Sci-Hub Bot: Research Papers in Chat

You found the paper you need, and the publisher wants tens of dollars for a single PDF. Students, PhD candidates and independent researchers know the feeling. Sci-Hub in Telegram works as a chat: send a title, a DOI or a link, and the bot replies with the article file. 📄

Three ways to ask for a paper

The bot's description says it accepts a link to the publication, its title or a DOI. A DOI is a permanent number for one article, printed on the first page and in reference lists.

• DOI. The most reliable option, since the number points to exactly one work.
• Link. The address of the article page on a journal site works.
• Title. Handy, but similar titles can return the wrong paper, so compare authors and year.

If the paper is not in the base, the bot says so. Then try another identifier or look for a preprint from the authors.

Works inside any chat

The bot has an inline mode: type its name in the message field of any conversation, add a title or DOI and pick a result. It helps when a colleague in a work chat asks where to find the full text. 💬

The profile lists no separate commands. Press Start and send your request.

What the project says about itself

The profile calls the bot the official bot of the Sci-Hub service and claims more than 80 million research articles. The project makes that number itself and outsiders cannot check it, so treat it as a claim.

The audience is big: Telegram reports around 51 thousand people using the bot every month. Demand for free access to research is huge.

The catch: law and dependence on the site

Publishers consider Sci-Hub a copyright infringer and have taken it to court. Countries treat the service differently, and in some places access is blocked. Before downloading papers, learn the rules of your country and your university. ⚖️

There is a technical side too. When the service's website is down, the bot can go quiet as well, because it depends on what happens on the project's side. No reply does not always mean your request was wrong.

When the paper is not there

1. Check the DOI. One mistyped character gives "not found".
2. Look for a preprint. Many authors post manuscripts in open archives.
3. Email the author. Researchers usually send their papers when asked.
4. Ask your university library. It often has subscriptions and interlibrary loans.

Reading with a critical eye

Very recent papers may not have reached the base yet, and old ones can arrive as a poorly recognized scan. When you cite, check the publication details against the journal's own page. 🔍

Send the bot nothing but a search query: no passwords, no university account details. None of that is needed to get an article.