BotFather: Create Your Own Bot

Every bot in Telegram, from a tiny reminder to a big shop, was once born in the same chat. BotFather is Telegram's own official bot for creating and managing other bots. If you have an idea, this is where you start. 🤖

Your first bot in five minutes

No code is needed to create one. First you get the bot's "passport," and only then decide what it will do.

1. Send the /newbot command.
2. Pick a name: it appears in the profile and can be anything.
3. Choose a username: it must be unique and end in bot.
4. Receive the token and store it somewhere safe.

The username cannot be changed later, so think it over now. The name and description can be edited every day if you like.

The token: a key you must not show

A token is a long string a program uses to control your bot. Anyone who holds it can write as your bot and read its messages. 🔑

Never post a token in chats, screenshots or public repositories. If it leaks, /revoke issues a new one and the old one stops working. /token shows the current one.

What you can configure

BotFather's command list has more than thirty entries. The most useful ones:

• /setname and /setuserpic. The bot's name and avatar.
• /setdescription and /setabouttext. The text in an empty chat and the profile line.
• /setcommands. The command menu users see.
• /setprivacy. Which messages the bot sees in groups.
• /setjoingroups. Whether the bot can be added to groups.
• /setinline. The mode where the bot replies from the input field in any chat.

Mini apps and games

The /newapp, /myapps and /editapp commands handle web apps inside Telegram. /newgame creates games. /setdomain links a bot to your website's address.

There are also modes such as manager mode and bot-to-bot communication. They have their own toggles, and the details are best read in Telegram's developer docs.

Keeping several bots straight

The /mybots command lists all your bots, and its buttons open the settings of any of them. That is easier than typing commands by hand.

If you run several bots, name them differently and note where each token is used. A month later you will not remember which key went where.

Before launch, check the profile through a newcomer's eyes: is the description clear, does /start work, is the command list visible?

What BotFather will not do

BotFather does not write your bot's logic. It only registers and configures the bot. After that you need code, a no-code builder, or a platform you give the token to. ⚙️

Be careful with outside services that ask for a token: handing it over gives away control of your bot. If in doubt, revoke the token with /revoke at once.

When you no longer need a bot, /deletebot removes it for good. Think twice, since getting the username back is unlikely. 🗑