2026/01/30

MoltBot Telegram Bot - Complete Integration Tutorial

Set up MoltBot as a Telegram bot. Step-by-step configuration, commands, and advanced features guide.

Complete MoltBot Telegram Integration Guide

Telegram is one of the most popular ways to interact with MoltBot. This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced features.

Why Telegram?

Cross-Platform: Works on any device
No Phone Number Sharing: Privacy-friendly
Rich Features: Images, files, buttons, groups
API-Friendly: Easy bot integration
Fast: Real-time message delivery

Creating Your Telegram Bot

Step 1: Talk to BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Start a chat and send /newbot
Follow the prompts:
- Choose a name (e.g., "My MoltBot")
- Choose a username (must end in bot, e.g., myMoltBot_bot)

Step 2: Get Your Token

BotFather will give you a token like:

123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

Keep this token secret!

Step 3: Configure MoltBot

# Set the token
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"

# Enable Telegram integration
moltbot config set telegram.enabled true

Or in ~/.moltbot/config.json:

{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"
  }
}

Step 4: Start MoltBot

moltbot start

Now you can chat with your bot on Telegram!

Bot Configuration

Basic Settings

{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
    "allowedUsers": [],
    "allowedGroups": [],
    "adminUsers": []
  }
}

Access Control

Restrict who can use the bot:

{
  "telegram": {
    "allowedUsers": [123456789, 987654321],
    "allowedGroups": [-1001234567890],
    "adminUsers": [123456789]
  }
}

Find your user ID by messaging @userinfobot on Telegram.

Bot Commands

Set up command suggestions in BotFather:

/start - Start the bot
/help - Show help message
/memory - Manage memory
/settings - Bot settings
/cancel - Cancel current operation

Send to BotFather:

/setcommands

Features

Text Chat

Simply send a message to your bot:

You: What's the weather like?
Bot: I don't have real-time weather data, but I can help you set up weather alerts...

Image Analysis

Send an image with a question:

[Image attachment]
You: What's in this image?
Bot: This image shows...

Document Processing

Send PDFs, text files, or code:

[document.pdf]
You: Summarize this document
Bot: Here's a summary of the key points...

Voice Messages

Send voice messages for transcription:

[Voice message]
Bot: I heard: "Please remind me to call John at 3pm"

Group Chat Integration

Adding to Groups

Add your bot to a Telegram group
Give it admin rights (or disable privacy mode)

Privacy Mode

By default, bots only see messages that:

Start with /
Mention the bot
Are replies to the bot

To see all messages, disable privacy mode in BotFather:

/setprivacy

Group Configuration

{
  "telegram": {
    "groups": {
      "-1001234567890": {
        "enabled": true,
        "triggerOnMention": true,
        "triggerOnReply": true,
        "prefix": "!bot"
      }
    }
  }
}

Group Commands

In groups, users can:

@your_bot What's the capital of France?
/ask What time is it in Tokyo?
!bot Tell me a joke

Inline Mode

Enable Inline Queries

In BotFather:

/setinline

Enter a placeholder like "Type a query..."

Using Inline Mode

In any chat, type:

@your_bot translate hello to Spanish

Inline Configuration

{
  "telegram": {
    "inline": {
      "enabled": true,
      "cacheTime": 300,
      "isPersonal": true
    }
  }
}

Notifications and Reminders

Setting Reminders

You: Remind me to call mom in 2 hours
Bot: Got it! I'll remind you to call mom at 5:30 PM

Daily Summaries

{
  "telegram": {
    "notifications": {
      "dailySummary": {
        "enabled": true,
        "time": "09:00"
      }
    }
  }
}

Webhooks vs Polling

Polling (Default)

Simple, works everywhere:

{
  "telegram": {
    "mode": "polling",
    "pollingInterval": 1000
  }
}

Webhooks (Recommended for Production)

Faster, more efficient:

{
  "telegram": {
    "mode": "webhook",
    "webhook": {
      "url": "https://yourdomain.com/telegram/webhook",
      "secret": "your-secret-token"
    }
  }
}

Set up webhook:

moltbot telegram set-webhook https://yourdomain.com/telegram/webhook

Customization

Welcome Message

{
  "telegram": {
    "messages": {
      "welcome": "Hello! I'm MoltBot, your AI assistant. How can I help you today?",
      "help": "Here's what I can do:\\n- Answer questions\\n- Analyze images\\n- Set reminders\\n- And much more!"
    }
  }
}

Custom Keyboards

{
  "telegram": {
    "keyboard": {
      "persistent": true,
      "buttons": [
        ["Help", "Settings"],
        ["My Tasks", "Reminders"]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Typing Indicator

{
  "telegram": {
    "showTyping": true
  }
}

Rate Limiting

Protect against spam:

{
  "telegram": {
    "rateLimit": {
      "messagesPerMinute": 20,
      "burstLimit": 5
    }
  }
}

Logging and Debugging

Enable Debug Logs

DEBUG=moltbot:telegram moltbot start

View Telegram Updates

moltbot telegram logs --follow

Troubleshooting

Bot Not Responding

Check token is correct
Verify bot is running: moltbot status
Check logs: moltbot logs

"Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user"

The user blocked your bot. Can't send messages to them.

Webhook Errors

Ensure HTTPS with valid certificate
Check webhook URL is accessible
Verify secret token matches

Rate Limit Errors

Telegram limits: 30 messages/second per bot, 20 messages/minute per chat.

{
  "telegram": {
    "rateLimit": {
      "respectTelegramLimits": true
    }
  }
}

Your MoltBot is now ready to chat on Telegram! Need help? Join our Discord community.

