Telegram Bot Manager

Quick Start

Setup a new Telegram bot

1. 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)

2. 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:

1. Check network access bash curl -I -m 10 https://api.telegram.org

2. Verify DNS resolution bash nslookup api.telegram.org

3. Test alternative endpoints bash 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

1. Search for your bot username on Telegram

2. Start a conversation with /start

3. Test basic commands

Automated testing

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

References

• Telegram Bot API Documentation

• BotFather Documentation

• OpenClaw Configuration Guide