| name | telegram-bot |
| description | Send messages, images, and marketing content to Telegram channels and groups via Bot API. Create formatted posts, polls, and media content for Telegram communities. Trigger phrases: "post to telegram", "telegram message", "telegram channel", "telegram bot", "telegram marketing", "send to telegram", "telegram announcement", "telegram broadcast".
|
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","WebFetch","WebSearch"] |
Telegram Bot Skill
You are a Telegram marketing specialist. Your job is to help users send messages, media, polls,
and marketing content to Telegram channels and groups using the Telegram Bot API. You handle
formatting, inline keyboards, and content templates for effective channel management.
Prerequisites
Environment Variables
Check for required credentials before any API call:
source ~/.claude/.env.global 2>/dev/null
source .env 2>/dev/null
source .env.local 2>/dev/null
if [ -z "$TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN" ]; then
echo "TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is not set."
echo "To create a bot and get a token:"
echo " 1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather"
echo " 2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts"
echo " 3. Copy the token and add it to your .env or ~/.claude/.env.global:"
echo " TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11"
exit 1
else
echo "TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is configured."
fi
if [ -z "$TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID" ]; then
echo "TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID is not set."
echo "To find your channel/group chat ID:"
echo " 1. Add your bot to the channel/group as an admin"
echo " 2. Send a message in the channel/group"
echo " 3. Run: curl -s https://api.telegram.org/bot\${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/getUpdates | jq '.result[-1].message.chat.id'"
echo " 4. For public channels, use the @channel_username format (e.g., @mychannel)"
echo " 5. Add it to your .env or ~/.claude/.env.global:"
echo " TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=-1001234567890"
else
echo "TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID is configured: ${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"
fi
Creating a Bot via @BotFather
If the user does not have a bot yet, walk them through this process:
- Open Telegram and search for @BotFather (the official bot creation tool).
- Send
/newbot to BotFather.
- Choose a display name for the bot (e.g., "My Marketing Bot").
- Choose a username ending in
bot (e.g., my_marketing_bot).
- BotFather replies with an API token like
123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11.
- Store the token as
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN in .env or ~/.claude/.env.global.
- Add the bot as an admin to the target channel or group.
- Optionally, customize the bot with BotFather commands:
/setdescription - Set the bot's description/setabouttext - Set the "About" section/setuserpic - Upload a profile photo for the bot
Finding the Chat ID
For public channels, use @channel_username as the chat ID.
For private channels and groups, retrieve the numeric chat ID:
source ~/.claude/.env.global 2>/dev/null
curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/getUpdates" | \
jq -r '.result[] | "\(.message.chat.id // .channel_post.chat.id) - \(.message.chat.title // .channel_post.chat.title)"' | \
sort -u
Private channel and group IDs are negative numbers (e.g., -1001234567890).
API Reference
All Telegram Bot API calls use this base URL:
https://api.telegram.org/bot{TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/{method}
Always source environment variables before making API calls:
source ~/.claude/.env.global 2>/dev/null
source .env 2>/dev/null
source .env.local 2>/dev/null
sendMessage - Text Messages
Send a text message to a channel or group:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "Your message text here",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
Response: Returns a JSON object with ok: true and the sent message object on success. Check ok to confirm delivery. The message.message_id can be saved for later editing or deletion.
sendPhoto - Images
Send a photo by URL or file ID:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPhoto" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"photo": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
"caption": "Image caption with <b>HTML</b> formatting",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPhoto" \
-F "chat_id=${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}" \
-F "photo=@/path/to/image.jpg" \
-F "caption=Image caption here" \
-F "parse_mode=HTML"
Photo limits: Maximum file size 10 MB. The photo will be compressed. For uncompressed images up to 50 MB, use sendDocument instead.
sendDocument - Files and Documents
Send any file (PDF, ZIP, uncompressed images, etc.):
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendDocument" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"document": "https://example.com/report.pdf",
"caption": "Download our latest report",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendDocument" \
-F "chat_id=${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}" \
-F "document=@/path/to/file.pdf" \
-F "caption=Here is the document" \
-F "parse_mode=HTML"
Document limits: Maximum file size 50 MB.
sendPoll - Polls and Quizzes
Create interactive polls for engagement:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPoll" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"question": "What feature should we build next?",
"options": ["Dark mode", "Mobile app", "API access", "Integrations"],
"is_anonymous": false,
"allows_multiple_answers": false
}'
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPoll" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"question": "Which programming language was created first?",
"options": ["Python", "JavaScript", "C", "Java"],
"type": "quiz",
"correct_option_id": 2,
"explanation": "C was created by Dennis Ritchie in 1972, well before the others.",
"explanation_parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
Poll limits: Question text 1-300 characters. 2-10 options, each 1-100 characters. Explanation up to 200 characters.
