Add Telegram

Add Telegram Channel

UX Rule: Use AskUserQuestion for ALL interactions with the user. Never just output questions as text — always use the tool so the user gets structured prompts with selectable options.

This skill adds Telegram support to BastionClaw. Users can choose to:

1. Replace WhatsApp - Use Telegram as the only messaging channel
2. Add alongside WhatsApp - Both channels active
3. Control channel - Telegram triggers agent but doesn't receive all outputs
4. Notification channel - Receives outputs but limited triggering

Prerequisites

1. Install Grammy

npm install grammy

Grammy is a modern, TypeScript-first Telegram bot framework.

2. Create Telegram Bot

Tell the user:

I need you to create a Telegram bot:

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send /newbot and follow prompts:
   • Bot name: Something friendly (e.g., "Andy Assistant")
   • Bot username: Must end with "bot" (e.g., "andy_ai_bot")
3. Copy the bot token (looks like 123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11)

Wait for user to provide the token.

3. Get Chat ID

Tell the user:

To register a chat, you need its Chat ID. Here's how:

For Private Chat (DM with bot):

1. Search for your bot in Telegram
2. Start a chat and send any message
3. I'll add a /chatid command to help you get the ID

For Group Chat:

1. Add your bot to the group
2. Send any message
3. Use the /chatid command in the group

4. Disable Group Privacy (for group chats)

Tell the user:

Important for group chats: By default, Telegram bots in groups only receive messages that @mention the bot or are commands. To let the bot see all messages (needed for requiresTrigger: false or trigger-word detection):

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send /mybots and select your bot
3. Go to Bot Settings > Group Privacy
4. Select Turn off

Without this, the bot will only see messages that directly @mention it.

This step is optional if the user only wants trigger-based responses via @mentioning the bot.

Questions to Ask

Use AskUserQuestion to collect configuration:

AskUserQuestion: Should Telegram replace WhatsApp or run alongside it?

• Replace WhatsApp - Telegram will be the only channel (sets TELEGRAM_ONLY=true)
• Alongside - Both Telegram and WhatsApp channels active

AskUserQuestion: Should this chat respond to all messages or only when @mentioned?

• All messages - Responds to everything (sets requiresTrigger: false)
• Only when @mentioned - Requires trigger (default, requiresTrigger: true)

Security

Present this warning to the user before proceeding:

SECURITY WARNING: Anyone in a Telegram group with your bot can command it.

The bot runs with your Claude API credentials and has access to your agent's tools, memory, and scheduled tasks. In group chats, anyone who can see the group can trigger the bot.

What this means:

• If you add someone to a group with the bot, they can use your bot
• They can trigger agent containers that run with your API key
• They can potentially read your agent's memory and conversation history
• The main chat has admin privileges (register groups, schedule tasks, manage all groups)

Recommendations:

1. Use private DMs with the bot for your main (admin) channel — only you can see those messages
2. If you want others to use the bot, create a separate group registered with requiresTrigger: true — this limits them to @mention interactions only, no admin access
3. Don't share group invite links for groups containing the bot
4. For group chats, remember that all messages (including bot responses) are visible to all group members

Architecture

BastionClaw uses a Channel abstraction (Channel interface in src/types.ts). Each messaging platform implements this interface. Key files:

The Telegram channel follows the same pattern as WhatsApp:

• Implements Channel interface (connect, sendMessage, ownsJid, disconnect, setTyping)
• Delivers inbound messages via onMessage / onChatMetadata callbacks
• The existing message loop in src/index.ts picks up stored messages automatically

Implementation

Step 1: Update Configuration

Read src/config.ts and add Telegram config exports:

export const TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN = process.env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN || "";
export const TELEGRAM_ONLY = process.env.TELEGRAM_ONLY === "true";

These should be added near the top with other configuration exports.

