add-channel-telegram

name	add-channel-telegram
description	Set up Telegram as a messaging channel — bot token, configuration, and verification

/add-channel-telegram — Add Telegram Channel

Walk the user through connecting a Telegram bot to everclaw. This skill is standalone — run it from /setup or anytime to add Telegram.

Instructions

Work through each phase in order. Use TaskCreate to track progress. Be autonomous: detect what's already done, only ask questions when a real choice is needed. NEVER echo secrets to the terminal or pass them as bash arguments — use the Read and Edit tools to modify .env.

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Phase 1: Preflight

1. Check .env exists in the project root. If not, tell the user to run /setup first and stop.

2. Read .env and check if CHANNEL_TELEGRAM is already set.

   • If present, use AskUserQuestion:

     Telegram is already configured (CHANNEL_TELEGRAM is set in .env). What would you like to do?

     • Keep it — Skip to verification
     • Reconfigure — Replace with a new bot token

   • If "Keep it", skip to Phase 4.

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Phase 2: Configure

1. Use AskUserQuestion to collect the bot token:

   Paste your Telegram bot token.

   To get one:

   1. Open Telegram and message @BotFather
   2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts
   3. Copy the token (looks like 123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11)

2. Append CHANNEL_TELEGRAM=<token> to .env using the Edit tool. If reconfiguring, replace the existing CHANNEL_TELEGRAM line.

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Phase 3: Restart

Detect the deployment method and tell the user how to restart:

• Check if docker-compose.yml exists in the project root.
• If Docker: "Restart the bot with docker compose restart (or docker compose up --build if not running)."
• If bare metal: "Stop the bot (Ctrl+C) and restart with node src/index.ts."

Tell the user to restart now and wait for them to confirm it's running. Look for startup logs indicating the Telegram adapter connected.

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Phase 4: Discover chat ID

Check if ALLOWED_CHAT_IDS is already configured in .env (uncommented and non-empty).

If not configured (first channel):

Walk the user through discovery mode:

1. "Send any message to your Telegram bot."
2. "The bot will reply with your chat ID — it looks like telegram:123456789. Copy this value."
3. Use AskUserQuestion to collect the chat ID.
4. Use the Edit tool to set ALLOWED_CHAT_IDS=<chat_id> in .env. If the line is commented out, uncomment and set it.

If already configured (adding another channel):

1. "Send any message to your Telegram bot."
2. "The bot will reply with your chat ID. Copy it."
3. Use AskUserQuestion to collect the chat ID.
4. Use the Edit tool to append the new ID to the existing ALLOWED_CHAT_IDS value (comma-separated).

After updating, tell the user to restart again (same instructions as Phase 3).

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Phase 5: Verify

1. "Send a test message to your Telegram bot."
2. "The agent should respond this time (not the discovery mode reply)."
3. If it works — congratulations, Telegram is set up!
4. If it doesn't respond:
   • Check logs for errors
   • Verify the bot token is correct
   • Verify ALLOWED_CHAT_IDS contains the right prefixed ID
   • Make sure the bot is running

Tell the user they can add more channels later with /add-channel-discord, /add-channel-slack, /add-channel-whatsapp, or /add-channel-gmail.