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Henry Lin
Henry Lin

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Lesson 17: Telegram Setup

#cryptocurrency #monitoring #automation #tutorial

Lesson 17: Telegram Setup

⏱ Duration: 1.5 hours
🎯 Learning Objectives: Configure Telegram bot integration for real-time trading notifications and monitoring

Course Overview

Telegram integration provides essential real-time monitoring and control of your Freqtrade bot. This lesson guides you through setting up Telegram notifications and basic bot commands.

Benefits of Telegram Integration:

  • ✅ Real-time trade notifications
  • ✅ Remote monitoring of bot status
  • ✅ Emergency stop functionality
  • ✅ Performance updates and alerts
  • ✅ Manual trade control options

17.1 Creating a Telegram Bot

Step 1: Create Bot with BotFather

  1. Open Telegram and search for @botfather
  2. Send /start to see available commands
  3. Create new bot with /newbot
  4. Follow the prompts to name your bot
  5. Save the bot token (keep it secret!)

Example conversation:

You: /newbot
BotFather: Alright, a new bot. How are we going to call it? Please choose a name for your bot.
You: FreqTrade Bot
BotFather: Good. Now let's choose a username for your bot. It must end in `bot`. Like this, for example: TetrisBot or tetris_bot.
You: freqtrade_mybot
BotFather: Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/freqtrade_mybot. You can now add a description, about section and profile picture for your bot, see /help for a list of commands.
BotFather: Use this token to access the HTTP API:
1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz
Keep your token secure and store it safely, it can be used by anyone to control your bot.
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Step 2: Get Your Chat ID

  1. Add your bot to a chat
  2. Send a message to the bot
  3. Visit https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/getUpdates
  4. Find your chat ID in the response

Or use @userinfobot for easier chat ID retrieval.

17.2 Configuring Freqtrade for Telegram

Update config.json 

{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz",
    "chat_id": "123456789",
    "notification_settings": {
      "status": "on",
      "warning": "on",
      "startup": "on",
      "entry": "on",
      "entry_fill": "on",
      "exit": "on",
      "exit_fill": "on",
      "protection_trigger": "on",
      "protection_trigger_global": "on",
      "show_candle": "off",
      "strategy_msg": "on"
    }
  }
}
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Notification Settings Explained

Setting Description Recommended
status Bot status changes ON
warning Warning messages ON
startup Bot startup messages ON
entry Entry signals ON
entry_fill Entry fill confirmations ON
exit Exit signals ON
exit_fill Exit fill confirmations ON
show_candle Detailed candle info OFF (too noisy)

17.3 Telegram Bot Commands

Basic Commands

Command Description Usage
/start Start the bot First time setup
/status Show current bot status Quick check
/profit Show profit summary Performance check
/balance Show current balance Account overview
/performance Show strategy performance Detailed stats
/daily Show daily profit/loss Daily summary
/help Show available commands Command reference

Control Commands

Command Description Danger Level
/stop Stop buying new entries 🟡 Medium
/stopentry Stop entering new trades 🟡 Medium
/forcesell Force sell all positions 🔴 High
/forcebuy Force buy specific pair 🔴 High
/reload_config Reload configuration 🟡 Medium
/count Show trade counts 🟢 Safe

17.4 Advanced Telegram Features

Custom Messages 

# In your strategy, add custom Telegram messages
def custom_sell(self, pair: str, trade: Trade):
    message = f"🔴 Custom Sell Alert\n"
    message += f"Pair: {pair}\n"
    message += f"Profit: {trade.calc_profit_ratio():.2%}\n"
    message += f"Reason: Custom condition met"

    # Send custom message
    self.dp.send_message(message, pair=pair)
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Performance Monitoring 

# Set up periodic performance reports
def populate_buy_trend(self, dataframe: DataFrame, metadata: dict) -> DataFrame:
    # Your regular buy logic here

    # Add periodic performance summary
    if self.dp:
        current_time = datetime.now()
        if current_time.hour == 9 and current_time.minute == 0:
            self.send_performance_summary()

    return dataframe
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17.5 Security Best Practices

Token Security

  1. Never share your bot token publicly
  2. Use environment variables for tokens in production
  3. Regularly regenerate tokens if compromised

Chat Privacy

  1. Create private group for notifications
  2. Limit who can access the bot
  3. Use two-factor authentication on Telegram

Command Security

  1. Disable dangerous commands in production
  2. Use confirmation prompts for critical actions
  3. Log all command executions 
{
  "telegram": {
    "enabled": true,
    "token": "YOUR_TOKEN",
    "chat_id": "YOUR_CHAT_ID",
    "disable_command_groups": [
      "/forcesell",
      "/forcebuy"
    ]
  }
}
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🎯 Practical Tasks

Task 1: Basic Bot Setup

  1. Create your Telegram bot using BotFather
  2. Get your chat ID
  3. Update config.json with Telegram settings
  4. Test basic notifications

Task 2: Command Testing

Test various Telegram commands:

  • /status - Check bot status
  • /profit - View current profits
  • /balance - Check account balance
  • /performance - Review strategy performance

Task 3: Custom Notifications

Add custom notification logic to your strategy:

  • Alert on unusual market conditions
  • Send periodic performance summaries
  • Create custom entry/exit alerts

📚 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Bot Not Responding

  1. Check token is correct
  2. Verify chat ID is accurate
  3. Ensure bot is started
  4. Check internet connection

No Notifications

  1. Verify notification settings are enabled
  2. Check config.json syntax
  3. Ensure bot has proper permissions
  4. Review Freqtrade logs for errors

Commands Not Working

  1. Check if commands are enabled
  2. Verify user permissions
  3. Check bot command list with /help
  4. Review Freqtrade configuration

⚠️ Important Security Notes

  1. Never expose your bot token in code repositories
  2. Use separate bots for different environments
  3. Regularly monitor bot activity
  4. Be cautious with force commands
  5. Keep Telegram app updated

📱 Mobile Setup

Telegram Mobile App

  1. Download Telegram from app store
  2. Enable notifications for your bot
  3. Create custom notification sounds
  4. Set up notification channels

Quick Access

  1. Pin your bot chat for easy access
  2. Create custom keyboard shortcuts
  3. Set up notification schedules
  4. Use Telegram web version when needed

✅ Completion Checklist

  • [ ] Created Telegram bot with BotFather
  • [ ] Obtained and secured bot token
  • [ ] Found your chat ID
  • [ ] Updated config.json with Telegram settings
  • [ ] Tested basic notifications
  • [ ] Verified essential commands work
  • [ ] Set up security measures
  • [ ] Configured mobile notifications
  • [ ] Tested custom notifications
  • [ ] Documented emergency procedures

Telegram integration transforms your trading experience by providing real-time insights and control, making it an essential tool for serious quantitative traders.

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