Syntax

$defer
$defer[ephemeral]

Parameter	Description
ephemeral	Optional. yes or true records that the deferred response is ephemeral; any other value is ignored (no error).

$defer takes 0 or 1 argument and returns an empty string.

What the engine does

• Before running a script for an interaction, the executor acknowledges the interaction automatically, except when the script contains $newModal, $callWorkflow, $eval or $funcCall (a modal must be the first response). In those scripts, $defer acknowledges the interaction itself: without it nobody would acknowledge, and the interaction token would expire after 3 seconds. The acknowledgement is ephemeral with $defer[yes] or when the script contains $ephemeral. If Discord refuses it, the error is Could not defer the interaction: <cause>.
• In every case $defer sets three flags in the execution state: the interaction is acknowledged, a defer was requested, and (with yes/true) the response is ephemeral. Its position in the script does not matter. In a script that was already acknowledged beforehand, or in a host that owns no interaction (such as the sandbox), it only sets these flags.
• Because $defer marks the interaction as acknowledged, $newModal called after it fails with Modal must be the first interaction response.

Example

$defer
$wait[1s]
Done!

The text is sent when the script ends.

Notes

• Calling it several times has no additional effect.
• To make the response ephemeral, use $ephemeral.