Telegram Bot Handbook

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How to Set Up a Telegram Bot through BotFather ​

Registration ​

You can register a bot using @BotFather.

Once you open BotFather, it will suggest you create a bot with the /newbot command. You will choose bot name and username and then the bot profile will be created.

You will obtain the bot token which looks like 1553279091:AAGLECcm23ihHRomX3PrKHc-IMQcIti6afA. The token is a key to control the bot.

Example of creating a bot

Settings ​

In @BotFather, you can edit bot settings with the /mybots command.

This is how you customize the bot profile and configure special features, such as forbidding being added to groups.

One may register up to 20 bots.

Customization ​

Open the /mybots menu, choose the bot and click Edit bot. Here are the settings that can be customized:

Avatar, name, description and about

Description is the text that users will see in before starting the dialog with the bot. It may contain a picture, possibly a GIF.

TIP

Spend some time to fill the bot profile: that will be helpful and convenient for users. Add a profile picture to make the bot more distinguishable in the chat list. It may be a good idea to include your contacts in "About".

INFO

You can edit command hints or inline mode placeholder from the same menu.

Transferring ​

In BotFather's bot settings you can transfer the ownership to another person. For that, you must have 2FA enabled (for at least 7 days.) The other person should have started a dialog with the bot.