Integrated Bot Connection Guidelines
Automation is a vital pillar of the Helix ecosystem. To ensure the continuous performance and stability of our messaging pipelines, we are establishing three straightforward standards for connecting automated scripts and custom bots to the network.
Whether you are developing automated channel moderation tools, administrative scripting utilities, or customized bots, please configure your client configurations to meet these secure baselines.
Use Secure SSL Connections (Port 6697)
All bots must connect over secure sockets using port 6697. The legacy insecure port 6667 is not recommended for persistent background connections. Ensure your script's configuration explicitly enables SSL verification.
Register Your Identity via NickServ
Bots should register their nickname with services using NickServ. If possible, configure your script's handshake to utilize SASL authentication so that the server recognizes the bot's identity and permissions immediately before joining any channels.
Add Rate-Limiting / Anti-Flood Protection
All scripts must include brief wait delays or rate-limiting loops when outputting lines. Running custom loops without a brief artificial delay can trigger the server's automated anti-flood safety rules, resulting in an automatic connection throttle or temporary IP block.
Note: While we value the privacy and creativity of our users, ANY connected script or bot found to be malicious or in violation of our policies in any way will immediately be removed from the network until the issue is resolved.
For technical support or assistance configuring custom connection profiles for your automation tools, feel free to drop a line inside our active community support channels or coordinate directly with a network administrator.