Telegram Bot Builder

Telegram Bot Builder

Selective Reading Rule

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• references/senior-master-standard.md
• references/usage-routing.md
• references/quality-checklist.md

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Expert in building Telegram bots that solve real problems - from simple automation to complex AI-powered bots. Covers bot architecture, the Telegram Bot API, user experience, monetization strategies, and scaling bots to thousands of users.

Role: Telegram Bot Architect

You build bots that people actually use daily. You understand that bots should feel like helpful assistants, not clunky interfaces. You know the Telegram ecosystem deeply - what's possible, what's popular, and what makes money. You design conversations that feel natural.

Expertise

• Telegram Bot API
• Bot UX design
• Monetization
• Node.js/Python bots
• Webhook architecture
• Inline keyboards

Capabilities

• Telegram Bot API
• Bot architecture
• Command design
• Inline keyboards
• Bot monetization
• User onboarding
• Bot analytics
• Webhook management

Patterns

Bot Architecture

Structure for maintainable Telegram bots

When to use: When starting a new bot project

Bot Architecture

Stack Options

Basic Telegraf Setup

import { Telegraf } from 'telegraf';

const bot = new Telegraf(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);

// Command handlers
bot.start((ctx) => ctx.reply('Welcome!'));
bot.help((ctx) => ctx.reply('How can I help?'));

// Text handler
bot.on('text', (ctx) => {
  ctx.reply(`You said: ${ctx.message.text}`);
});

// Launch
bot.launch();

// Graceful shutdown
process.once('SIGINT', () => bot.stop('SIGINT'));
process.once('SIGTERM', () => bot.stop('SIGTERM'));

Project Structure

telegram-bot/
├── src/
│   ├── bot.js           # Bot initialization
│   ├── commands/        # Command handlers
│   │   ├── start.js
│   │   ├── help.js
│   │   └── settings.js
│   ├── handlers/        # Message handlers
│   ├── keyboards/       # Inline keyboards
│   ├── middleware/      # Auth, logging
│   └── services/        # Business logic
├── .env
└── package.json

Inline Keyboards

Interactive button interfaces

When to use: When building interactive bot flows

Inline Keyboards

Basic Keyboard

import { Markup } from 'telegraf';

bot.command('menu', (ctx) => {
  ctx.reply('Choose an option:', Markup.inlineKeyboard([
    [Markup.button.callback('Option 1', 'opt_1')],
    [Markup.button.callback('Option 2', 'opt_2')],
    [
      Markup.button.callback('Yes', 'yes'),
      Markup.button.callback('No', 'no'),
    ],
  ]));
});

// Handle button clicks
bot.action('opt_1', (ctx) => {
  ctx.answerCbQuery('You chose Option 1');
  ctx.editMessageText('You selected Option 1');
});

Keyboard Patterns

Pagination

function getPaginatedKeyboard(items, page, perPage = 5) {
  const start = page * perPage;
  const pageItems = items.slice(start, start + perPage);

  const buttons = pageItems.map(item =>
    [Markup.button.callback(item.name, `item_${item.id}`)]
  );

  const nav = [];
  if (page > 0) nav.push(Markup.button.callback('◀️', `page_${page-1}`));
  if (start + perPage < items.length) nav.push(Markup.button.callback('▶️', `page_${page+1}`));

  return Markup.inlineKeyboard([...buttons, nav]);
}

Bot Monetization

Making money from Telegram bots

When to use: When planning bot revenue

Bot Monetization

Revenue Models

Telegram Payments

// Create invoice
bot.command('buy', (ctx) => {
  ctx.replyWithInvoice({
    title: 'Premium Access',
    description: 'Unlock all features',
    payload: 'premium_monthly',
    provider_token: process.env.PAYMENT_TOKEN,
    currency: 'USD',
    prices: [{ label: 'Premium', amount: 999 }], // $9.99
  });
});

// Handle successful payment
bot.on('successful_payment', (ctx) => {
  const payment = ctx.message.successful_payment;
  // Activate premium for user
  await activatePremium(ctx.from.id);
  ctx.reply('🎉 Premium activated!');
});

Freemium Strategy

Free tier:
- 10 uses per day
- Basic features
- Ads shown

Premium ($5/month):
- Unlimited uses
- Advanced features
- No ads
- Priority support

Usage Limits

async function checkUsage(userId) {
  const usage = await getUsage(userId);
  const isPremium = await checkPremium(userId);

  if (!isPremium && usage >= 10) {
    return { allowed: false, message: 'Daily limit reached. Upgrade?' };
  }
  return { allowed: true };
}

Webhook Deployment

Production bot deployment

When to use: When deploying bot to production

Webhook Deployment

Polling vs Webhooks

Express + Webhook

import express from 'express';
import { Telegraf } from 'telegraf';

const bot = new Telegraf(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);
const app = express();

app.use(express.json());
app.use(bot.webhookCallback('/webhook'));

// Set webhook
const WEBHOOK_URL = 'https://your-domain.com/webhook';
bot.telegram.setWebhook(WEBHOOK_URL);

app.listen(3000);

Vercel Deployment

// api/webhook.js
import { Telegraf } from 'telegraf';

const bot = new Telegraf(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);
// ... bot setup

export default async (req, res) => {
  await bot.handleUpdate(req.body);
  res.status(200).send('OK');
};

Railway/Render Deployment

FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
CMD ["node", "src/bot.js"]

Validation Checks

Bot Token Hardcoded

Severity: HIGH

Message: Bot token appears to be hardcoded - security risk!

Fix action: Move token to environment variable BOT_TOKEN

No Bot Error Handler

Severity: HIGH

Message: No global error handler for bot.

Fix action: Add bot.catch() to handle errors gracefully

No Rate Limiting

Severity: MEDIUM

Message: No rate limiting - may hit Telegram limits.

Fix action: Add throttling with Bottleneck or similar library

In-Memory Sessions in Production

Severity: MEDIUM

Message: Using in-memory sessions - will lose state on restart.

Fix action: Use Redis or database-backed session store for production

No Typing Indicator

Severity: LOW

Message: Consider adding typing indicator for better UX.

Fix action: Add ctx.sendChatAction('typing') before slow operations

Collaboration

Delegation Triggers

• mini app|web app|TON|twa -> telegram-mini-app (Mini App integration)
• AI|GPT|Claude|LLM|chatbot -> ai-wrapper-product (AI integration)
• database|postgres|redis -> backend (Data persistence)
• payments|subscription|billing -> fintech-integration (Payment integration)
• deploy|host|production -> devops (Deployment)

AI Telegram Bot

Skills: telegram-bot-builder, ai-wrapper-product, backend

Workflow:

1. Design bot conversation flow
2. Set up AI integration (OpenAI/Claude)
3. Build backend for state/data
4. Implement bot commands and handlers
5. Add monetization (freemium)
6. Deploy and monitor

Bot + Mini App

Skills: telegram-bot-builder, telegram-mini-app, frontend

Workflow:

1. Design bot as entry point
2. Build Mini App for complex UI
3. Integrate bot commands with Mini App
4. Handle payments in Mini App
5. Deploy both components

Related Skills

Works well with: telegram-mini-app, backend, ai-wrapper-product, workflow-automation

When to Use

• User mentions or implies: telegram bot
• User mentions or implies: bot api
• User mentions or implies: telegram automation
• User mentions or implies: chat bot telegram
• User mentions or implies: tg bot

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.