Telegram Bot Creation Handbook

This handbook outlines the process of creating Telegram bots using BotFather. It emphasizes accuracy, provides detailed explanations, and includes optional/required tagging for clarity.

1. Initiating the Bot Creation Process

• Tool: Telegram application
• Actor: You (the bot developer)
• Prerequisite: A Telegram account.

1. Open Telegram and Search for BotFather: In the Telegram search bar, type @BotFather. Verify that the account has a blue checkmark, indicating it's the official BotFather.

2. Start a Chat with BotFather: Click on the BotFather account and initiate a chat by pressing the "Start" button.

3. Issue the /newbot Command: Type /newbot in the chat and send it. BotFather will respond with:
   

   Alright, a new bot. How are we going to call it? Please choose a name for your bot.
   

2. Naming Your Bot

• Requirement: Choose a name and a username for your bot.
• Considerations:
  • Name: This is the display name of your bot (e.g., "My Awesome Bot").
  • Username: This is the unique identifier for your bot (e.g., "MyAwesomeBot"). It must end in bot or Bot.

1. Provide the Bot Name: Type the desired name for your bot and send it. For example:
   

   My Awesome Bot
   

   BotFather will then ask for the username:
   

   Good. Now let's choose a username for your bot. It must end in `bot`. Like this, for example: TetrisBot or tetris_bot.
   

2. Provide the Bot Username: Type the desired username for your bot, ensuring it ends with bot or Bot. For example:
   

   MyAwesomeBot
   

   If the username is available, BotFather will respond with a success message, including your bot's API token:
   

   Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/MyAwesomeBot. You can now add a description, about section and profile picture for your bot, see /help for a list of commands.
   Use this token to access the HTTP API:
   YOUR_API_TOKEN
   Keep your token secure and store it safely, it can be used by anyone to control your bot.
   
   For a description of the Bot API, see this page: https://core.telegram.org/bots/api
   

3. Securing and Storing the API Token

• Critical: The API token is your bot's password. Keep it secret!
• Best Practices:
  • Never commit the token to public repositories.
  • Use environment variables to store the token.
  • Restrict access to the token in your development environment.

1. Store the API Token: Immediately copy the API token and store it securely. A common practice is to set it as an environment variable in your development environment:
   

   export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="YOUR_API_TOKEN"
   

   In a .env file (if using a library like dotenv):
   

   TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=YOUR_API_TOKEN
   

4. Configuring Bot Settings (Optional)

BotFather provides several commands to configure your bot's settings. Here are some common ones:

• /setname: Changes the bot's name.
• /setdescription: Sets a description for the bot (visible on the bot's profile page).
• /setabouttext: Sets the bot's "About" information (visible on the bot's profile page).
• /setuserpic: Sets the bot's profile picture.
• /setcommands: Defines a list of commands that users can access via the bot's menu.

1. Setting a Description: To set a description, use the /setdescription command:
   

   /setdescription
   

   BotFather will prompt you to enter the description:
   

   OK. What's the new description for your bot?
   

   Enter the description:
   

   This bot provides awesome services.
   

2. Setting Commands: To set commands, use the /setcommands command. This is crucial for usability. The format is:
   

   /setcommands
   

   BotFather will prompt you to enter the list of commands. Each command should be on a new line, with the command and its description separated by a hyphen:
   

   start - Start the bot
   help - Get help and usage instructions
   subscribe - Subscribe to updates
   unsubscribe - Unsubscribe from updates
   

   After sending this, users will see these commands in the bot's menu.

5. Developing Your Bot

• Technology Stack: Choose your preferred programming language and Telegram Bot API library. TypeScript is highly recommended.
• Libraries (TypeScript):
  • node-telegram-bot-api: A popular and actively maintained library.

1. Install node-telegram-bot-api:
   

   npm install node-telegram-bot-api --save
   npm install --save-dev @types/node-telegram-bot-api
   npm install --save-dev @types/node
   

2. Basic Bot Implementation (TypeScript):
   

import TelegramBot from "node-telegram-bot-api";
import * as dotenv from "dotenv";

dotenv.config();

const token = process.env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN;

if (!token) {
  throw new Error("TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is not defined in the environment.");
}

const bot = new TelegramBot(token, { polling: true });

bot.onText(/\/start/, (msg) => {
  const chatId = msg.chat.id;
  bot.sendMessage(
    chatId,
    "Welcome! Use /help to see available commands."
  );
});

bot.onText(/\/help/, (msg) => {
  const chatId = msg.chat.id;
  bot.sendMessage(
    chatId,
    "Available commands:\n/start - Start the bot\n/help - Show this help message"
  );
});

console.log("Bot is running...");

1. Explanation:

• Import Statements: Imports the necessary modules.
• Token Retrieval: Retrieves the API token from the environment variables.
• Bot Instantiation: Creates a new TelegramBot instance with the token and enables polling to receive updates.
• Command Handlers: Registers handlers for the /start and /help commands. When a user sends these commands, the corresponding function is executed, sending a message back to the user.
• Error Handling: Checks if the token exists, throws an error if it doesn't.

1. Running the Bot:
   

   npx ts-node your-bot-file.ts
   

6. Advanced Features and Considerations

• Inline Keyboards: Create interactive buttons within messages.
• Webhooks: Use webhooks for more efficient update delivery (recommended for production).
• Database Integration: Store user data and bot state.
• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling to catch and log exceptions.
• Rate Limiting: Be mindful of Telegram's API rate limits.
• Security: Sanitize user input to prevent injection attacks.

7. Deploying Your Bot

• Platforms: Consider platforms like Heroku, AWS, Google Cloud, or a VPS.
• Process Managers: Use a process manager like pm2 to keep your bot running.

8. Updating Your Bot

• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Automate the deployment process.
• Version Control: Use Git for version control.

References

• Telegram Bot API Documentation: https://core.telegram.org/bots/api
• node-telegram-bot-api: https://github.com/yagop/node-telegram-bot-api
• BotFather: Within Telegram, search for @BotFather.

This handbook provides a solid foundation for creating Telegram bots. Remember to consult the official Telegram Bot API documentation for the most up-to-date information and advanced features. Good luck!