Step 2: Create Telegram Channel

Create src/channels/telegram.ts implementing the Channel interface. Use src/channels/whatsapp.ts as a reference for the pattern.

import { Bot } from "grammy";

import {
  ASSISTANT_NAME,
  TRIGGER_PATTERN,
} from "../config.js";
import { logger } from "../logger.js";
import { Channel, OnInboundMessage, OnChatMetadata, RegisteredGroup } from "../types.js";

export interface TelegramChannelOpts {
  onMessage: OnInboundMessage;
  onChatMetadata: OnChatMetadata;
  registeredGroups: () => Record<string, RegisteredGroup>;
}

export class TelegramChannel implements Channel {
  name = "telegram";
  prefixAssistantName = false; // Telegram bots already display their name

  private bot: Bot | null = null;
  private opts: TelegramChannelOpts;
  private botToken: string;

  constructor(botToken: string, opts: TelegramChannelOpts) {
    this.botToken = botToken;
    this.opts = opts;
  }

  async connect(): Promise<void> {
    this.bot = new Bot(this.botToken);

    // Command to get chat ID (useful for registration)
    this.bot.command("chatid", (ctx) => {
      const chatId = ctx.chat.id;
      const chatType = ctx.chat.type;
      const chatName =
        chatType === "private"
          ? ctx.from?.first_name || "Private"
          : (ctx.chat as any).title || "Unknown";

      ctx.reply(
        `Chat ID: \`tg:${chatId}\`\nName: ${chatName}\nType: ${chatType}`,
        { parse_mode: "Markdown" },
      );
    });

    // Command to check bot status
    this.bot.command("ping", (ctx) => {
      ctx.reply(`${ASSISTANT_NAME} is online.`);
    });

    this.bot.on("message:text", async (ctx) => {
      // Skip commands
      if (ctx.message.text.startsWith("/")) return;

      const chatJid = `tg:${ctx.chat.id}`;
      let content = ctx.message.text;
      const timestamp = new Date(ctx.message.date * 1000).toISOString();
      const senderName =
        ctx.from?.first_name ||
        ctx.from?.username ||
        ctx.from?.id.toString() ||
        "Unknown";
      const sender = ctx.from?.id.toString() || "";
      const msgId = ctx.message.message_id.toString();

      // Determine chat name
      const chatName =
        ctx.chat.type === "private"
          ? senderName
          : (ctx.chat as any).title || chatJid;

      // Translate Telegram @bot_username mentions into TRIGGER_PATTERN format.
      // Telegram @mentions (e.g., @andy_ai_bot) won't match TRIGGER_PATTERN
      // (e.g., ^@Andy\b), so we prepend the trigger when the bot is @mentioned.
      const botUsername = ctx.me?.username?.toLowerCase();
      if (botUsername) {
        const entities = ctx.message.entities || [];
        const isBotMentioned = entities.some((entity) => {
          if (entity.type === "mention") {
            const mentionText = content
              .substring(entity.offset, entity.offset + entity.length)
              .toLowerCase();
            return mentionText === `@${botUsername}`;
          }
          return false;
        });
        if (isBotMentioned && !TRIGGER_PATTERN.test(content)) {
          content = `@${ASSISTANT_NAME} ${content}`;
        }
      }

      // Store chat metadata for discovery
      this.opts.onChatMetadata(chatJid, timestamp, chatName);

      // Only deliver full message for registered groups
      const group = this.opts.registeredGroups()[chatJid];
      if (!group) {
        logger.debug(
          { chatJid, chatName },
          "Message from unregistered Telegram chat",
        );
        return;
      }

      // Deliver message — startMessageLoop() will pick it up
      this.opts.onMessage(chatJid, {
        id: msgId,
        chat_jid: chatJid,
        sender,
        sender_name: senderName,
        content,
        timestamp,
        is_from_me: false,
      });

      logger.info(
        { chatJid, chatName, sender: senderName },
        "Telegram message stored",
      );
    });

    // Handle non-text messages with placeholders so the agent knows something was sent
    const storeNonText = (ctx: any, placeholder: string) => {
      const chatJid = `tg:${ctx.chat.id}`;
      const group = this.opts.registeredGroups()[chatJid];
      if (!group) return;

      const timestamp = new Date(ctx.message.date * 1000).toISOString();
      const senderName =
        ctx.from?.first_name || ctx.from?.username || ctx.from?.id?.toString() || "Unknown";
      const caption = ctx.message.caption ? ` ${ctx.message.caption}` : "";

      this.opts.onChatMetadata(chatJid, timestamp);
      this.opts.onMessage(chatJid, {
        id: ctx.message.message_id.toString(),
        chat_jid: chatJid,
        sender: ctx.from?.id?.toString() || "",
        sender_name: senderName,
        content: `${placeholder}${caption}`,
        timestamp,
        is_from_me: false,
      });
    };

