Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Telegram Chatbot in 2025

What is a Telegram bot?

A Telegram chatbot is a special type of account on Telegram messenger that is operated by software rather than a person. If you’re not using Telegram marketing, you’re missing out! 

Chatbots can do a lot, including answering questions, setting reminders, helping customers place orders, and more. You can program a bot to carry out specific tasks, making it a helpful personal assistant for you and your business.

Why choose Telegram for chatbots?

Telegram is one of the most bot-friendly apps. The platform is easy to integrate with other tools, and it’s also free, fast, and secure.

Telegram has over 950 million monthly active users worldwide, and they can serve as a ready-made audience for your business. It’s no surprise that Telegram bots have gained major popularity in recent years, especially with small and medium businesses. 

Many companies are turning to Telegram bots to automate customer service queries, offer e-commerce services, and connect with their customers.

Advantages of using Telegram for chatbots

Let’s check out a few advantages of using Telegram for chatbots:

• Cost-effectiveness. You don’t need to pay to create or run a bot on Telegram. This makes it a great choice for small businesses on a tight budget.
• Ease of set-up. Not a tech pro? Don’t worry, you don’t need to know how to code to set up a Telegram chatbot. In fact, we’ll guide you through this process in the next section of this article.
• Accessibility. Telegram bots operate seamlessly on phones, computers, and tablets alike. They work smoothly even when your internet connection is slow. 
• Rich media support. Telegram bots can send pictures and videos and use interactive buttons. This means that you can present information in a clear and visual way, making it easier for users to navigate.
• Automation. The bot can do a lot without human oversight, including answering easy questions, guiding users, or collecting info. This reduces repetitive tasks and allows you to focus on other parts of your business.
• Marketing features. With Telegram, you don’t need to rely on temperamental social media algorithms, as it delivers messages directly to your subscribers.  You can share updates, offers, or content and know that it actually reaches your audience.

How do Telegram chatbots work?

So, what is the behind Telegram chatbots? How do they work, exactly?

Key features of Telegram bots

Telegram bots can have many purposes, but all share these features:

• Bot API. Telegram chatbots use simple code to respond to messages. They connect to Telegram with a tool called Bot API (Application Programming Interface) that allows them to send replies and receive commands.
• Automatic replies. Bots can reply to messages, custom commands (like “/start”), or specific keywords instantly and automatically. You can also set up scheduled messages to have your bot send daily tips or reminders, for example.
• Multilingual support. You can create bots that talk to users in different languages, depending on their settings.
• Integration. There are plenty of tools you can integrate your bot with — CRM systems, Google Workspace tools like Google Sheets, websites, and more. 
• Personalization. Bots can identify users and offer personalized responses based on their input or behavior.

Conversational flows and automation

Bots can do more than just reply to messages — they can have a full-on conversation with the user, leading them step-by-step. This is called conversational flow. An example of this would be your bot asking a user what service they want, offering several options to choose from, and giving feedback based off of that. 

You can build different kinds of flows to help users place orders, make bookings, answer FAQs, or even collect feedback. Once you’ve set it up, the bot takes care of everything for you, and there’s no need to monitor the conversation. 

Artificial intelligence in Telegram bots

Some Telegram bots use artificial intelligence to understand users better and give more natural responses. This goes beyond simple commands — AI can help the bot understand different ways of asking the same question, hold a conversation, and recommend products.

To add this feature to your bot, you need to connect your bot to an external AI service. These include ChatGPT or Google Dialogflow among others. These services often offer guides and free tiers to help you get started.

An example of this would be a Telegram bot that sends a customer’s question to ChatGPT and then returns an AI-generated response. In other words, instead of just following rules and commands, an AI-powered bot can adjust to different scenarios.

Step-by-step guide to creating a Telegram chatbot

Now that you know what Telegram chatbots are, let’s have a look at how to create one for your own business. You don’t need to be a computer wiz to get started — just follow the steps below!

Step 1: Set up Telegram and BotFather

First of all, you need to register in Telegram. You can do so by downloading the Telegram application for your device or using it on the web if you already have an account.

