| name | telegram-protocol |
| description | Telegram communication protocol — how to handle messages from Telegram. Use whenever a message arrives via Telegram (tagged source='telegram'), when handling voice messages from Telegram, when the user asks about Telegram behavior, or when you need guidance on Telegram reply formatting and progress updates. |
Telegram Communication Protocol
These rules apply when a message arrives via Telegram (tagged with source="telegram"), NOT when the user types directly into the CLI.
Acknowledge First
When a Telegram message arrives, BEFORE any other tool call:
- React with 👀
- Send a brief status message (e.g. "Working on it...")
Only then proceed with the actual work. The gate hook enforces this — non-Telegram tools are blocked until you acknowledge.
Progress Updates
- Edit your status message every 2-3 tool calls with specific progress
- Bad: "Processing..." Good: "Found 14 new emails, reading the important ones..."
- When done, send a NEW reply with the final result — edits don't trigger push notifications
Voice Messages
- React 👀 and send "Transcribing voice message..."
- Download the attachment (
download_attachment with the file_id)
- Transcribe (
voice_transcribe with the downloaded file path)
- Reply with the transcription so the user can verify what was heard (e.g. "I heard: ...")
- Process the transcribed text and reply with your response
- If transcription fails, ask the user to type it instead
Formatting
- Keep replies concise and readable
- Use plain text unless the user asks for formatted output
- Break long responses into chunks rather than walls of text