All Posts

MoltBot Telegram Bot - Complete Integration Tutorial

Set up MoltBot as a Telegram bot. Step-by-step configuration, commands, and advanced features guide.

Complete MoltBot Telegram Integration Guide

Telegram is one of the most popular ways to interact with MoltBot. This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced features.

Why Telegram?

Cross-Platform: Works on any device
No Phone Number Sharing: Privacy-friendly
Rich Features: Images, files, buttons, groups
API-Friendly: Easy bot integration
Fast: Real-time message delivery

Creating Your Telegram Bot

Step 1: Talk to BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Start a chat and send /newbot
Follow the prompts:
- Choose a name (e.g., "My MoltBot")
- Choose a username (must end in bot, e.g., myMoltBot_bot)

Step 2: Get Your Token

BotFather will give you a token like:

123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

Keep this token secret!

Step 3: Configure MoltBot

# Set the token
export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"

# Enable Telegram integration
moltbot config set telegram.enabled true

Or in ~/.moltbot/config.json:

{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz"
  }
}

Step 4: Start MoltBot

moltbot start

Now you can chat with your bot on Telegram!

Bot Configuration

Basic Settings

{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
    "allowedUsers": [],
    "allowedGroups": [],
    "adminUsers": []
  }
}

Access Control

Restrict who can use the bot:

{
  "telegram": {
    "allowedUsers": [123456789, 987654321],
    "allowedGroups": [-1001234567890],
    "adminUsers": [123456789]
  }
}

Find your user ID by messaging @userinfobot on Telegram.

Bot Commands

Set up command suggestions in BotFather:

/start - Start the bot
/help - Show help message
/memory - Manage memory
/settings - Bot settings
/cancel - Cancel current operation

Send to BotFather:

/setcommands

Features

Text Chat

Simply send a message to your bot:

You: What's the weather like?
Bot: I don't have real-time weather data, but I can help you set up weather alerts...

Image Analysis

Send an image with a question:

[Image attachment]
You: What's in this image?
Bot: This image shows...

Document Processing

Send PDFs, text files, or code:

[document.pdf]
You: Summarize this document
Bot: Here's a summary of the key points...

Voice Messages

Send voice messages for transcription:

[Voice message]
Bot: I heard: "Please remind me to call John at 3pm"

Group Chat Integration

Adding to Groups

Add your bot to a Telegram group
Give it admin rights (or disable privacy mode)

Privacy Mode

By default, bots only see messages that:

Start with /
Mention the bot
Are replies to the bot

To see all messages, disable privacy mode in BotFather:

/setprivacy

Group Configuration

{
  "telegram": {
    "groups": {
      "-1001234567890": {
        "enabled": true,
        "triggerOnMention": true,
        "triggerOnReply": true,
        "prefix": "!bot"
      }
    }
  }
}

Group Commands

In groups, users can:

@your_bot What's the capital of France?
/ask What time is it in Tokyo?
!bot Tell me a joke

Inline Mode

Enable Inline Queries

In BotFather:

/setinline

Enter a placeholder like "Type a query..."

Using Inline Mode

In any chat, type:

@your_bot translate hello to Spanish

Inline Configuration

{
  "telegram": {
    "inline": {
      "enabled": true,
      "cacheTime": 300,
      "isPersonal": true
    }
  }
}

Notifications and Reminders

Setting Reminders

You: Remind me to call mom in 2 hours
Bot: Got it! I'll remind you to call mom at 5:30 PM

Daily Summaries

{
  "telegram": {
    "notifications": {
      "dailySummary": {
        "enabled": true,
        "time": "09:00"
      }
    }
  }
}

Webhooks vs Polling

Polling (Default)

Simple, works everywhere:

{
  "telegram": {
    "mode": "polling",
    "pollingInterval": 1000
  }
}

Webhooks (Recommended for Production)

Faster, more efficient:

{
  "telegram": {
    "mode": "webhook",
    "webhook": {
      "url": "https://yourdomain.com/telegram/webhook",
      "secret": "your-secret-token"
    }
  }
}

Set up webhook:

moltbot telegram set-webhook https://yourdomain.com/telegram/webhook

Customization

Welcome Message

{
  "telegram": {
    "messages": {
      "welcome": "Hello! I'm MoltBot, your AI assistant. How can I help you today?",
      "help": "Here's what I can do:\\n- Answer questions\\n- Analyze images\\n- Set reminders\\n- And much more!"
    }
  }
}

Custom Keyboards

{
  "telegram": {
    "keyboard": {
      "persistent": true,
      "buttons": [
        ["Help", "Settings"],
        ["My Tasks", "Reminders"]
      ]
    }
  }
}

Typing Indicator

{
  "telegram": {
    "showTyping": true
  }
}

Rate Limiting

Protect against spam:

{
  "telegram": {
    "rateLimit": {
      "messagesPerMinute": 20,
      "burstLimit": 5
    }
  }
}

Logging and Debugging

Enable Debug Logs

DEBUG=moltbot:telegram moltbot start

View Telegram Updates

moltbot telegram logs --follow

Troubleshooting

Bot Not Responding

Check token is correct
Verify bot is running: moltbot status
Check logs: moltbot logs

"Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user"

The user blocked your bot. Can't send messages to them.

Webhook Errors

Ensure HTTPS with valid certificate
Check webhook URL is accessible
Verify secret token matches

Rate Limit Errors

Telegram limits: 30 messages/second per bot, 20 messages/minute per chat.

{
  "telegram": {
    "rateLimit": {
      "respectTelegramLimits": true
    }
  }
}

Your MoltBot is now ready to chat on Telegram! Need help? Join our Discord community.

All Posts

MoltBot Telegram Bot - Complete Integration Tutorial

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