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Telegram

What you'll learn
  • How to create a Telegram bot and connect it to AutoTalk
  • What the setup process looks like step by step
  • What message types are supported

The Telegram channel connects a Telegram bot to AutoTalk. Customers interact with your bot on Telegram, and their messages appear in your Inbox. You reply from AutoTalk, and responses are delivered back through the bot.

When to use this channel​

  • Your customers or audience are active on Telegram
  • You want to provide customer support or automated responses through a Telegram bot
  • You need a channel that supports rich media such as images, documents, and formatted text

Prerequisites​

Before setting up this channel, you need:

  • A Telegram account (free to create)
  • A Telegram bot created through the official @BotFather bot

If you do not have a Telegram bot yet, follow the steps below to create one.

Step 1: Create a Telegram bot​

  1. Open the Telegram app (mobile or desktop) and search for @BotFather.
  2. Start a conversation with BotFather and send the command /newbot.
  3. BotFather will ask for a display name for your bot (for example, "My Company Support").
  4. Next, BotFather will ask for a username for the bot. This must end in "bot" (for example, mycompany_support_bot).
  5. BotFather will respond with a bot token — a long string of characters. Copy this token and keep it safe.

Step 2: Connect the bot to AutoTalk​

  1. In the sidebar, go to Integrações > Canais to open the Channels list.
  2. Click the Adicionar canal (Add channel) button.
  3. In the channel type dropdown, select Telegram.
  4. In the configuration field that appears, paste the bot token you received from BotFather.
  5. Save the channel.

Your Telegram bot is now linked to AutoTalk. Any message sent to the bot on Telegram will appear in your Inbox.

Supported message types​

  • Text messages — Full text messaging with support for Telegram's formatting (bold, italic, monospace)
  • Images and photos — Send and receive images
  • Documents and files — Share PDFs, spreadsheets, and other files
  • Videos and audio — Send and receive media files
  • Reply threading — Reply to specific messages in a conversation

Important considerations​

  • Each Telegram bot can only be connected to one service at a time. If the bot is already connected to another platform, disconnect it there first.
  • Telegram bots cannot initiate conversations. The customer must send the first message to your bot.
  • Bot usernames are unique on Telegram. Choose a professional, recognizable username for your business.
tip

After creating your bot, use BotFather's /setdescription and /setuserpic commands to add a description and profile picture. This makes your bot look professional and helps customers know they are contacting the right business.

Next steps​