Telegram Automation

Core Workflows

1. Send Messages

When to use: User wants to send text messages to a Telegram chat

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_GET_ME - Verify bot identity and connection [Prerequisite]
2. TELEGRAM_GET_CHAT - Get chat details and verify access [Optional]
3. TELEGRAM_SEND_MESSAGE - Send a text message [Required]

Key parameters:

• chat_id: Numeric chat ID or channel username (e.g., '@channelname')
• text: Message text content
• parse_mode: 'HTML' or 'MarkdownV2' for formatting
• disable_notification: Send silently without notification sound
• reply_to_message_id: Message ID to reply to

Pitfalls:

• Bot must be a member of the chat/group to send messages
• MarkdownV2 requires escaping special characters: _*[]()~>#+-=|{}.!
• HTML mode supports limited tags: <b>, <i>, <code>, <pre>, <a>
• Messages have a 4096 character limit; split longer content

2. Send Photos and Documents

When to use: User wants to share images or files in a Telegram chat

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_SEND_PHOTO - Send an image [Optional]
2. TELEGRAM_SEND_DOCUMENT - Send a file/document [Optional]

Key parameters:

• chat_id: Target chat ID
• photo: Photo URL or file_id (for SEND_PHOTO)
• document: Document URL or file_id (for SEND_DOCUMENT)
• caption: Optional caption for the media

Pitfalls:

• Photo captions have a 1024 character limit
• Document captions also have a 1024 character limit
• Files up to 50MB can be sent via bot API
• Photos are compressed by Telegram; use SEND_DOCUMENT for uncompressed images

3. Manage Chats

When to use: User wants to get chat information or manage chat settings

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_GET_CHAT - Get detailed chat information [Required]
2. TELEGRAM_GET_CHAT_ADMINISTRATORS - List chat admins [Optional]
3. TELEGRAM_GET_CHAT_MEMBERS_COUNT - Get member count [Optional]
4. TELEGRAM_EXPORT_CHAT_INVITE_LINK - Generate invite link [Optional]

Key parameters:

• chat_id: Target chat ID or username

Pitfalls:

• Bot must be an administrator to export invite links
• GET_CHAT returns different fields for private chats vs groups vs channels
• Member count may be approximate for very large groups
• Admin list does not include regular members

4. Edit and Delete Messages

When to use: User wants to modify or remove previously sent messages

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_EDIT_MESSAGE - Edit a sent message [Optional]
2. TELEGRAM_DELETE_MESSAGE - Delete a message [Optional]

Key parameters:

• chat_id: Chat where the message is located
• message_id: ID of the message to edit or delete
• text: New text content (for edit)

Pitfalls:

• Bots can only edit their own messages
• Messages can only be deleted within 48 hours of sending
• In groups, bots with delete permissions can delete any message
• Editing a message removes its 'edited' timestamp history

5. Forward Messages and Get Updates

When to use: User wants to forward messages or retrieve recent updates

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_FORWARD_MESSAGE - Forward a message to another chat [Optional]
2. TELEGRAM_GET_UPDATES - Get recent bot updates/messages [Optional]
3. TELEGRAM_GET_CHAT_HISTORY - Get chat message history [Optional]

Key parameters:

• from_chat_id: Source chat for forwarding
• chat_id: Destination chat for forwarding
• message_id: Message to forward
• offset: Update offset for GET_UPDATES
• limit: Number of updates to retrieve

Pitfalls:

• Forwarded messages show the original sender attribution
• GET_UPDATES returns a limited window of recent updates
• Chat history access may be limited by bot permissions and chat type
• Use offset to avoid processing the same update twice

6. Manage Bot Commands

When to use: User wants to set or update bot command menu

Tool sequence:

1. TELEGRAM_SET_MY_COMMANDS - Set the bot's command list [Required]
2. TELEGRAM_ANSWER_CALLBACK_QUERY - Respond to inline button presses [Optional]

Key parameters:

• commands: Array of command objects with command and description
• callback_query_id: ID of the callback query to answer

Pitfalls:

• Commands must start with '/' and be lowercase
• Command descriptions have a 256 character limit
• Callback queries must be answered within 10 seconds or they expire
• Setting commands replaces the entire command list

Common Patterns

Chat ID Resolution

From username:

1. Use '@username' format as chat_id (for public channels/groups)
2. For private chats, numeric chat_id is required
3. Call GET_CHAT with username to retrieve numeric ID

From GET_UPDATES:

1. Call TELEGRAM_GET_UPDATES
2. Extract chat.id from message objects
3. Use numeric chat_id in subsequent calls

Message Formatting

• Use parse_mode: 'HTML' for <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>, <code>code</code>
• Use parse_mode: 'MarkdownV2' for *bold*, _italic_, `code`
• Escape special chars in MarkdownV2: _ * [ ] ( ) ~ > # + - = | { } . !
• Omit parse_mode for plain text without formatting

Known Pitfalls

Bot Permissions:

• Bots must be added to groups/channels to interact
• Admin permissions needed for: deleting messages, exporting invite links, managing members
• Bots cannot initiate conversations; users must start them first

Rate Limits:

• 30 messages per second to the same group
• 20 messages per minute to the same user in groups
• Bulk operations should implement delays between calls
• API returns 429 Too Many Requests when limits are hit

Chat Types:

• Private chat: One-on-one with the bot
• Group: Multi-user chat (bot must be added)
• Supergroup: Enhanced group with admin features
• Channel: Broadcast-only (bot must be admin to post)

Message Limits:

• Text messages: 4096 characters max
• Captions: 1024 characters max
• File uploads: 50MB max via bot API
• Inline keyboard buttons: 8 per row

Quick Reference

When to Use

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