Once your account is ready, search for a bot called BotFather, which is Telegram’s official tool for creating your own bots.

Step 2: Create your bot with BotFather

In the dialogue with BotFather, click on the Start button. You’ll see a menu of all commands available. Since we’re just getting started, select /newbot.

Step 3: Name and set a username for your bot

The next step is choosing a name and a username for your bot. What is the difference, you ask? In this context, the bot’s name is the display name people will see when they interact with it. The username is more technical — it’s how users search for and mention your bot. It must be unique and end with “bot.”

You can change the name of your bot anytime. The username, which is what makes your bot findable, is harder to amend — so make sure you pick something simple, relevant for your business, and future-proof in case you decide to change something about your bot down the line. If you absolutely have to change the name of your bot, reach out to Telegram customer service for more info.

Step 4: Generate API token

Once you’ve assigned the name and the username, Telegram will come up with an API token for your bot automatically. The API token is a long string of letters and numbers — think of it as a password for your bot. It’s very important that you keep your API token private, as anyone who gets it will be able to control your bot.

You’ll use the API token later to connect your bot to other platforms or services.

Your new bot is all ready!

Step 5: Connect your bot to a chatbot builder

Now that you’ve set up your chatbot and received your API token, it’s time to decide how your bot will actually work. What is its purpose, what features will it have? This is where chatbot builders come in.

There are many tools that allow you to add features to your bots, such as ManyChat or Chatfuel. But did you know you could do this via Selzy’s Telegram chatbot builder? This is what we’re going to do today — even if you’re not using Selzy to build your bot, we’d recommend that you follow along anyway!

Once you’ve logged in to your Selzy account, click on Chatbots and scroll down to Create scenario button on the right.

You’ll see the scenario visual builder. Click on Merge.

You’ll be prompted to connect your chatbot to Selzy. This is where your API token comes in — simply copy it from BotFather on Telegram and paste it into the field.

Click on the Connect chatbot button. Voila — you’re ready to begin customizing your bot.

Step 6: Customize your bot and add features

Now that your bot is connected to the chatbot builder, it’s time to make it useful by adding some features and actions. What’s it going to be? Click on the Edit button in the top right corner to get started. Next, you will see the drag-and-drop chatbot scenario builder:

From here, you can drag and drop options from the menu on the left to create a conversation flow and connect each block via arrows. Each block represents user actions and your bot’s replies. These blocks can show messages, create menus, or collect data. It’s really easy to build a conversation flow without any need for coding or technical knowledge.

Here’s an example of what this might look like:

Let’s imagine that this is going to be a customer service bot for a small store, and fill these fields in accordingly. 

Step 7: Test your bot

Once you feel your conversational flow is ready, it’s time to test it yourself before you share it with your customers. Save and sync it by clicking on the Publish button in the right corner of the editor window, and then switch over to Telegram to see your bot in action.

Try clicking through each button, entering different inputs, and checking if the responses make sense. Also, check for typos, broken links, and other issues you may have missed when you were building your conversation flow. 

Promoting and optimizing your Telegram bot

You’ve built your bot, and you made sure to test it by clicking through each button and double-checking every bit of text. It’s time to launch it!

Promoting your Telegram bot

The simplest way to announce to the world that you now have a Telegram bot is by sharing its username link (since our bot’s username is selzy_task_bot, its link would be t.me/selzy_task_bot). Post it on your website, social media, or anywhere else where you have a following. 

Make sure you explain to your customers what this bot is, and how they’ll benefit from using it. Consider offering an incentive — encourage first-time users with a discount or early access to a product or service. 

Analyzing your bot’s performance

Curious to see how well your bot is doing, how many customers are using it, which features they love? This is where chatbot analytics come in. 

If you built your bot with Selzy, you’ll be able to see the number of interactions and clicks for each separate block that you’ve added to your conversational flow. To do that, go to the Chatbots dashboard, find your bot, and click on Open.

