Databases aren’t just for storing data—they can also drive real-time notifications. For example, you might want to push updates to a Telegram user, group, or channel whenever a record changes. Traditionally, this requires writing API integration code in your application.
With SQLMessenger and its SQLTelebot plugin, there’s a simpler way. SQLMessenger runs as a background service and monitors a dedicated database table. When a new record appears, SQLTelebot automatically sends it through the Telegram Bot API—text, images, or files.
All it takes is a single SQL INSERT statement to trigger a message. This works with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, or Oracle, providing a straightforward and reliable way to connect your database to Telegram. For anyone building alerts, notifications, or workflow updates, this approach keeps things simple without adding extra code in the application layer.
Supported Databases
SQLTelebot supports sending Telegram messages from the following databases:
- SQL Server (2005 or higher)
- Oracle (11g or higher)
- MySQL (version 5.7.26 or higher)
- PostgreSQL (version 9.0 or higher)
SQLTelebot supports sending text messages, images, and files.
Common Use Cases for Database-to-Telegram Automation
- Sending Telegram alerts from SQL Server
- Triggering Telegram notifications from PostgreSQL
- Sending automated reports to Telegram groups
- Database-driven Telegram Bot automation
This document demonstrates how to send Telegram messages from a PostgreSQL database.
Note: Before getting started with SQLTelebot, ensure you have completed the following:
- Install the SQLTelebot plugin in SQLMessenger. View details
- Create a bot in Telegram. View details
- Add your database to SQLMessenger’s Data Source list. View details
1. Creating Interface Tables in your Database
First, download the script for your database type, then run the script in your database to create the interface tables (telebot_send_message and telebot_send_message_h).
Download link: https://www.sqlmessenger.com/manual/plugin-2-interface-table-config.htm#part2
Click here to view detailed explanation of telebot_send_message and telebot_send_message_h.
2. Configuring Database Monitoring in SQLTelebot
After the interface tables have been created, add your database to the SQLTelebot monitoring list.
Once configured, SQLTelebot will periodically read the telebot_send_message table based on the Polling Interval setting. If new records are found, SQLTelebot will add them to the Outgoing Messages list and send them to the specified Telegram contacts.
3. Sending Telegram Messages Using SQL Statements
After SQLTelebot is properly configured, you can insert messages into the telebot_send_message table using SQL statements. SQLTelebot will send the inserted records to the corresponding Telegram recipients.
3.1 Sending Text Messages
The following SQL statement sends a text message to a Telegram group.
INSERT INTO
telebot_send_message (bot_id, chat_id, message_text)
VALUES
(
7898095120, -- Your Telegram Bot ID
'-1002546050440', -- The group Chat ID. To send messages to a channel, you can use the channel username, e.g., "@mychannel"
'Alert: Server 1 disk space critical - requires immediate maintenance.' -- The message content to be sent
);
Below is the message received in Telegram.
3.2 Sending Images
Note: For security reasons, any image file you plan to send must be copied in advance to the userfiles folder (or any of its subfolders) under the SQLMessenger installation directory.
The following SQL statement sends an image to a Telegram group. Note that the message_type field must be set to "photo", and attach_file_name must contain the full file path of the image.
INSERT INTO telebot_send_message
(bot_id,
chat_id,
message_type,
message_text,
attach_file_name)
VALUES (
--Bot ID for sending the message. Found in "Bot Configuration".
7898095120,
--Target chat ID (private or group). Found in "Chat List". For channels, use the username (e.g., "@testchannel9012001").
--To send a message to a channel, you can enter the channel's username (including the "@" symbol) in the chat_id field, e.g., "@testchannel9012001".
'5352535507',
--Message type: Use 'document' for a file or 'photo' for an image.
'photo',
-- Optional caption displayed with the photo or file in Telegram.
'This is a photo I took during my trip in Canada',
-- The full path of the file to be sent.
'C:\SQLMessenger\userfiles\myphoto\StockSnap_QMXZFZZ6WM.jpeg' );
3.3 Sending Files
The following SQL statement sends a file to a Telegram group. Note that the message_type field must be set to "document", and attach_file_name must contain the full file path of the file. (As with images, the file must first be copied to the userfiles folder under the SQLMessenger installation directory or one of its subfolders.)
