The Telegram Bot API for your unified inbox

Connect a Telegram bot with a token from @BotFather and read and reply to its direct messages through the same API you use for every other platform. SocialAPI.ai wraps the Telegram Bot API and delivers inbound messages in real time via webhooks. Telegram is a messaging connector: it handles DMs, not posts or comments.

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What you can do with Telegram.

Supported

Direct Messages

Read direct messages your bot receives and reply with text, a photo (by URL), or a document (by URL).

Supported

Webhooks

Receive real-time webhook events the moment a user messages your bot.

See it in action.

Connect a Telegram bot

api.social-api.ai

1curl -X POST https://api.social-api.ai/v1/accounts/connect \
2  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>" \
3  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
4  -d '{
5    "platform": "telegram",
6    "metadata": { "bot_token": "<token from @BotFather>" }
7  }' | jq
8
9# Response (HTTP 201)
10{
11  "account_id": "acc_01HZ9...",
12  "platform": "telegram",
13  "username": "mysocialinboxbot",
14  "display_name": "My Social Inbox Bot"
15}

Telegram bots use a static token from @BotFather, not OAuth. Pass the token in metadata and SocialAPI.ai validates it, registers the webhook, and stores the account in one call.

Why developers love Telegram on SocialAPI.ai

Real-time inbound DMs

When you connect a bot, SocialAPI.ai registers a Telegram webhook automatically. Every direct message your bot receives is ingested in real time and surfaced in the unified inbox, with the same conversation and message schema used across all platforms. Telegram has no message-history API, so the inbox is built from messages that arrive after you connect.

Send replies in one call

Reply to a conversation with text, a photo by URL, or a document by URL. SocialAPI.ai picks the right Telegram method for you. Replies go out through the same send-message endpoint you already use for other messaging platforms.

Two-minute setup, no app review

Create a bot by messaging @BotFather and sending /newbot, copy the token, and paste it. There is no developer account, no business verification, and no app review. Contrast that with Meta platforms, which require an approved app before production access.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

How do I get a Telegram bot token?

Open Telegram, message @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow the prompts to choose a name and a username ending in bot. BotFather replies with a token of the form <bot_id>:<secret>. Paste that token when connecting. The whole process takes about two minutes with no app review.

Can I publish posts to Telegram?

No. The Telegram connector in SocialAPI.ai is messaging-only. It reads and replies to your bot's direct messages. It does not publish posts to channels or groups.

Does Telegram work for private chats and groups?

The connector is built around direct messages, where the conversation maps to the user's chat with your bot. A bot can only see messages a user sends after starting it, and a bot can never message a user who has not messaged it first.

Get started today

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