ONLYOFFICE: Office Files in Telegram

Someone sends you a contract as a DOCX file, and your phone has no office editor installed. Or a spreadsheet needs a quick fix while you are on the road. The ONLYOFFICE bot handles this inside Telegram: the file opens in an editor, and your changes come back into the chat.

What the bot does

The bot comes from Ascensio System Sia, the company behind the ONLYOFFICE office suite. Editors run in a browser, including the in-app browser in Telegram, so you install nothing 📑.

• Create. A new document, spreadsheet or presentation.
• Open. Upload your own file and edit it online.
• Convert. Pick the target format, for example DOCX to PDF.
• Collaborate. Several people edit one file at the same time.

More than 50 formats are supported, and DOCX, XLSX and PPTX files open with their layout intact.

Your first file in a minute

Tap Start or send /start and a menu appears. After that, it is a short walk.

1. Pick Create. Choose a document, spreadsheet or presentation.
2. Name the file. Type the name into the chat.
3. Follow the link. The bot replies with a message, and the link opens the matching editor.
4. Finish editing. When the session ends, the bot sends the file back with your saved changes.

Editing with one colleague or five

To bring others in, forward them the message that contains the file link. The link stays active for 24 hours, and every click resets the timer to another 24 hours.

Co-editing includes real-time changes, paragraph locking, review mode, version history, document comparison, comments and mentions. For a work chat with an editor, a lawyer and a manager, that beats sending the file back and forth.

When a link stops working

Once the modified file is sent back, the editing link switches off. That is a safeguard: an old session cannot overwrite a newer version.

To reopen the file, reply to the message that holds it with any text. The bot issues a fresh link.

Language and commands

The bot picks the language from your Telegram profile. Change it with /lang. There is also /help for guidance and /cancel to stop the current action.

A few safety habits

Your file goes to the editor's server, so avoid uploading passports, bank details or documents with trade secrets unless you know how your data is stored. For highly confidential work, a company-hosted installation of the editors is the safer path 🔒.

When you forward an edit link, remember that anyone holding it can change the document while it is active. Share it only with people you trust and keep it out of large public groups.

The source code of the app is published on GitHub, so developers can see how the editors are wired into Telegram.