    this.bot.on("message:photo", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Photo]"));
    this.bot.on("message:video", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Video]"));
    this.bot.on("message:voice", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Voice message]"));
    this.bot.on("message:audio", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Audio]"));
    this.bot.on("message:document", (ctx) => {
      const name = ctx.message.document?.file_name || "file";
      storeNonText(ctx, `[Document: ${name}]`);
    });
    this.bot.on("message:sticker", (ctx) => {
      const emoji = ctx.message.sticker?.emoji || "";
      storeNonText(ctx, `[Sticker ${emoji}]`);
    });
    this.bot.on("message:location", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Location]"));
    this.bot.on("message:contact", (ctx) => storeNonText(ctx, "[Contact]"));

    // Handle errors gracefully
    this.bot.catch((err) => {
      logger.error({ err: err.message }, "Telegram bot error");
    });

    // Start polling — returns a Promise that resolves when started
    return new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
      this.bot!.start({
        onStart: (botInfo) => {
          logger.info(
            { username: botInfo.username, id: botInfo.id },
            "Telegram bot connected",
          );
          console.log(`\n  Telegram bot: @${botInfo.username}`);
          console.log(
            `  Send /chatid to the bot to get a chat's registration ID\n`,
          );
          resolve();
        },
      });
    });
  }

  async sendMessage(jid: string, text: string): Promise<void> {
    if (!this.bot) {
      logger.warn("Telegram bot not initialized");
      return;
    }

    try {
      const numericId = jid.replace(/^tg:/, "");

      // Telegram has a 4096 character limit per message — split if needed
      const MAX_LENGTH = 4096;
      if (text.length <= MAX_LENGTH) {
        await this.bot.api.sendMessage(numericId, text);
      } else {
        for (let i = 0; i < text.length; i += MAX_LENGTH) {
          await this.bot.api.sendMessage(numericId, text.slice(i, i + MAX_LENGTH));
        }
      }
      logger.info({ jid, length: text.length }, "Telegram message sent");
    } catch (err) {
      logger.error({ jid, err }, "Failed to send Telegram message");
    }
  }

  isConnected(): boolean {
    return this.bot !== null;
  }

  ownsJid(jid: string): boolean {
    return jid.startsWith("tg:");
  }

  async disconnect(): Promise<void> {
    if (this.bot) {
      this.bot.stop();
      this.bot = null;
      logger.info("Telegram bot stopped");
    }
  }

  async setTyping(jid: string, isTyping: boolean): Promise<void> {
    if (!this.bot || !isTyping) return;
    try {
      const numericId = jid.replace(/^tg:/, "");
      await this.bot.api.sendChatAction(numericId, "typing");
    } catch (err) {
      logger.debug({ jid, err }, "Failed to send Telegram typing indicator");
    }
  }
}

Key differences from the old standalone src/telegram.ts:

• Implements Channel interface — same pattern as WhatsAppChannel
• Uses onMessage / onChatMetadata callbacks instead of importing DB functions directly
• Registration check via registeredGroups() callback, not getAllRegisteredGroups()
• prefixAssistantName = false — Telegram bots already show their name, so formatOutbound() skips the prefix
• No storeMessageDirect needed — storeMessage() in db.ts already accepts NewMessage directly

Step 3: Update Main Application

Modify src/index.ts to support multiple channels. Read the file first to understand the current structure.

1. Add imports at the top:

import { TelegramChannel } from "./channels/telegram.js";
import { TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN, TELEGRAM_ONLY } from "./config.js";
import { findChannel } from "./router.js";

2. Add a channels array alongside the existing whatsapp variable:

let whatsapp: WhatsAppChannel;
const channels: Channel[] = [];

Import Channel from ./types.js if not already imported.