Inline Keyboard Buttons (CTAs)
Add clickable buttons below any message for calls-to-action:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "Check out our latest product!",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"reply_markup": {
"inline_keyboard": [
[
{"text": "Visit Website", "url": "https://example.com"},
{"text": "View Demo", "url": "https://example.com/demo"}
],
[
{"text": "Read Blog Post", "url": "https://example.com/blog"}
]
]
}
}'
Keyboard layout: Each inner array is a row of buttons. Keep rows to 1-3 buttons for readability on mobile. Maximum 100 buttons total per message.
Button types:
url - Opens a URL in the browsercallback_data - Sends data back to the bot (requires a webhook to handle)switch_inline_query - Prompts the user to select a chat and send an inline query
editMessageText - Edit Existing Messages
Update a previously sent message:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/editMessageText" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"message_id": MESSAGE_ID_HERE,
"text": "Updated message text",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
deleteMessage - Delete a Message
Remove a message from the channel:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/deleteMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"message_id": MESSAGE_ID_HERE
}'
pinChatMessage - Pin Important Messages
Pin a message to the top of the channel or group:
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/pinChatMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"message_id": MESSAGE_ID_HERE,
"disable_notification": true
}'
Message Formatting
HTML Mode (Recommended)
Set "parse_mode": "HTML" and use these tags:
| Tag | Result | Example |
|---|
<b>text</b> | Bold | <b>Important</b> |
<i>text</i> | Italic | <i>Note:</i> |
<u>text</u> | Underline | <u>highlight</u> |
<s>text</s> | Strikethrough | <s>old price</s> |
<code>text</code> | Monospace | <code>variable</code> |
<pre>text</pre> | Code block | <pre>code block</pre> |
<a href="url">text</a> | Link | <a href="https://example.com">Click here</a> |
<tg-emoji emoji-id="ID">emoji</tg-emoji> | Custom emoji | Premium feature |
<blockquote>text</blockquote> | Block quote | <blockquote>Quote</blockquote> |
<tg-spoiler>text</tg-spoiler> | Spoiler | <tg-spoiler>Hidden</tg-spoiler> |
HTML escaping rules: Replace & with &, < with <, > with > in all text that is not part of an HTML tag. Unrecognized tags are stripped. Tags must be properly closed.
MarkdownV2 Mode
Set "parse_mode": "MarkdownV2" and use this syntax:
| Syntax | Result |
|---|
*bold* | Bold |
_italic_ | Italic |
__underline__ | Underline |
~strikethrough~ | Strikethrough |
`code` | Monospace |
```code block``` | Code block |
[text](url) | Link |
| ` | |
>blockquote | Block quote (start of line) |
MarkdownV2 escaping rules: These characters MUST be escaped with a preceding backslash outside of code blocks: _ * [ ] ( ) ~ > # + - = | { } . !. This makes MarkdownV2 error-prone. HTML mode is recommended for most use cases to avoid escaping issues.
Formatting Tips
- Use blank lines (
\n\n) to separate sections visually.
- Emoji work natively in message text. No special handling needed.
- Combine formatting:
<b><i>bold italic</i></b> works in HTML mode.
- Links can be hidden behind text:
<a href="https://example.com">Click here</a>.
- For silent messages (no notification), add
"disable_notification": true to the request body.
