poe-bot-server-wsgi

This repo demonstrates how to create a server bot for the Poe platform using a WSGI Python web application.

A functioning instance of this bot is available on Poe as Server-Bot-WSGI (by @robhewitt).

Features

• Synchronous (no async): The bot is implemented using synchronous Python, making it compatible with standard WSGI-based web hosting environments (no need for VPS or cloud services such as Modal, etc).
• Flask-based: Built using the Flask microframework to handle HTTP requests and responses.
• Logging: Logs requests and responses for easier debugging and monitoring.
• Chat Relay: Forwards user messages to a third-party bot on Poe and relays the responses back.
• Extensible: Use this codebase as a starting point for your own server bot project. Suitable for experimentation and light traffic scenarios.

Setup Instructions

Part 1: Setting up a Python Web Application

To host this project, you'll need a Python web application setup, which is often available on shared hosting platforms like cPanel.

1. Log into your hosting provider's control panel (e.g., cPanel) and navigate to "Setup Python App".
2. Click "Create Application".
3. Select the latest version of Python (3.x).
4. Set the Application root to poe-bot-server.
5. Set the Application URL to poe-bot-server.
6. Leave the Application startup file and Application Entry point fields blank for now.
7. Click "Create" to initialize the app.
8. Open your browser and visit https://yourdomain.com/poe-bot-server/ to confirm that the default web app setup is running.
9. Use the File Manager in cPanel to navigate to the /poe-bot-server directory.
10. Replace the existing files in this directory with the project files from this repository.
11. Return to "Setup Python App" and click "Edit" to view your app's details.
12. Copy the command provided to enter the virtual environment and run it via SSH (e.g., using PuTTY).
13. Within the SSH session, run pip install -r requirements.txt to install the necessary dependencies.
14. Restart your Python web app to apply the changes.
15. Revisit https://yourdomain.com/poe-bot-server/ to check if the updated app is running.
16. Note: Before your bot can function, you'll need to configure the .env file. This requires completing Part 2.

Part 2: Creating a Server Bot on Poe

To link your web app to Poe, you need to create a server bot profile.

1. Log into your Poe account.
2. Click "Create bot" or navigate to poe.com/create_bot.
3. Select "Server bot".
4. Choose a unique name for your bot.
5. Enter your server's URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/poe-bot-server/) under Server URL.
6. Copy the access key provided by Poe.
7. Update the .env file in your web app directory with the bot name and access key.
8. Click "Check reachability" to test the connection between Poe and your web app. If there are issues, try restarting the app.
9. Once the connection is successful, click "Create bot".
10. Start a chat with your new server bot on Poe to see it in action!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.