INSERT INTO telebot_send_message
(bot_id,
chat_id,
message_type,
message_text,
attach_file_name)
VALUES (
--Bot ID for sending the message. Found in "Bot Configuration".
7898095120,
--Target chat ID (private or group). Found in "Chat List". For channels, use the username (e.g., "@testchannel9012001").
--To send a message to a channel, you can enter the channel's username (including the "@" symbol) in the chat_id field, e.g., "@testchannel9012001".
'5352535507',
--Message type: Use 'document' for a file or 'photo' for an image.
'document',
-- Optional caption displayed with the photo or file in Telegram.
'This is the sales performance report for Emma for November 2025.',
-- The full path of the file to be sent.
'C:\SQLMessenger\userfiles\report202511(Emma).xlsx' );
3.4 Tracking Message Delivery Status
After SQLTelebot sends a message, it updates the state field in table telebot_send_message , and then moves the message record from telebot_send_message to telebot_send_message_h.
You can check the delivery result by querying the state and status_desc fields in the telebot_send_message_h table. For example:
SELECT state,
status_desc
FROM telebot_send_message_h
WHERE message_id = YourMessageID;
The state field indicates the message delivery status. Possible values include:
W: Waiting to be processed. SQLTelebot has not yet read this record.
T: SQLTelebot has read this record and is currently processing it.
F: Failed to send. The status_desc field contains the reason for the failure.
For detailed information about telebot_send_message and telebot_send_message_h, please visit: https://www.sqlmessenger.com/manual/plugin-2-interface-table-config.htm#part4
FAQ
Can I send Telegram messages directly from SQL Server without writing API code?
Yes. By using SQLMessenger together with the SQLTelebot plugin, you can send Telegram messages using standard SQL INSERT statements into an interface table. There is no need to manually implement Telegram Bot API calls in your application code.
This approach simplifies Telegram integration for database administrators and SQL developers.
Does this solution work with PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle?
Yes. SQLMessenger supports multiple relational database systems including:
- SQL Server
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- Oracle The Telegram message sending mechanism works the same way across all supported databases: insert a record into the monitoring table, and SQLTelebot delivers the message automatically.
How does the database-to-Telegram integration actually work?
The architecture is based on a monitoring mechanism:
- A database table acts as a message queue.
- SQLMessenger monitors the table in real time.
- When a new record is inserted, SQLTelebot sends the message through the Telegram Bot API.
- Delivery status is written back to the database. This creates a clean separation between database logic and external messaging services.
Can I send images or files to Telegram from SQL?
Yes. SQLTelebot supports:
- Text messages
- Images
- Files (such as PDF reports, Excel documents, or log files) You can store the file path or reference inside the interface table, and the plugin will handle file transmission automatically.
Is it possible to send automated Telegram alerts based on database triggers?
Yes. You can configure:
- SQL triggers
- Scheduled jobs
- Stored procedures
- Monitoring scripts Whenever a specific event occurs (for example, an error log entry or threshold breach), the system can automatically insert a message into the interface table and trigger a Telegram notification.
Is this solution secure?
Yes. The Telegram Bot Token is configured within the SQLTelebot plugin settings and is not exposed in SQL scripts. Database access control mechanisms remain fully enforced.
For additional security, you can:
- Restrict table access permissions
- Use encrypted database connections
- Limit bot access to specific chat IDs
Can I track whether the Telegram message was successfully delivered?
Yes. After sending the message, SQLTelebot updates the status column in the interface table. You can track:
- Sent
- Failed
- Error message
- Telegram response ID This allows you to build reliable audit logging and monitoring systems.
What are common real-world use cases for sending Telegram messages from a database?
Typical scenarios include:
- System error alerts
- Monitoring notifications
- Financial transaction confirmations
- Daily report distribution
- Industrial automation alerts
- DevOps monitoring notifications This makes the solution suitable for IT operations, enterprise systems, and data-driven automation environments.
Why use SQLMessenger instead of directly calling the Telegram Bot API?
Direct API integration requires custom development, background processing logic, retry handling, and error management.
Using SQLMessenger and SQLTelebot provides a ready-to-use integration layer that separates database logic from external API communication, reducing development effort and improving maintainability.
Reposted from https://www.sqlmessenger.com/sql-to-telegram
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