Telegram bots (Chat)

reelport Chat runs automations for Telegram bots at chat.reelport.io: private chats, groups, channels, inline mode, payments with Telegram Stars, Telegram Business chats and Mini Apps. Every method of the Telegram Bot API is available as a step.

1. Create a bot with @BotFather

1. In Telegram, open @BotFather and send /newbot.
2. Choose a name (shown in chats) and a username that ends in bot, for example shoeshop_bot.
3. BotFather answers with the API token, which looks like 123456789:AAH…. Keep it secret: whoever has it controls the bot. For an existing bot: /mybots → your bot → API Token.

2. Connect it

1. Open Channels in reelport Chat and click Add bot under Telegram.
2. Paste the token and click Connect bot.

reelport checks the token, stores it encrypted and tells Telegram to deliver every update of the bot to reelport (a webhook with a secret only Telegram and reelport know). Each bot uses one channel slot of your Chat plan. You can connect several bots. A bot can be connected to one reelport account at a time.

Disconnect removes the webhook at Telegram; the bot then stops answering. If you revoke the token in BotFather, the channel shows Signed out: connect the bot again with the new token.

3. BotFather settings worth changing

Name, descriptions, the command menu, the menu button and default admin rights can be set directly in reelport: Channels → Manage bot.

4. Automations

Every automation is for one platform. Click New automation and choose Telegram: the canvas then offers only steps that work on Telegram.

Triggers

• DM with keyword, Any other DM: private messages, like on Instagram.
• Link click (ref): deep links https://t.me/yourbot?start=promo42 (the ref may use letters, digits, _ and -, up to 64 characters).
• Telegram update: any update Telegram sends. Pick the update (message, edited message, channel post, button tap, inline query, chosen inline result, member joined or left, the bot added to a chat, join request, reaction, boost, business connection or message, checkout, shipping question, paid media purchase, subscription…), the chat type (private, group, supergroup, channel), the kind of message (text, /command, photo, video, voice, document, sticker, contact, location, poll, dice, web_app_data, successful_payment, new_chat_members…) and a text rule (keywords, exact, regex, /command, starts with).

Variables

Besides {{first_name}}, {{name}}, {{username}}, {{last_input}} and {{field.…}}:

• {{chat_id}}: the chat the automation started in (a group, or the private chat).
• {{tg.…}}: anything in the update, for example {{tg.message_id}}, {{tg.chat.title}}, {{tg.from.language_code}}, {{tg.contact.phone_number}}, {{tg.successful_payment.total_amount}}, {{tg.data}} (button data), {{tg.query}} (inline query).
• {{result.…}}: what the last Telegram action returned, for example {{result.message_id}} after a send.

Steps

The usual steps work on Telegram: message (with buttons and quick replies, shown as inline buttons), media, gallery, question, email/phone capture, condition, A/B split, delay, tags, fields, HTTP request, notify, hand over to a human, AI reply, follow gate (on Telegram: membership of a channel or group).

The Telegram action step calls any Bot API method: find it in the palette under Telegram Bot API (for example sendPhoto, editMessageText, banChatMember, createForumTopic, sendInvoice, postStory). Each parameter shows Telegram's description. Leave ids empty and reelport fills them from the update that started the automation: chat, message, button tap, inline query, checkout, business connection, forum topic. Objects such as permissions, prices or inline results are written as JSON; the field shows an example. The step has Done and Failed outputs, and the keyboard builder adds inline buttons (continue the automation, link, Mini App, callback data, inline query, copy text, pay), a reply keyboard (text, share phone, share location, Mini App), a forced reply or removes the keyboard.

Files

Photos, videos, voice messages and documents people send are stored and shown in the inbox (Telegram lets bots download files up to 20 MB). To send a file, use its https URL. Methods that only accept an upload (for example setChatPhoto) download the URL and upload it. Inside JSON parameters write upload:https://… to upload instead of letting Telegram fetch the URL. Up to 50 MB, public https addresses only.

5. Groups, channels and forums

Add the bot to a group or channel and make it an admin with the rights it needs. Then use Telegram actions such as approveChatJoinRequest, restrictChatMember, banChatMember, promoteChatMember, setChatPermissions, createChatInviteLink, pinChatMessage and the forum topic methods. The Follow gate step checks with getChatMember that someone joined your channel or group before they get the link. The bot has to be an admin of a channel to check its members.

6. Payments and Telegram Stars

1. Send an invoice with a Telegram action sendInvoice (or createInvoiceLink). For Stars use currency XTR, prices like [{"label":"Guide","amount":50}] (in Stars) and leave the provider token empty.
2. Add an automation with the trigger Telegram update → pre_checkout_query and a Telegram action answerPreCheckoutQuery with ok = yes. Telegram cancels a checkout that isn't answered within 10 seconds; reelport declines checkouts no automation answers right away.
3. Deliver with a trigger on message → successful_payment.

Payments and refunds appear in the contact's history and as the webhook events payment.succeeded and payment.refunded. The charge id is saved as {{field.last_charge_id}} for refundStarPayment. Manage bot shows the Stars balance and the latest transactions.

7. Telegram Business

Telegram Business users can connect your bot in Telegram → Settings → Telegram Business → Chatbots. reelport then answers their customers' chats with your automations, through the business account. Messages the owner types themselves are left alone. Business actions (stories, profile, gifts, Stars) are available as Telegram actions.

8. Inbox, contacts and broadcasts

Telegram conversations land in the inbox with the others. Telegram has no 24-hour window: you can reply, and broadcast to a segment, at any time. People who send STOP get no more automated messages until they send START. reelport keeps to Telegram's limits (about 30 messages a second per bot, one a second per chat, 20 a minute per group), so a large broadcast takes a few minutes.

Troubleshooting

• The bot doesn't answer in a group: turn off group privacy (/setprivacy) and add the bot again, or use /commands.
• Not receiving messages: open Manage bot: it shows updates waiting at Telegram and the last delivery error. Disconnect and connect the bot again to reset the webhook.
• "Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user": the person blocked the bot; that step goes down Failed.
• Too Many Requests: reelport waits and retries; very large broadcasts are spread out automatically.