Telegram Bot Manager

Quick Start

Setup a new Telegram bot

Create bot via BotFather
- Message @BotFather on Telegram
- Use /newbot command
- Follow prompts for bot name and username
- Copy the bot token (format: 1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz)
Configure in OpenClaw
- Add token to OpenClaw config
- Enable Telegram plugin
- Set up pairing mode for DM access

Validate bot configuration

# Test Telegram API connectivity
curl -I https://api.telegram.org

# Check bot token validity
curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_TOKEN>/getMe"

Common Workflows

Troubleshooting connectivity issues

When api.telegram.org is unreachable:

Check network access
```
curl -I -m 10 https://api.telegram.org
```
Verify DNS resolution
```
nslookup api.telegram.org
```
Test alternative endpoints
```
curl -I https://telegram.org
```

Configuring OpenClaw Telegram integration

See OPENCLAW_CONFIG.md for detailed configuration steps.

Bot token security

Never commit bot tokens to version control
Store tokens in environment variables or secure config files
Rotate tokens if compromised
Use different tokens for different environments (dev/prod)

Bot Commands Reference

Common Telegram bot commands for BotFather:

/newbot - Create a new bot
/mybots - Manage your bots
/setdescription - Set bot description
/setabouttext - Set about text
/setuserpic - Set bot profile picture
/setcommands - Set bot commands
/token - Generate new token
/revoke - Revoke current token
/setprivacy - Configure privacy mode

Webhook vs Polling

Webhook (Recommended for production)

Bot receives updates via HTTP POST
Requires public HTTPS endpoint
More efficient for high-volume bots

Polling (Good for development)

Bot continuously checks for updates
Simpler setup, no public endpoint needed
Easier to debug locally

See WEBHOOK_SETUP.md for webhook configuration.

Error Handling

Common errors and solutions

"Connection timed out"

Check firewall rules
Verify proxy configuration
Test with different network

"Invalid token"

Verify token format (should contain colon)
Check for extra spaces or characters
Regenerate token if needed

"Bot not responding"

Verify bot is not blocked
Check bot privacy settings
Ensure bot has proper permissions

Testing Your Bot

Manual testing

Search for your bot username on Telegram
Start a conversation with /start
Test basic commands

Automated testing

Use the test script in scripts/test_bot.py for automated validation.

telegram-bot-manager

Safety Notice

Copy this and send it to your AI assistant to learn