Telegram
Connect a Telegram bot with credential validation and automatic webhook registration.
Connect a Telegram bot with credential validation and automatic webhook registration.
Create and prepare the bot#
Follow Telegram's official Introduction to Bots and BotFather guide:
- Open the verified @BotFather account in Telegram.
- Run
/newbot, choose a display name, and choose a unique username ending inbot. - Copy the bot token. Anyone with this token controls the bot.
- Optionally configure the photo, description, about text, and localized command help in BotFather before launch.
The token is for the Telegram Bot API; it is not a Telegram login code, API ID, or API hash.
Connect in Make Agent Fast#
Open the site's Connectors page, choose Telegram, paste Bot token, choose whether supported replies should also be spoken, and select Connect.
Make Agent Fast calls Telegram getMe to validate the token and display the bot username. It then calls setWebhook with the connector's public HTTPS URL, a secret verification token, and message as the accepted update type. Existing pending updates are not dropped.
No manual webhook step is normally required. Saving or re-enabling the connector safely registers the same webhook again.
Test the conversation#
- Open the bot's
t.melink from a non-owner Telegram account. - Select Start; bots cannot initiate a conversation with a user.
- Send a knowledge-based text question.
- Send a voice note if voice is enabled.
- Confirm replies arrive, Last message changes, and the thread appears in Conversations.
Group behavior depends on Telegram Privacy Mode and whether the bot is added to that group. Test direct messages first so group visibility rules do not hide the update.
Voice behavior#
Telegram supports inbound voice and outbound voice in this connector. Inbound voice is downloaded and transcribed before the agent turn. With Reply with voice enabled and a speech provider available, Make Agent Fast sends a voice/audio response in addition to text. If transcription or speech fails, ask the user to retry as text and inspect the connector error.
Rotate, disable, or remove#
If the token is exposed, generate/revoke it in BotFather immediately, update the connector with the replacement, and test again. Disabling or removing the connector calls Telegram deleteWebhook without discarding pending updates. Deleting the Make Agent Fast connector does not delete the Telegram bot itself.
Troubleshooting#
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Token rejected on save | Copy the current BotFather token; remove whitespace and ensure it belongs to this bot |
| Messages reach an older service | Re-save the connector so Make Agent Fast replaces the Telegram webhook |
| Direct messages work but group messages do not | Review BotFather Privacy Mode and group permissions |
| Bot does not message a new user first | Expected Telegram behavior; ask the user to open the bot and select Start |
| Text works but voice fails | Check model/transcription/speech keys and retry with a supported Telegram voice note |
Never paste a live token into documentation, source code, analytics, or a support screenshot.