This is what it might look like:

Bot analytics don’t just show how your chatbot performs — they can also give you valuable insights into your business. For example, if your customers keep referring to the FAQ section, this may mean there’s an issue with your product or your website is unclear. Alternatively, you might discover interest in a feature you didn’t consider important. 

Since bots allow users to leave feedback, ask your customers to share what works and what doesn’t. Listening to them will deepen your relationship as well as improve your bot.

With all of this new knowledge at hand, keep updating your bot — don’t just treat it as a one-time project. Add new products, promotions, or changes, and make sure the information stays accurate.

Enhancing your Telegram chatbot

Once your basic bot is up and running, it’s time to level it up. Let’s examine some of the best ways you can make your bot work harder, better, faster, stronger.

Adding AI and custom features

As we already discussed, connecting your chatbot to an AI tool will allow it to answer questions more naturally, as well as handle more complex conversations. You can also add custom features like product recommendations, order tracking, or even small talk, depending on what you need.

Integrating payments and external services

Telegram bots can do more than just talk. They can also accept payments or integrate with various software like CRM systems or email marketing platforms like Selzy.

Telegram supports built-in payments, which means customers can pay for things directly on the app. However, you can also integrate services like PayPal or Stripe to handle orders and automate updates.

Hosting games and adding engagement features

Telegram bots don’t have to be all business — they can be fun for your customers, too. In addition to answering customer service questions or helping with orders, they can host quizzes, polls, giveaways, and even mini-games. Gamification can help users feel entertained and engaged. 

Through its Games API, Telegram supports HTML5 games (also known as web-based games), which run right inside Telegram and can include leaderboards and multiplayer features. 

These features are great for adding personality to your brand and will have people coming back for more, even if they don’t need customer support.

Telegram chatbot use cases

Telegram bots can be used in many different ways depending on your needs and goals. This includes supporting day-to-day business operations, helping users find information, and promoting content. Let’s look at some of the most common ways people use Telegram chatbots.

Customer service bots

As you already know, one of the most popular uses for Telegram bots is handling customer service queries. A bot can help with many of the common issues customers face — answering FAQs, providing updates on the order status, helping with account issues, or guiding them. And if something goes wrong, bots can be programmed to connect the customer to a real person, either by transferring the chat to live support or by alerting a member of your team.

This saves time for both parties. Customers can get help quickly, outside of working hours and regardless of their geographical location while your team can focus on more complex problems that require a human touch. You can also set up buttons or menus to make it easier for users to find what they need.

Sales and marketing bots

Bots can help your business promote new products or make recommendations to customers, driving sales directly in the chat. You can set your chatbot up to send updates to customers about new items, upcoming events, or any offers you may be having. Bots also allow you to reach your intended audience instantly, without relying on algorithms. 

Bots can recommend products to your customers based on their behavior — such as what they click on or ask about. To add this feature to your bot, connect it to Google Recommendations AI, ChatGPT, or other AI systems. For marketers, this means better engagement and more personalization in customer communication.

Community management and group bots

Bots can be great for managing online communities and group chats. They can help welcome new members, remove spam, share rules, and answer FAQs. You can also use your bot to run polls, share regular updates with the members of your community, or tag admins. This kind of automation helps keep the group alive while saving community managers time and ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Pricing for Telegram chatbots

The good news is that running a Telegram chatbot is completely free as Telegram doesn’t charge you to use its Bot API or to host your bot. The bad news is that you might run into some costs anyway depending on the features you want, for example, AI tools, integrations, or the best chatbot builders. 

Cost of Telegram bot development

The cost of Telegram bot development really depends on how complex you want your bot to be. For small businesses, even a low-cost setup can go a long way. If you want a really unique, custom-built bot, you may have to hire and pay for a professional developer, external hosting, or advanced integrations.

On freelance platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, the development cost can start from $20 and go up to $500 depending on the features and delivery speed.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to getting started with Telegram bots! They’re easy to set up, can help your business save time, answer questions, and stay connected with customers. Start small, add more features as you go, and with the right tools your bot can become a useful (and fun!) part of your customers’ experience.