StreamPresence - Discord Rich Presence for Streaming

A lightweight Discord Rich Presence client that displays real-time streaming activity. Shows titles, episode numbers, timestamps, and dynamic poster images in your Discord profile.

Features

• Real-time playback tracking with configurable update intervals
• Dynamic poster images pulled directly from streaming sites
• Episode and timestamp tracking with automatic detection
• Clickable links in presence for direct episode access
• Automatic content detection with no manual input required

Supported Platforms

Currently Supported

• HiAnime (hianime.to / hianime.do)

Planned Support

• YouTube
• Netflix
• Crunchyroll
• Additional streaming platforms

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Discord Desktop Application
• Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera)
• Discord Developer Application credentials

Quick Start

Follow these steps to get up and running in minutes.

1. Get Discord Application Credentials

1. Navigate to Discord Developer Portal
2. Click "New Application" and provide a name (e.g., "Watching")
3. Copy the Application ID from the General Information page

2. Download and Configure

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BraxtonElmer/StreamPresence.git
cd StreamPresence

Create a .env file in the project root:

DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_application_id_here
FLASK_PORT=8731
FLASK_HOST=127.0.0.1
LARGE_IMAGE_KEY=

3. Run Quick Start Script

Windows:

start.bat

macOS/Linux:

chmod +x start.sh
./start.sh

The script will automatically:

• Create a virtual environment
• Install all dependencies
• Start the Flask server

4. Install Browser Extension

1. Open chrome://extensions/ in your browser
2. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top-right)
3. Click "Load unpacked"
4. Select the plugin folder from the project directory

5. Start Streaming

1. Ensure Discord Desktop is running
2. Navigate to a supported streaming site (e.g., HiAnime)
3. Start playing content
4. Check your Discord profile for the updated presence

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Manual Installation

For users who prefer manual setup or need more control over the installation process.

Step 1: Create Discord Application

1. Navigate to Discord Developer Portal
2. Click "New Application" and provide a name
3. Copy the Application ID from the General Information page
4. Optional: Upload custom images under Rich Presence > Art Assets

Step 2: Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/BraxtonElmer/StreamPresence.git
cd StreamPresence

Step 3: Set Up Python Environment

Create a virtual environment:

# Windows
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

# macOS/Linux
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 4: Configure Environment

Create a .env file in the project root with the following content:

DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_application_id_here
FLASK_PORT=8731
FLASK_HOST=127.0.0.1
LARGE_IMAGE_KEY=

Step 5: Install Browser Extension

1. Navigate to chrome://extensions/ in your browser
2. Enable "Developer mode" using the toggle in the top-right
3. Click "Load unpacked"
4. Select the plugin folder from the project directory
5. Verify the extension appears in your extensions list

Step 6: Start the Server

cd python
python app.py

Expected output:

Discord Rich Presence Server running on 127.0.0.1:8731
Watching for activity from browser extension...

Step 7: Verify Functionality

1. Ensure Discord Desktop is running
2. Navigate to a supported streaming site
3. Begin playback of any content
4. Check your Discord profile for updated presence information

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How It Works

The system operates in three stages:

1. Browser Extension: Detects and extracts content metadata (title, episode, timestamp) from web pages
2. Flask Server: Receives HTTP POST requests containing metadata from the browser extension
3. Discord RPC: Updates your Discord Rich Presence using the pypresence library via IPC

Browser Extension  -->  Flask Server  -->  Discord RPC
    (HTTP POST)           (Python)          (IPC)

Project Structure

StreamPresence/
├── plugin/                 # Browser extension
│   ├── manifest.json       # Extension metadata
│   ├── content.js         # Content detection script
│   └── background.js      # Background service worker
├── python/                # Backend server
│   └── app.py            # Flask application
├── .env                  # Environment configuration (required)
├── config.json           # Application settings (optional)
├── .gitignore           # Git exclusions
├── LICENSE              # MIT License
├── README.md           # Documentation
├── requirements.txt    # Python dependencies
├── start.bat          # Windows launcher
└── start.sh          # Unix launcher

Configuration Options

Environment Variables (.env)

Required:

DISCORD_CLIENT_ID=your_application_id_here

Optional:

FLASK_PORT=8731          # Server port (default: 8731)
FLASK_HOST=127.0.0.1     # Server host (default: 127.0.0.1)
LARGE_IMAGE_KEY=         # Static Discord asset key (leave empty for dynamic images)

Application Settings (config.json)

The included config.json file allows you to customize application behavior:

{
  "update_interval": 5
}

Available Settings:

• update_interval (number): Seconds between Discord Rich Presence updates
  • Default: 5 seconds
  • Recommended: 5-15 seconds to avoid Discord's rate limit (5 updates per 20 seconds)
  • Note: The browser extension sends data every 1 second; the server rate-limits outgoing updates based on this setting

Edit config.json and restart the server to apply changes.

Troubleshooting

Rich Presence Not Displaying

• Verify Discord Desktop application is running (web version not supported)
• Confirm Flask server is running without errors
• Check that the Client ID in .env matches your Discord Application
• Restart Discord completely

Browser Extension Issues

• Reload the extension at chrome://extensions/
• Refresh the streaming site page
• Check browser console (F12) for error messages
• Verify extension permissions are granted

Extension Context Errors

When you see "Extension context invalidated":

• This occurs when reloading the extension while pages are open
• Refresh all streaming site tabs to resolve

Server Connection Failures

• Verify .env file exists and contains valid credentials
• Check that port 8731 is not in use by another application
• Ensure firewall is not blocking local connections

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on:

• Adding support for new streaming platforms
• Improving content detection algorithms
• Bug fixes and performance improvements
• Documentation enhancements

Adding New Platform Support

1. Modify content.js in the plugin folder or create a new content script
2. Implement detection for: title, episode, timestamp, duration, poster URL
3. Test thoroughly across different content types
4. Update documentation with platform-specific notes

Development

Running in Development Mode

# Install development dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Start server with debug mode
cd python
python app.py

Testing Browser Extension

1. Make changes to extension files in the plugin folder
2. Reload extension at chrome://extensions/
3. Refresh test pages
4. Verify functionality

Security Notes

• Never commit your .env file to version control
• The .gitignore file excludes .env by default
• Keep your Discord Application credentials private
• Review extension permissions before installation

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Disclaimer

This project is intended for educational purposes. Respect the terms of service of all streaming platforms you use.

Technical Stack

• Backend: Flask (Python web framework)
• RPC Library: pypresence (Discord Rich Presence implementation)
• Extension: Manifest V3 Chrome Extension
• Configuration: python-dotenv for environment management

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and release notes.

Support

For bug reports and feature requests, open an issue on GitHub with:

• Browser name and version
• Python version
• Streaming platform URL
• Error messages or console output
• Steps to reproduce the issue

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