giphy_skill

Overview

This skill finds a contextual Giphy GIF and sends it directly into a Discord conversation. It triggers on explicit user requests for GIFs and can proactively add a single, occasional visual reaction for celebrations, humor, or strong emotional beats while staying safe-for-work.

How this skill works

The skill reads a single environment variable, GIPHY_API_KEY, to call the Giphy Search API. It builds a URL-encoded search query from the user intent, requests one result (rating=g), and extracts the first GIF page URL. If a GIF is found the skill sends only that URL so Discord can auto-embed it; otherwise it sends a short fallback asking for clearer keywords.

When to use it

• When a user explicitly asks for a GIF (e.g., “send a happy dance GIF”)
• To add a brief visual reaction during celebrations or shared humor
• When an emotional beat would be enhanced by a short GIF
• Avoid during serious or information-dense threads
• Do not send GIFs repeatedly—keep proactive uses occasional

Best practices

• Ensure GIPHY_API_KEY is set in the environment before using the skill
• Limit proactive GIF replies to one per conversational moment
• Prefer text-only responses for technical, legal, or serious topics
• Use concise, descriptive search keywords (e.g., “mind blown”, “facepalm reaction”)
• Respect channel context and community rules about images and reactions

Example use cases

• User asks: “Can you send a celebration GIF?” — return a happy dance GIF URL
• After a team milestone announcement, send a single celebratory GIF
• Lighten a friendly debate with a humorous reaction GIF when appropriate
• Respond with a quick emotional reaction (e.g., ‘mind blown’) to a surprising announcement
• If no good match, ask the user for more specific keywords