Telegram Bot

A Telegram Bot is an automated application on the Telegram platform that can send messages, respond to user requests, and execute programmed actions. The Telegram Bot API is free and enables unlimited messaging without conversation windows.

What is a Telegram Bot?

A Telegram Bot is an automated software agent that communicates with the Telegram platform via the official Telegram Bot API. Bots can receive and send messages, respond to commands, display inline menus, and manage complex conversation flows – fully automated, around the clock.

The decisive advantage over the WhatsApp Business API: the Telegram Bot API is completely free. There are no per-message fees, no conversation pricing, no 24-hour messaging window, and no template approval process from Meta. Businesses can send their bot messages at any time to any number of users – as long as those users have started the bot.

Telegram Bot API Features

  • Inline Keyboards – button menus directly in messages for structured user interaction
  • Web Apps (Mini Apps) – fully featured web applications running inside Telegram
  • Native Payments – payment processing via Telegram Stars or external payment providers
  • Webhooks – real-time notifications for incoming messages sent to your own server
  • File transfer – receive and send files up to 2 GB
  • Inline Mode – bot can be called in any chat using @bot-name
  • Group integration – bots as moderators or assistants in groups and supergroups

Setting Up a Telegram Bot

A Telegram Bot is created via @BotFather – Telegram's official management bot. The process takes under 5 minutes: send /newbot to @BotFather, choose a name and username, receive an API token. This token is the key to your bot and is needed to connect it to a platform like SendSeven or your own development.

Business Use Cases

Telegram Bots are especially suited for tech-savvy audiences (developers, IT professionals, early adopters), free broadcast communication (deal alerts, newsletters, changelog notifications), and community management in supergroups with up to 200,000 members.

Typical use cases: FAQ automation, order tracking, appointment booking, lead qualification, newsletter subscription management. Combined with a Unified Inbox, all bot conversations flow into a central hub – alongside WhatsApp, email, and other channels.

GDPR Note

Telegram does not provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) under GDPR Art. 28 and is headquartered in Dubai. For use cases involving sensitive customer data (order data, payment information, health data), Telegram is therefore not recommended. For marketing broadcasts and community building without personal data, the risk is manageable. Consult your data protection officer for legally binding assessments.

Telegram Bot with SendSeven

SendSeven integrates Telegram Bots into the central Unified Inbox – alongside WhatsApp, email, SMS, Messenger, and Instagram. Enter your bot token from @BotFather once, and all Telegram conversations appear in the SendSeven interface. No separate Telegram tab, no lost messages. More in the Telegram Bot Setup Guide.

All Telegram contacts are automatically captured in Contact Management – together with all other channels in a 360° profile.