3. Update processGroupMessages to find the correct channel for the JID instead of using whatsapp directly. Replace the direct whatsapp.setTyping() and whatsapp.sendMessage() calls:

// Find the channel that owns this JID
const channel = findChannel(channels, chatJid);
if (!channel) return true; // No channel for this JID

// ... (existing code for message fetching, trigger check, formatting)

await channel.setTyping?.(chatJid, true);
// ... (existing agent invocation, replacing whatsapp.sendMessage with channel.sendMessage)
await channel.setTyping?.(chatJid, false);

In the onOutput callback inside processGroupMessages, replace:

await whatsapp.sendMessage(chatJid, `${ASSISTANT_NAME}: ${text}`);

with:

const formatted = formatOutbound(channel, text);
if (formatted) await channel.sendMessage(chatJid, formatted);

4. Update main() function to create channels conditionally and use them for deps:

async function main(): Promise<void> {
  ensureContainerSystemRunning();
  initDatabase();
  logger.info('Database initialized');
  loadState();

  // Graceful shutdown handlers
  const shutdown = async (signal: string) => {
    logger.info({ signal }, 'Shutdown signal received');
    await queue.shutdown(10000);
    for (const ch of channels) await ch.disconnect();
    process.exit(0);
  };
  process.on('SIGTERM', () => shutdown('SIGTERM'));
  process.on('SIGINT', () => shutdown('SIGINT'));

  // Channel callbacks (shared by all channels)
  const channelOpts = {
    onMessage: (chatJid: string, msg: NewMessage) => storeMessage(msg),
    onChatMetadata: (chatJid: string, timestamp: string, name?: string) =>
      storeChatMetadata(chatJid, timestamp, name),
    registeredGroups: () => registeredGroups,
  };

  // Create and connect channels
  if (!TELEGRAM_ONLY) {
    whatsapp = new WhatsAppChannel(channelOpts);
    channels.push(whatsapp);
    await whatsapp.connect();
  }

  if (TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN) {
    const telegram = new TelegramChannel(TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN, channelOpts);
    channels.push(telegram);
    await telegram.connect();
  }

  // Start subsystems
  startSchedulerLoop({
    registeredGroups: () => registeredGroups,
    getSessions: () => sessions,
    queue,
    onProcess: (groupJid, proc, containerName, groupFolder) =>
      queue.registerProcess(groupJid, proc, containerName, groupFolder),
    sendMessage: async (jid, rawText) => {
      const channel = findChannel(channels, jid);
      if (!channel) return;
      const text = formatOutbound(channel, rawText);
      if (text) await channel.sendMessage(jid, text);
    },
  });
  startIpcWatcher({
    sendMessage: (jid, text) => {
      const channel = findChannel(channels, jid);
      if (!channel) throw new Error(`No channel for JID: ${jid}`);
      return channel.sendMessage(jid, text);
    },
    registeredGroups: () => registeredGroups,
    registerGroup,
    syncGroupMetadata: (force) => whatsapp?.syncGroupMetadata(force) ?? Promise.resolve(),
    getAvailableGroups,
    writeGroupsSnapshot: (gf, im, ag, rj) => writeGroupsSnapshot(gf, im, ag, rj),
  });
  queue.setProcessMessagesFn(processGroupMessages);
  recoverPendingMessages();
  startMessageLoop();
}

5. Update getAvailableGroups to include Telegram chats:

export function getAvailableGroups(): AvailableGroup[] {
  const chats = getAllChats();
  const registeredJids = new Set(Object.keys(registeredGroups));

  return chats
    .filter((c) => c.jid !== '__group_sync__' && (c.jid.endsWith('@g.us') || c.jid.startsWith('tg:')))
    .map((c) => ({
      jid: c.jid,
      name: c.name,
      lastActivity: c.last_message_time,
      isRegistered: registeredJids.has(c.jid),
    }));
}

Step 4: Update Environment

Add to .env:

TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE

# Optional: Set to "true" to disable WhatsApp entirely
# TELEGRAM_ONLY=true

Secrets from .env are automatically passed to containers via stdin (filtered to an allowlist). No manual sync needed.

Step 5: Register a Telegram Chat

After installing and starting the bot, tell the user:

1. Send /chatid to your bot (in private chat or in a group)
2. Copy the chat ID (e.g., tg:123456789 or tg:-1001234567890)
3. I'll register it for you

Registration uses the registerGroup() function in src/index.ts, which writes to SQLite and creates the group folder structure. Call it like this (or add a one-time script):

// For private chat (main group):
registerGroup("tg:123456789", {
  name: "Personal",
  folder: "main",
  trigger: `@${ASSISTANT_NAME}`,
  added_at: new Date().toISOString(),
  requiresTrigger: false, // main group responds to all messages
});

// For group chat (note negative ID for Telegram groups):
registerGroup("tg:-1001234567890", {
  name: "My Telegram Group",
  folder: "telegram-group",
  trigger: `@${ASSISTANT_NAME}`,
  added_at: new Date().toISOString(),
  requiresTrigger: true, // only respond when triggered
});

The RegisteredGroup type requires a trigger string field and has an optional requiresTrigger boolean (defaults to true). Set requiresTrigger: false for chats that should respond to all messages.

