> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aitextura.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Telegram

> Connect a Telegram bot or personal account to your AI employee. The bot is created via @BotFather; a personal account requires Telegram Premium. Personal/Group channel types, AI inline buttons, message buffer, and history auto-clear are all supported.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/aitextura/RUgF9PTnaDyK7QnO/public/screenshots/26-channel-telegram.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=RUgF9PTnaDyK7QnO&q=85&s=a85a6de219fd64f090a5c6e617f1e8d8" alt="Connecting a Telegram channel" width="1440" height="900" data-path="public/screenshots/26-channel-telegram.png" />
</Frame>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Channels — overview" icon="plug" href="/en/channels">
    What a channel is and how it works in AI Textura
  </Card>

  <Card title="Messengers via aggregators" icon="comments" href="/en/channels/messengers">
    WhatsApp, Instagram, VK, Avito
  </Card>

  <Card title="amoCRM" icon="address-book" href="/en/channels/amocrm">
    Telegram messages inside a CRM deal card
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bitrix24" icon="building" href="/en/channels/bittrix24">
    Telegram via Bitrix24 open channels
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Telegram bot

The fastest and free way to connect your AI employee to customers. You will need a bot token issued by @BotFather.

### Step 1. Create a bot in Telegram

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find @BotFather">
    Open Telegram and search for **@BotFather** — the official Telegram bot with a blue checkmark.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new bot">
    Press **/start**, then send the **/newbot** command.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the name and username">
    * **Name** — any display name (e.g., "JawaBerry Glamping").
    * **Username** — one Latin word, may contain `_`, must end with `bot` (e.g., `JawaBerry_Glamping_bot`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the token">
    BotFather will send a token like `123456789:ABCdefGhIJKlmNoPQRsTUVwxyZ`.\
    **Copy it in full** — you will need it in the next step.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Do not share the token with third parties — it is the access key to your bot.
</Warning>

### Step 2. Connect the bot in AI Textura

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Channel section">
    Go to [AI Employees](/en/guides/ai-employees) → select the agent → **Channel** tab → **Connect new** sub-tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Telegram">
    In the platform list, find **Telegram** and click on it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a connection">
    In the side panel, switch to the **Create** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in the settings">
    * **Channel type**: Personal (one-on-one) or Group (for group chats). See below.
    * **Platform**: already selected — Telegram.
    * **Channel name**: any name convenient for you.
    * **Bot token**: paste the token from BotFather.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Click **Connect**. The bot will appear in the **Connected** tab and start receiving messages.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  If you are connecting a group channel, make sure Privacy Mode is disabled in @BotFather — otherwise the bot won't see messages in the group.
</Tip>

### Step 3. Customize the bot's appearance (recommended)

Go back to Telegram → @BotFather → **My Bots** → select your bot → **Edit Bot**:

* **Description** — a short description (up to 512 characters). Shown when the bot is opened for the first time.
* **About** — a very short line, visible in the bot's profile.
* **Photo** — add a logo or photo for recognition.

***

## Channel types: Personal and Group

When you create a Telegram channel, AI Textura asks for the **channel type**:

| Type         | When to choose                                                                                                    | Specifics                                                                                |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Personal** | The bot replies to each customer in a personal chat (one-to-one). The most common scenario for support and sales. | Each chat is a separate customer. The customer profile is maintained individually.       |
| **Group**    | The bot operates inside a Telegram group chat (e.g., a company team chat or group support).                       | The bot sees messages from every participant. Privacy Mode must be disabled for the bot. |

<Warning>
  The channel type **is selected when you connect** and cannot be changed afterwards. If you need a different mode, disconnect the channel and create it again.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  For most business tasks (customer support, booking, sales), the **Personal** channel is the right choice. Pick Group only if you really need the bot in a shared chat.
</Tip>

***

## Additional channel settings

After connecting, open the Telegram channel in the **Connected** tab — several important toggles are available there.

### AI inline buttons

The agent can **build quick-select buttons on the fly** in its reply — for example, "Yes / No," "Booking / Menu / Contacts," or answer options for a clarifying question.

* **When to enable**: if you want to speed up the conversation and reduce how much the customer has to type.
* **When to disable**: if the bot has open-ended conversations without clear scenarios — the buttons would just get in the way.

<Tip>
  AI buttons are not a static menu — they are dynamic options the AI proposes based on context. To make them appear consistently, mention the relevant scenarios in the [agent's persona](/en/guides/persona).
</Tip>

### Message buffer

If the customer types one thought across several consecutive messages, the buffer makes the bot **wait** and reply once the customer is done.

* **Buffer time** — 3-5 seconds is recommended.
* Without the buffer, the bot replies to the first message without waiting for the rest.

Learn more: [Channels — Message buffer](/en/channels#message-buffer).

### Auto-clear history

Chat messages are automatically deleted on a schedule — saving space and helping you comply with customer data privacy policies.

* **When to enable**: if your company policy or local regulations don't allow long conversation retention.
* **When to disable**: if you analyze chats manually, train your FAQ from history, or run long-running deals that need full context.

<Warning>
  Auto-clear cannot be undone. Before enabling it, make sure important data (customer profiles, CRM notes) is stored elsewhere.
</Warning>

### Active / Free / other toggle settings

The shared channel settings (Active, Free, Channel type) are described on the overview page — see [Channels → Connected channel settings](/en/channels#connected-channel-settings).

***

## Personal Telegram account

If you want the AI employee to respond on behalf of your **personal** Telegram account (rather than a separate bot), this is also possible.

<Warning>
  A **Telegram Premium** subscription is required to connect a personal account. The setup happens on the Telegram side, not in AI Textura.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect a Telegram bot">
    First create and connect a bot using the steps above — it is required for the system to work.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Telegram business settings">
    On your phone, go to **Settings** → **Telegram for Business**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the chatbot">
    Open the **Chatbots** section and pick the bot connected to AI Textura.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the scope">
    Specify which chats the bot should respond to — **all messages** or with certain chats excluded.
  </Step>
</Steps>

After this, the bot processes messages, but the customer sees replies from your personal account.

***

## Bot vs Personal account

|                            | Telegram bot                   | Personal account                |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| **What the customer sees** | A separate bot with a username | Your personal profile           |
| **Requires Premium**       | No                             | Yes                             |
| **Setup**                  | AI Textura only                | AI Textura + Telegram           |
| **Group chats**            | Supported                      | Not supported                   |
| **Recommended for**        | Most tasks                     | Personal customer communication |

***

## Voice messages

Telegram is the only channel that supports voice messages. If a customer sends a voice message, the AI:

* automatically transcribes it,
* replies with text,
* and can **voice the reply** if text-to-speech is enabled in the employee settings.

In the employee settings, you can choose the voice and adjust speed, timbre, and pauses.

***

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I change the channel type (Personal / Group) after connecting?">
    No. The type is chosen once at creation. To change it, disconnect the channel and reconnect with the new type.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The bot doesn't respond in a group — what should I check?">
    The most common reason is Privacy Mode being enabled in @BotFather. Open @BotFather → My Bots → your bot → **Bot Settings** → **Group Privacy** → **Turn off**. After this, the bot will start seeing group members' messages.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Inline buttons don't always appear — why?">
    The AI generates buttons based on conversation context. To make them appear more consistently, describe in the agent's instructions the scenarios where buttons are needed (e.g., "When clarifying check-in dates, suggest 3-4 options as buttons").
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I recover the conversation after auto-clear?">
    No. Auto-clear deletes messages permanently. If you need to keep critical dialog data, configure customer profile fields in the agent or set up a CRM integration so important information is recorded automatically.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>