[Feature Request] chat.z.ai: Add DM User Allowlist/Restriction for Hosted Discord Bot

🚀 Feature Request

Add DM access control settings for the hosted Z.ai Discord bot integration, allowing bot owners to restrict which Discord users can send DMs to their bot instance.

Target Platform: chat.z.ai dashboard → Discord/IM Channel Configuration

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📋 Current Behavior (Problem)

❌ Issue

The hosted Z.ai Discord bot currently accepts DMs from ANY user who shares a server with the bot. There is no dashboard setting to:

• Restrict DM access to specific user IDs
• Block unauthorized users from consuming bot owner's quota
• Prevent unwanted DM interactions

🎯 Use Case

Bot owners using the hosted Z.ai integration for personal use want to prevent other server members from:

• Consuming their paid quota via DM interactions
• Accessing their private bot instance
• Sending unsolicited messages

"Currently, the hosted Z.ai Discord bot accepts DMs from any user who shares a server with it. There is no dashboard setting to restrict DM access to specific Discord user IDs."
— kori [db], Discord

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✅ Proposed Solution

New Dashboard Setting

Add a DM Access Policy section under Discord/IM channel configuration in chat.z.ai:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Discord Bot DM Settings               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                         │
│  DM Access Policy:                      │
│  ○ Open (anyone can DM)        [current]│
│  ● Allowlist (restricted)       [NEW]   │
│  ○ Disabled (no DMs)            [NEW]   ││                                         ││  ┌─────────────────────────────┐        │n│  │ Allowed User IDs (one per line)│     ││  │                             │        ││  │ 123456789012345678          │        ││  │ 987654321098765432          │        ││  │                             │        ││  └─────────────────────────────┘        ││                                         ││  ○ Silently ignore DMs from others      ││  ○ Reply with "access denied" message    ││                                         │└─────────────────────────────────────────┘```### Expected Behavior When Enabled
| Scenario | Behavior |
|----------|----------|
| Authorized user sends DM | ✅ Processed normally |
| Non-authorized user sends DM | 🔇 Silently ignored (or custom rejection) |
| User not in allowlist attempts DM | No quota consumed, no response |

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## 🔗 Precedent: Self-Hosted OpenClaw

This feature **already exists** in self-hosted OpenClaw configurations:

```yaml
# openclaw.config.yaml
dmPolicy: "allowlist"
allowFrom:
  - "123456789012345678"
  - "987654321098765432"

Request: Port this same capability to the hosted Z.ai service via dashboard UI.

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💡 Implementation Suggestions

Priority: MEDIUM-HIGH

Phase 1: Basic Allowlist (MVP)

• Add "DM Policy" dropdown: Open | Allowlist | Disabled
• Text area for comma-separated or newline-separated Discord user IDs
• Server-side validation of user ID format (17-19 digit snowflake)
• Silent ignore behavior for non-authorized DMs

Phase 2: Enhanced Features

• Import from Discord role/server membership
• Custom rejection message option
• DM access log (who attempted, when)
• Rate limiting per-user even within allowlist

Phase 3: Advanced

• Time-based allowlist (temporary access windows)
• Webhook notification on blocked DM attempt
• Per-user quota limits within shared bot instance

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🎯 User Impact

Who Benefits?

User Type	Benefit
Personal bot hosters	Prevent quota theft by server members
Team/small org	Control internal bot access
Premium subscribers	Protect $168/month plan usage
Privacy-focused users	Ensure only authorized DMs processed

Quota Protection

This is primarily a billing protection feature:

• Unauthorized DMs consume bot owner's quota
• No way to track/block this currently
• Could lead to unexpected charges from bad actors

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📊 Technical Considerations

Discord API Level

• No Discord gateway changes needed
• Filter at message receive handler before processing
• Check message.author.id against allowlist
• If not allowed: return early, don't increment usage

Database Schema

ALTER TABLE bot_configurations
ADD COLUMN dm_policy ENUM('open', 'allowlist', 'disabled') DEFAULT 'open',
ADD COLUMN dm_allowlist JSON; -- Array of snowflake strings

Edge Cases

Case	Recommended Handling
Empty allowlist + allowlist mode	Treat as "disabled" — block all
User leaves server but still in allowlist	Still allowed (ID-based, not membership)
Bot owner removes themselves from allowlist	Warning: "You'll lose DM access"
DM from bot itself/other bots	Always ignore (standard practice)

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🔒 Security Implications

Positive

• ✅ Prevents quota exhaustion attacks
• ✅ Reduces unauthorized API usage surface
• ✅ Aligns hosted feature parity with self-hosted security options

Risks

• None significant — purely additive feature, opt-in

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🔄 Alternatives Considered

Alternative	Pros	Cons	Verdict
Status quo	No dev work	Quota vulnerable, user complaints	❌ Rejected
Server-level restriction	Broader control	Overkill, affects channels too	⚠️ Partial
Dashboard allowlist (PROPOSED)	Granular, UI-friendly, matches OpenClaw	Dev work required	✅ Recommended

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📝 Additional Context

User Statement

"Self-hosted OpenClaw already supports this via dmPolicy: 'allowlist' + allowFrom in config, but the hosted Z.ai service has no equivalent setting. Requested: A DM access restriction setting in the Z.ai dashboard (chat.z.ai) under the Discord/IM channel configuration, allowing bot owners to specify which Discord user IDs are authorized to DM the bot. DMs from non-authorized users should be silently ignored."

"Use case: Bot owners using the hosted integration for personal use want to prevent other server members from consuming their quota or interacting with their bot instance via DM."
— kori [db], Discord

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🔗 Discord Thread Reference

Original Report: Feature request submitted by kori [db] via Discord

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Submitted by: Roman Galaxys10 (Roman) — Z.ai Volunteer Ambassador
Discord: bignavi_x
GitHub: romangalaxys10-spec
Source: Discord Community — User: kori [db]

Start with the chat.z.ai dashboard’s Discord/IM channel configuration, the hosted bot’s message receive handler, and the bot_configurations schema named in the issue. Compare the hosted flow with the referenced dmPolicy/allowFrom behavior. Done means owners can configure open, allowlist, or disabled DM access, unauthorized messages are blocked before quota usage, and the setting is validated and persisted.