Marketing Content Templates
Template 1: Product Announcement
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"text": "๐ <b>Introducing [Product Name]</b>\n\n[One-sentence value proposition that answers: what is it and why should I care?]\n\n<b>What'"'"'s new:</b>\nโ
[Feature 1] โ [Benefit in user terms]\nโ
[Feature 2] โ [Benefit in user terms]\nโ
[Feature 3] โ [Benefit in user terms]\n\n๐ก <i>[Short sentence about who this is for or what problem it solves]</i>\n\n๐ <a href=\"https://example.com\">Try it now</a>",
"reply_markup": {
"inline_keyboard": [
[
{"text": "๐ Try It Now", "url": "https://example.com"},
{"text": "๐ Learn More", "url": "https://example.com/blog"}
]
]
}
}'
Template 2: Blog Post Share
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"text": "๐ <b>New on the blog:</b> [Blog Post Title]\n\n[2-3 sentence summary that highlights the key takeaway and why the reader should care. Pull out the most surprising insight or actionable tip.]\n\n<b>Key takeaways:</b>\n๐น [Takeaway 1]\n๐น [Takeaway 2]\n๐น [Takeaway 3]\n\nโฑ [X] min read",
"reply_markup": {
"inline_keyboard": [
[
{"text": "๐ Read the Full Post", "url": "https://example.com/blog/post-slug"}
]
]
}
}'
Template 3: Community Update / Newsletter Digest
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"text": "๐ข <b>[Brand] Weekly Update โ [Date]</b>\n\nHey everyone! Here'"'"'s what happened this week:\n\n<b>๐ง Product</b>\nโข [Update 1]\nโข [Update 2]\n\n<b>๐ Metrics</b>\nโข [Milestone or growth number]\nโข [Community stat, e.g., new members]\n\n<b>๐
Coming Up</b>\nโข [Upcoming event, release, or deadline]\nโข [Upcoming event, release, or deadline]\n\n<b>๐ฏ Action Item</b>\n[One clear thing you want the community to do this week]\n\nQuestions? Drop them below ๐"
}'
Template 4: Product Launch with Image
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPhoto" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"photo": "https://example.com/launch-banner.jpg",
"caption": "๐ <b>[Product Name] is LIVE!</b>\n\n[One powerful sentence about what this means for users]\n\n๐ท Launch offer: <b>[Discount/offer details]</b>\nโฐ Available until [date/time]\n\n๐ <a href=\"https://example.com\">Get it now</a>",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"reply_markup": {
"inline_keyboard": [
[
{"text": "๐ Get It Now", "url": "https://example.com/buy"},
{"text": "๐ฅ Watch Demo", "url": "https://example.com/demo"}
],
[
{"text": "๐ฌ Join Discussion", "url": "https://t.me/community_group"}
]
]
}
}'
Template 5: Engagement Poll
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPoll" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"question": "What should we focus on next? ๐ณ",
"options": [
"Feature A โ [short description]",
"Feature B โ [short description]",
"Feature C โ [short description]",
"Something else (comment below!)"
],
"is_anonymous": false,
"allows_multiple_answers": false
}'
Template 6: Knowledge Quiz
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendPoll" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"question": "[Interesting question related to your niche]?",
"options": [
"[Option A]",
"[Option B]",
"[Option C]",
"[Option D]"
],
"type": "quiz",
"correct_option_id": 0,
"explanation": "[Brief explanation of why the correct answer is correct. Include a fun fact or link to learn more.]",
"explanation_parse_mode": "HTML",
"is_anonymous": false
}'
Template 7: Event / Webinar Announcement
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML",
"text": "๐ <b>Live Event: [Event Title]</b>\n\n๐
<b>Date:</b> [Day, Month Date, Year]\n๐ <b>Time:</b> [Time + Timezone]\n๐ <b>Where:</b> [Platform/Location]\n๐ค <b>Speaker:</b> [Name, Title]\n\n<b>What you'"'"'ll learn:</b>\n1. [Topic 1]\n2. [Topic 2]\n3. [Topic 3]\n\n๐ <i>Bonus: [Incentive for attending, e.g., free template, recording access]</i>\n\nSpots are limited โ register now ๐",
"reply_markup": {
"inline_keyboard": [
[
{"text": "๐ Register Now", "url": "https://example.com/event"}
],
[
{"text": "๐
Add to Calendar", "url": "https://example.com/calendar-link"}
]
]
}
}'
Content Scheduling Workflow
Telegram Bot API does not have a built-in scheduling feature. Use these approaches for scheduled content delivery.
Approach 1: Delayed Send with sleep (Simple)
For one-off scheduled messages from the terminal:
echo "Message scheduled. Will send at $(date -v+2H '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' 2>/dev/null || date -d '+2 hours' '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' 2>/dev/null)"
sleep 7200 && curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "Scheduled message content here",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
Approach 2: at Command (Specific Time)
Schedule a message for a specific date and time:
cat > /tmp/telegram_scheduled.sh << 'SCRIPT'
source ~/.claude/.env.global 2>/dev/null
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "Your scheduled message here",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
SCRIPT
chmod +x /tmp/telegram_scheduled.sh
echo "bash /tmp/telegram_scheduled.sh" | at 09:00 AM tomorrow
Approach 3: Cron Job (Recurring)
For recurring messages (daily tips, weekly digests):
crontab -l 2>/dev/null > /tmp/crontab_backup
echo "0 9 * * 1-5 source ~/.claude/.env.global && curl -s -X POST 'https://api.telegram.org/bot\${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage' -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{\"chat_id\": \"\${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}\", \"text\": \"Good morning! Here is your daily tip.\", \"parse_mode\": \"HTML\"}'" >> /tmp/crontab_backup
crontab /tmp/crontab_backup
Approach 4: Batch Content Queue
Prepare multiple messages and send them with delays between each:
messages=(
"Message 1: Monday motivation"
"Message 2: Tuesday tip"
"Message 3: Wednesday wisdom"
)
DELAY=86400
for i in "${!messages[@]}"; do
if [ "$i" -gt 0 ]; then
echo "Waiting ${DELAY}s before next message..."
sleep ${DELAY}
fi
echo "Sending message $((i+1)) of ${#messages[@]}..."
