Dora v3: files and your own bot

File bots in Telegram almost always work the same way: you type a request and receive a file. Dora version three adds something unusual on top: with one command you can turn it into a bot of your own. 📂

The profile text is short. The /start command handles files, and /clone makes your own copy. Here is what that means in practice and where to stay alert.

Six commands make up the whole thing

The bot has a small menu. The command descriptions are playful, but the meaning is quick to read.

• /start. Checks that the bot is alive and opens the files.
• /map. A guide to what the bot can do.
• /about. A short note on what the bot is.
• /clone. Get your own bot built on the same base.
• /convert. Recycling of old bots, as the bot itself puts it.
• /mybots. Manage the bots you created, listed in the menu as "minions".

/map is the best starting point, because the bot shows you where to tap next. 🗺

A bot of your own in a minute

The idea behind cloning is simple. Telegram lets anyone create bots through its official BotFather service, and every bot has a secret token. Cloning services ask for that token so they can run ready-made code on it.

So you control the bot, but it runs on someone else's server. That is convenient, since you need neither hosting nor code. 🤖

What to know about the token

A token gives full access to your bot. Whoever holds it can send messages in the bot's name, read incoming ones and change settings.

• Hand over a token only to someone you trust. The risk grows if the bot serves other people's audiences or payments.
• Make a separate bot for experiments. Keep your main project with real users out of it.
• Know how to revoke a token. BotFather can issue a new one, after which the old one stops working.
• Never publish a token. Not in chats, not in screenshots. 🔑

Files and copyright

File bots are often used to share material. If you post or download films, books or music that have a rights holder, that can break the law in your country.

A bot for your own files, such as documents, study notes or your own work, is a perfectly safe case. With files that belong to others, think about consequences and not only about speed. ⚖

Files from unfamiliar sources

Any file from a bot that you did not upload yourself deserves a check. Executable files and password-protected archives are a common way to deliver malware.

1. Look at the extension. Pdf, docx and epub are normal for documents, while exe, apk and scr call for caution.
2. Do not switch off protection for the sake of an "installer".
3. Open unfamiliar archives on a device with no important data.
4. If a file asks for permissions or for an account password, close it. 🛡

Who will find it useful

Dora suits people who want to try building a bot without programming and see how it all fits together. Two minutes and a test bot are enough for a first experiment.

It already has an audience: the catalog lists around seventy thousand users. If you are a new channel or chat admin, a clone can be a starting point for services of your own. ✨