IDBot: Find Any Telegram ID

You are configuring a bot, setting up notifications or writing to support, and someone asks for a "numeric ID". Everyone knows a Telegram username, but every account, group and channel also has a number behind it. IDBot helps you find it 🔢

The bot is described as a tool for getting the IDs of users, groups and channels. It is a small utility that saves you whenever a number is the only thing that works.

How an ID differs from a name

A username can change at any time. The numeric ID stays with the account permanently, which makes it handy for setting access and linking services.

Groups and channels have IDs too. For supergroups and channels it usually starts with -100, which often confuses beginners.

When you cannot do without one

• Setting up your own bot. Many scripts and builders ask for the admin's ID or the chat to send messages to.
• Notifications and automation. Sending messages to the right chat from outside services goes by numeric address.
• Contacting support. When you must point to a specific account or channel whose name was already changed.
• Administration. Whitelists, permissions and bans in a moderator bot are often tied to an ID.

Why not everything resolves from a name

Telegram's official bot interface cannot turn an arbitrary username into an ID. A utility bot sees only what is available to it, and results for public groups and channels are usually more reliable than for private people.

If a person's ID did not come up from a name, nothing is broken. Often it is enough for that person to message the bot, or to forward the bot one of their messages.

Getting an ID with the fewest steps

1. Open the bot and press /start.
2. Send the input it asks for: a group or channel name, or a forwarded message, depending on the bot's hint.
3. Copy the whole number, including the minus sign if there is one.
4. Paste it into the settings of the service that needs the ID.

What it does not do

An ID does not reveal a phone number, correspondence or personal data. It is a technical account number and gives access to nothing inside a profile.

If someone promises to "trace a person by ID", it is a scam or an attempt to get your money. Do not pay for such services and never hand over login codes ✋

Small habits that save time

Keep your own ID and the IDs of your main chats in a note, since you will need them more than once. They change only when a group is replaced with a new one or upgraded to a supergroup.

The bot has gathered a sizeable audience: on its page, Telegram shows tens of thousands of monthly users. For such a simple utility, that points to steady demand.