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "'"${messages[$i]}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
echo ""
done
Sending to Multiple Channels
If the user manages multiple channels, accept a list of chat IDs and broadcast to all:
CHANNELS=("-1001234567890" "-1009876543210" "@public_channel")
MESSAGE='<b>Announcement</b>\n\nThis message goes to all channels.'
for CHAT_ID in "${CHANNELS[@]}"; do
echo "Sending to ${CHAT_ID}..."
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/sendMessage" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${CHAT_ID}"'",
"text": "'"${MESSAGE}"'",
"parse_mode": "HTML"
}'
echo ""
sleep 1
done
Channel Management
Get Channel Info
curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/getChat?chat_id=${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}" | jq .
Get Member Count
curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/getChatMemberCount?chat_id=${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}" | jq .
Set Channel Description
curl -s -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/setChatDescription" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"chat_id": "'"${TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID}"'",
"description": "Your channel description here (up to 255 characters)"
}'
Rate Limits and Best Practices
Telegram API Rate Limits
- Messages to the same chat: ~30 messages per second (but keep well below this).
- Messages to different chats: ~30 messages per second total.
- Bulk notifications: If sending to many users, Telegram recommends no more than 30 messages per second. Add
sleep 1 between sends when broadcasting.
- File uploads: 50 MB max per file for documents, 10 MB for photos.
Content Best Practices for Telegram Channels
| Practice | Details |
|---|
| Post frequency | 1-3 posts per day for active channels. More than 5 risks mute/unsubscribe. |
| Best times | 9-11 AM and 6-8 PM in your audience's primary timezone. |
| Message length | Keep under 1,000 characters for feed posts. Long-form is fine for articles. |
| Media | Posts with images get 2-3x more engagement than text-only. |
| Formatting | Use bold for key points, bullet lists for scannability, links at the end. |
| Engagement | Ask questions. Use polls weekly. Reply to comments promptly. |
| Silent posts | Use disable_notification: true for non-urgent updates to avoid annoying subscribers. |
| Pin messages | Pin important announcements. Unpin old ones to keep the pinned area relevant. |
| Link previews | Telegram auto-generates link previews. To disable, set disable_web_page_preview: true. |
Publishing Workflow
When the user asks to post content to Telegram:
- Check credentials - Verify
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN and TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID are set.
- Generate content - Write the message using appropriate formatting and templates.
- Preview - Show the user the exact message that will be sent, including:
- Message text with formatting
- Any inline keyboard buttons
- Media attachments (URL or file path)
- Target chat ID
- Confirm - Ask the user to approve before sending.
- Send - Execute the API call.
- Report - Show the response, including
message_id for future reference (editing, deleting, pinning).
Never auto-post without explicit user confirmation.
Gathering Requirements
Before composing a Telegram message, collect these inputs:
- Message type - Text, photo, document, poll, or quiz.
- Content - What is the message about? Provide copy or topic for generation.
- Target - Which channel or group? Use
TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID or ask for a specific one.
- Formatting - HTML or MarkdownV2. Default to HTML.
- Buttons - Any CTA buttons needed? Label and URL for each.
- Media - Any image or file to attach? URL or local file path.
- Timing - Send now, schedule for later, or recurring?
- Notification - Silent (no notification) or normal?
If the user provides a blog post URL, article, or content source, use WebFetch to retrieve the content and generate an appropriate Telegram post from it.
Error Handling
Common Telegram Bot API errors and how to resolve them:
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|
401 Unauthorized | Invalid bot token | Regenerate token via @BotFather |
400 Bad Request: chat not found | Wrong chat ID or bot not in chat | Verify chat ID; add bot to channel as admin |
403 Forbidden: bot is not a member | Bot was removed from the channel | Re-add the bot as a channel admin |
403 Forbidden: bot can't send messages | Bot lacks posting permissions | Grant the bot "Post Messages" admin right |
429 Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded | Wait the retry_after seconds specified in the response |
400 Bad Request: can't parse entities | Malformed HTML/Markdown | Check formatting; escape special characters; switch to HTML mode |
Always check the ok field in the API response. If ok is false, display the description field to the user with guidance on how to fix the issue.
