Telegram Basic Bot#

Learn how to create a simple but powerful Telegram bot using n8n for automated messaging and file handling.

🎯 What You'll Build#

A Telegram bot that can: - Receive and respond to text messages - Handle file uploads and downloads - Process commands and provide information - Send notifications and updates

📋 Requirements#

Telegram account
Bot token from BotFather
n8n instance running
Basic understanding of webhooks

🔧 Workflow Overview#

View workflow file

Key Components#

Telegram Trigger - Receives messages and commands
Message Router - Routes different message types
Response Handler - Generates appropriate replies
File Processor - Handles file uploads and downloads

📝 Step-by-Step Guide#

1. Create Your Telegram Bot#

Start a chat with BotFather in Telegram
Create a new bot with /newbot
Choose a name and username for your bot
Save your bot token - it's required for n8n configuration

2. Set Up the Telegram Trigger#

Add a Telegram Bot Trigger node
Configure the connection: - Bot Token: Enter your token from BotFather - Updates: Select the types of updates to receive
Test the connection by sending a message to your bot

3. Configure Message Routing#

Add a Switch node to route different message types
Set up branches for: - Text messages - Commands (starting with /) - File uploads - Images/documents - Other media types

4. Create Response Handlers#

Basic Text Response#

Add Set nodes for each message type

Configure response logic:

// Example: Echo message
return {
  text: `You said: ${$json.message.text}`
};

Command Processing#

Handle common commands: - /start - Welcome message - /help - Available commands - /status - Bot status - /about - Bot information

File Handling#

Process uploaded files: - Download files to temporary storage - Analyze file content - Send confirmation or processing results

🤖 Bot Commands Setup#

Essential Commands#

/start Command

{
  text: "👋 Welcome to my bot!\n\nAvailable commands:\n/start - Start the bot\n/help - Show help\n/status - Check bot status\n/about - About this bot"
}

/help Command

{
  text: "📚 Help Menu\n\n• Send me any text and I'll echo it back\n• Upload files and I'll process them\n• Use commands for specific actions"
}

/status Command

{
  text: `🟢 Bot Status: Online\n🕒 Uptime: ${new Date().toLocaleString()}\n📊 Messages processed: Counter here`
}

📁 File Processing#

Handle File Uploads#

File Download - Use HTTP Request node to download files - Handle different file types (images, documents, etc.) - Store temporarily for processing
File Analysis - Extract metadata (size, type, dimensions) - Perform content analysis if needed - Generate summary or insights
Response Generation - Acknowledge receipt - Provide processing status - Share results or next steps

Example File Handler#

// Process uploaded image
if ($json.message.photo) {
  return {
    text: `📷 I received your photo!\n\nSize: ${fileSize}\nType: ${fileType}\n\nProcessing complete!`
  };
}

🔌 Advanced Features#

Interactive Keyboards#

{
  text: "What would you like to do?",
  reply_markup: {
    inline_keyboard: [
      [
        { text: "📊 Get Info", callback_data: "get_info" },
        { text: "🔔 Subscribe", callback_data: "subscribe" }
      ],
      [
        { text: "❓ Help", callback_data: "help" }
      ]
    ]
  }
}

Rich Media Responses#

Send images with captions
Share documents and files
Create photo galleries
Send location data

Scheduled Messages#

Add Cron Trigger node
Configure schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)
Create broadcast messages
Send to subscribed users

🧪 Testing Your Bot#

Local Testing#

Use a tunneling service (ngrok, localtunnel)
Update webhook URL in Telegram
Test all message types
Verify file handling

Test Scenarios#

Text messages of various lengths
File uploads (images, documents)
Command processing
Error handling
Concurrent users

🎨 Customization Ideas#

Personal Assistant Bot#

Set reminders and alarms
Note-taking capabilities
Weather information
News updates

Customer Support Bot#

FAQ automation
Ticket creation
Live chat handoff
Knowledge base integration

Content Distribution Bot#

Daily news summaries
Scheduled announcements
RSS feed processing
Social media posting

🔍 Troubleshooting#

Common Issues#

Webhook Not Working - Check your webhook URL is accessible - Verify SSL certificate (Telegram requires HTTPS) - Ensure port is open and accessible

Bot Token Issues - Validate token format - Check token hasn't expired - Verify bot permissions

Message Not Received - Check bot is running - Verify webhook configuration - Check n8n execution logs

Debug Tools#

n8n Execution History - Review workflow executions
Telegram Bot API - Use getUpdates method for debugging
Webhook Testing Tools - Verify endpoint accessibility
Browser DevTools - Check network requests

📊 Analytics & Monitoring#

Track Bot Usage#

Message count per user
Popular commands
File upload statistics
Response times

Monitor Performance#

API response times
Error rates
User engagement metrics
Resource usage

🛡️ Security Best Practices#

Protect your bot token - Store securely in n8n credentials
Validate user input - Sanitize all incoming data
Rate limiting - Prevent spam and abuse
Privacy compliance - Handle user data responsibly

🎓 Next Steps#

Once your basic bot is working:

Add database storage - Save user preferences and history
Implement AI responses - Connect to chatbot APIs
Create admin panel - Manage bot settings and users
Deploy to production - Scale for multiple users

🚀 Deployment#

Production Setup#

Use a reliable hosting - Cloud service or VPS
Set up SSL certificates - Required for Telegram webhooks
Configure monitoring - Track uptime and performance
Implement backup - Regular data backups

Scaling Considerations#

Load balancing for high traffic
Database optimization
Caching strategies
Error handling and recovery

Related Tutorials: - Telegram File Automation - Advanced file processing - LINE Messaging API - Multi-platform messaging

Resources: - Telegram Bot API Documentation - BotFather Guide - n8n Telegram Integration