Telegram beginner guide

Put your working bot in a private group

Create a private group, turn on Topics, and test your existing Telegram bot.

No bot token is needed here.

FinishedYour group is readyYou should now see the four items above. The bot reply in General is your final proof.

Before you start

Check three things

This guide uses a bot that already works in a private Telegram chat.

You need

  • Telegram is installed and you are signed in.
  • Your bot replies in a private chat.
  • You know the exact bot @username.

You will finish with

  • A private group named My Agent Group.
  • Topics on, with General and Ideas visible.
  • A reply from the correct bot after you send hi in General.

Topic: A topic is a smaller chat inside the group. It keeps one subject in its own place.

Choose your device

Choose one path

Choose the Telegram app you are using now. The buttons below match that app.

Selected deviceiPhoneUse the Telegram app on an iPhone or iPad.

Phase 1

Create the private group

Add the bot you already use in a private chat.

  1. Tap New Message (the pencil) in the top-right corner.

    Then: A menu appears.

    iPhone: New Message shows New Group. The red outline marks the row to tap.

  2. Tap New Group.

    Then: Telegram opens the member search screen.

  3. Tap Search and type the bot's exact @username.

    Then: The matching bot appears.

    iPhone: search results show the matching bot. The example bot name is from the source image.

  4. Tap the matching bot.

    Then: The bot is selected.

  5. Tap Next.

    Then: Telegram opens the group name screen.

  6. Type My Agent Group.

    Then: The name appears in the name box.

    iPhone: the group name screen has Create in the top-right corner.

  7. Tap Create.

    Then: The new group opens.

  8. Tap the group photo or name at the top.

    Then: The group information page opens.

  9. Tap Edit, then tap Group Type.

    Then: The group type page opens.

  10. Choose Private, then tap Done.

    Then: The group stays private and has no public username or public link.

You should now see: You should now see My Agent Group, the correct bot in the member list, and Group Type set to Private.

Phase 2

Turn on Topics and add Ideas

A topic is a smaller chat inside the group. General is the main chat. Ideas will be another chat in the same group.

  1. Tap the group photo or name at the top.

    Then: The group information page opens.

  2. Tap Edit, then tap Topics.

    Then: The Topics setting opens.

  3. Turn on Enable Topics.

    Then: Telegram shows the topic view choice, if your version asks for one.

  4. Choose List when Telegram asks how to show topics.

    Then: The group returns to a list of topics.

    If your version does not ask, continue.

  5. Open the topic menu and tap New Topic.

    Then: A topic name box appears.

    iPhone: the group menu shows View as Topics, the topic list, and New Topic.

  6. Type Ideas, then tap Create.

    Then: The Ideas topic opens.

  7. Tap Back once to return to the topic list.

    Then: General and Ideas are both listed.

You should now see: You should now see General and Ideas. General is the main chat. Ideas is a smaller chat inside the group.

Phase 3

Give the bot group access

A private bot chat and a group have separate access rules.

An admin is a member with extra group controls. An admin bot can receive group messages. This is separate from privacy mode, a Telegram filter that limits messages a normal bot can see. Hermes may also decide whether to answer. Use the small rights list below, and do not turn privacy mode off as a first fix.

  1. Tap the group photo or name, then tap Edit.

    Then: The group settings open.

  2. Tap Administrators.

    Then: The administrator list opens.

  3. Tap Add Admin, then select the correct bot @username.

    Then: The bot rights page opens.

    iPhone: keep Admin Rights on, then review each smaller right before adding the bot.

  4. Keep Admin Rights on.

    Then: The bot can receive group messages.

  5. Leave these smaller rights off: Change Group Info, Delete Messages, Ban Users, Invite Users via Link, Pin Messages, Manage Video Chats, Remain Anonymous, and Add New Admins.

    Then: The bot has administrator access without extra control.

  6. Tap Add Bot as Admin, then tap Done.

    Then: The bot appears in the administrator list.

You should now see: You should now see the correct bot in Administrators. An admin is a member with extra group controls. An admin bot can see group messages, so use this only in a group you trust.

Phase 4

Test the bot in General

Test in General first. Wait up to one minute for the reply.

  1. Open General.

    Then: The main group chat opens.

  2. Tap the message box.

    Then: The keyboard opens.

  3. Type hi.

    Then: hi appears in the message box.

  4. Tap Send.

    Then: Your hi message appears in General.

  5. Wait up to one minute.

    Then: A reply from the correct bot appears below your message.

You should now see: You should now see hi in General and a reply from the correct bot. This reply is the finish line.

