your own interactive bot](/api/writing-bots), or run a
Zulip bot from [zulip_bots/bots](
https://github.com/zulip/python-zulip-api/tree/main/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/bots).
## Running a bot
This guide will show you how to run an existing Zulip bot
found in [zulip_bots/bots](
https://github.com/zulip/python-zulip-api/tree/main/zulip_bots/zulip_bots/bots).
You'll need:
* An account in a Zulip organization
(e.g., [the Zulip development community](https://zulip.com/development-community/),
`{{ display_host }}`, or a Zulip organization on your own
[development](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/development/overview.html) or
[production](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/production/install.html) server).
* A computer where you're running the bot from.
**Note: Please be considerate when testing experimental bots on public servers such as chat.zulip.org.**
{start_tabs}
1. [Create a bot](/help/add-a-bot-or-integration), making sure to select
**Generic bot** as the **Bot type**.
1. [Download the bot's `zuliprc` file](/api/configuring-python-bindings#download-a-zuliprc-file).
1. Use the following command to install the
[`zulip_bots` Python package](https://pypi.org/project/zulip-bots/):
pip3 install zulip_bots
1. Use the following command to start the bot process *(replacing
`~/path/to/zuliprc` with the path to the `zuliprc` file you downloaded above)*:
zulip-run-bot <bot-name> --config-file ~/path/to/zuliprc
1. Check the output of the command above to make sure your bot is running.
It should include the following line:
INFO:root:starting message handling...
1. Test your setup by [starting a new direct message](/help/starting-a-new-direct-message)
with the bot or [mentioning](/help/mention-a-user-or-group) the bot on a channel.
!!! tip ""
To use the latest development version of the `zulip_bots` package, follow
[these steps](writing-bots#installing-a-development-version-of-the-zulip-bots-package).
{end_tabs}
You can now play around with the bot and get it configured the way you
like. Eventually, you'll probably want to run it in a production
environment where it'll stay up, by [deploying](/api/deploying-bots) it on a
server using the Zulip Botserver.
## Related articles
* [Non-webhook integrations](/api/non-webhook-integrations)
* [Deploying bots](/api/deploying-bots)
* [Writing bots](/api/writing-bots)