Alternatively, if the agent is already running in the main group, it can register new groups via IPC using the register_group task type.

Step 6: Build and Restart

npm run build
launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.bastionclaw

Or for systemd:

npm run build
systemctl --user restart bastionclaw

Step 7: Test

Tell the user:

Send a message to your registered Telegram chat:

• For main chat: Any message works
• For non-main: @Andy hello or @mention the bot

Check logs: tail -f logs/bastionclaw.log

Replace WhatsApp Entirely

If user wants Telegram-only:

1. Set TELEGRAM_ONLY=true in .env
2. The WhatsApp channel is not created — only Telegram
3. All services (scheduler, IPC watcher, queue, message loop) start normally
4. Optionally remove @whiskeysockets/baileys dependency (but it's harmless to keep)

Features

Chat ID Formats

• WhatsApp: 120363336345536173@g.us (groups) or 1234567890@s.whatsapp.net (DM)
• Telegram: tg:123456789 (positive for private) or tg:-1001234567890 (negative for groups)

Trigger Options

The bot responds when:

1. Chat has requiresTrigger: false in its registration (e.g., main group)
2. Bot is @mentioned in Telegram (translated to TRIGGER_PATTERN automatically)
3. Message matches TRIGGER_PATTERN directly (e.g., starts with @Andy)

Telegram @mentions (e.g., @andy_ai_bot) are automatically translated: if the bot is @mentioned and the message doesn't already match TRIGGER_PATTERN, the trigger prefix is prepended before storing. This ensures @mentioning the bot always triggers a response.

Group Privacy: The bot must have Group Privacy disabled in BotFather to see non-mention messages in groups. See Prerequisites step 4.

Commands

• /chatid - Get chat ID for registration
• /ping - Check if bot is online

Troubleshooting

Bot not responding

Check:

1. TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is set in .env
2. Chat is registered in SQLite (check with: sqlite3 store/messages.db "SELECT * FROM registered_groups WHERE jid LIKE 'tg:%'")
3. For non-main chats: message includes trigger pattern
4. Service is running: launchctl list | grep bastionclaw

Bot only responds to @mentions in groups

The bot has Group Privacy enabled (default). It can only see messages that @mention it or are commands. To fix:

1. Open @BotFather in Telegram
2. /mybots > select bot > Bot Settings > Group Privacy > Turn off
3. Remove and re-add the bot to the group (required for the change to take effect)

Getting chat ID

If /chatid doesn't work:

• Verify bot token is valid: curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}/getMe"
• Check bot is started: tail -f logs/bastionclaw.log

Service conflicts

If running npm run dev while launchd service is active:

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.bastionclaw.plist
npm run dev
# When done testing:
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.bastionclaw.plist

Agent Swarms (Teams)

After completing the Telegram setup, use AskUserQuestion:

AskUserQuestion: Would you like to add Agent Swarm support? Without it, Agent Teams still work — they just operate behind the scenes. With Swarm support, each subagent appears as a different bot in the Telegram group so you can see who's saying what and have interactive team sessions.

If they say yes, invoke the /add-telegram-swarm skill.

Removal

To remove Telegram integration:

1. Delete src/channels/telegram.ts
2. Remove TelegramChannel import and creation from src/index.ts
3. Remove channels array and revert to using whatsapp directly in processGroupMessages, scheduler deps, and IPC deps
4. Revert getAvailableGroups() filter to only include @g.us chats
5. Remove Telegram config (TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN, TELEGRAM_ONLY) from src/config.ts
6. Remove Telegram registrations from SQLite: sqlite3 store/messages.db "DELETE FROM registered_groups WHERE jid LIKE 'tg:%'"
7. Uninstall: npm uninstall grammy
8. Rebuild: npm run build && launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/com.bastionclaw