Bot did not reply

Help

Bot stays quiet

Check these in order. Stop when you find the problem.

1. Check the private bot chat

Open the same bot's private chat and send hi.

  1. If the bot replies there, continue below.
  2. If it does not reply there, stop this group recovery path and ask Sean for help. The existing installation guide may help you check the main setup.

Your main agent may be a different bot from the bot in this group.

2. Check the bot in this group

Compare the exact @username with the one you tested privately.

  1. Open the group member list.
  2. Check that the correct bot is a member.
  3. Check that the same bot is in Administrators and has access to messages.
  4. If the group already existed, open Group Info and use Add Members to add the correct @username.
Telegram Desktop: review the named rights, leave extra rights off, and click Save.

3. If Telegram will not let you add the bot

BotFather controls whether a bot may join groups.

  1. Open the official @BotFather chat. Check for the blue verification mark and the BotFather name.
  2. Send /setjoingroups.
  3. Select your own bot.
  4. Tap Enable when BotFather offers it.
  5. Wait for the confirmation message.
  6. Return to My Agent Group and try Add Members again.
BotFather: open Bot Settings for the bot you selected.

4. Change privacy mode only when confirmed

Use this branch only after your main agent says that privacy mode is the problem.

  1. Open @BotFather and send /setprivacy.
  2. Select your own bot.
  3. Tap Disable and wait for the confirmation.
  4. Remove the bot from the group.
  5. Add the same bot again.
  6. Restore the bot as an administrator with the small rights list above.
  7. Test hi in General again.
BotFather: Allow Groups? controls group joining. Group Privacy is a separate exception setting.

Telegram says a privacy-mode change may need the bot to be removed and added again. Do not use this as the first or universal fix.

5. Ask the main agent to check Hermes

Telegram may deliver the message while Hermes chooses not to answer.

  1. Tell your main agent whether plain hi worked.
  2. Tell it whether the @botusername hi test worked.
  3. Ask it to check the group authorization and whether the group bot requires a mention.
  4. Do not paste a bot token into Telegram.

A gateway is the running service that connects Hermes to Telegram. Do not restart or change it from this page. Ask Sean if a terminal action is required.

I cannot find Topics

Topics is a group setting.

  1. Open the group settings.
  2. Look for Topics.
  3. If you are not the owner or an admin, ask the owner to enable it.
  4. Update Telegram if Topics is still missing.

The exact path is different on iPhone, Android, and Telegram Desktop. Follow only your selected device path.

I cannot find the Android setting

Android puts group settings behind the group header and pencil.

  1. Open the group.
  2. Tap the group name at the top.
  3. Tap the pencil.
  4. Look for Topics or Administrators.

Do not use the iPhone or Desktop menu path on Android.

Hermes asks for a group ID

You do not need a group ID for the main path on this page.

  1. Give your main agent the group name, the bot @username, and the result of the General test.
  2. Ask it whether a group ID is truly needed for your setup.
  3. If it still needs an ID, ask Sean to help you find the correct one. Do not guess.

You should now see: You should now know the next safe check. If you need help, use the private main-agent chat and the copyable message below.

Bot did not reply

Work with your main agent

Your main agent is the agent you already chat with privately in Telegram. Open that private chat to get help. This may be a different bot from the one in your group.

DM: DM means a private, one-to-one chat. Here, it means your private chat with your main agent.

  1. 1

    Open the private chat with your main agent.

  2. 2

    Send hi there.

  3. 3

    If the main agent replies, continue.

  4. 4

    In the group's General, type @, select the intended bot from Telegram's suggestions, add hi, and send it.

  5. 5

    Record whether that tagged message got a reply.

  6. 6

    Return to the main agent's private chat and send the help message below.

  7. 7

    Follow one instruction at a time. Tell the main agent what happened after each instruction.

  8. 8

    Return to General and test again when the main agent tells you to.

If the tagged message works but plain hi does not, the bot can reply when you tag it. Tell your main agent this result so it can check how the group bot is set to answer.

If the main agent also fails to reply privately, stop this recovery path and ask Sean. Do not paste a token, login code, or password into Telegram. Open the existing installation guide

Make a help message

Fill this form. The message is made in your browser. It is not sent or saved here.

Do not include bot tokens, login codes, or passwords in messages or screenshots.

Finished

Your group is ready

Keep this private group for your bot work. Use General for quick tests and Ideas for new ideas.

  • My Agent Group is private.
  • Topics is on.
  • General and Ideas are visible.
  • The correct bot replied to hi in General.

You should now see: You should now see the four items above. The bot reply in General is your final proof.