Group Attendance Bot: Roll Call

You run an online class in a big group chat and have no idea who actually showed up. Scrolling back and matching names by hand is slow and dull. Group Attendance Bot does the roll call right inside Telegram: start a check, get a list. 📋

The Keralagram community built the bot for one simple job. It has two main commands, and that is enough to finish attendance in a few minutes.

Two commands instead of a spreadsheet

Everything revolves around a pair of commands. There is nothing to configure for hours.

• /start_attendance opens a check in the group.
• /end_attendance closes it and sends the result.

Between those two commands, members confirm they are present. When the admin ends the session, the bot posts the outcome: who checked in.

Running your first roll call

1. Add the bot to your group. Open its profile and choose the add-to-chat option.
2. Give it the rights it needs. To see messages, you may have to make it an administrator.
3. Send /start_attendance at the beginning of the class or meeting.
4. Ask everyone to check in and give people a moment.
5. Send /end_attendance and save the final list somewhere safe.

Where it earns its place

Any situation where you need to know who was at a meeting fits this kind of bot.

• Study groups. A teacher marks who is present at the start of a lesson.
• Online clubs and courses. Count attendance per date.
• Work chats. A quick headcount before a call or a stand-up.
• Communities. Tally who came to a meetup or a webinar.

Why it beats a shared sheet

A separate spreadsheet needs a link, access rights and discipline from every person. In a chat, it all happens where the conversation already is. Everyone is in Telegram, so there are no extra steps. ✅

The final list is easy to forward or paste into a register, timesheet or report. The bot does not replace a full tracking system, but it handles the daily routine.

Limits worth knowing

A chat check only records what someone typed or tapped. It does not prove they listened to the session. If you need strict control, add a question or two during the meeting.

• Tell participants exactly how to check in before you start.
• Open the session when the meeting begins, not earlier, or people who will never join may check in.
• Close it on time so the result does not drag on all day.
• Save the result immediately, because the chat will move on.

Privacy and order

An attendance list contains people's names, so do not post it in an open channel without their consent. For study and work groups, it is usually enough that only the organizer sees the result. 🔒

In a large group, agree on one single way to check in and stick to it. The final list then stays clear and nobody argues about it.

Keeping up with updates

The developers run a separate channel with project news. If the bot stops responding or changes behavior, that is the place to look. Before an important class, do a dry run in a test group with two people. 🧪