modbender Setup
On first use, read setup.md for integration guidelines.
When to Use
User needs to interact with the Telegram Bot API. Building bots, sending messages, handling updates, setting up webhooks, creating keyboards, or managing bot commands.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/telegram-bot-api/. See memory-template.md for structure.
~/telegram-bot-api/
├── memory.md # Bot tokens, preferences, defaults
├── bots/ # Per-bot configurations
│ └── {botname}.md # Token, webhook URL, defaults
└── templates/ # Reusable message templates
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Setup process | setup.md |
| Memory template | memory-template.md |
| All API methods | methods.md |
| Message formatting | formatting.md |
| Keyboards & buttons | keyboards.md |
| Webhooks & polling | webhooks.md |
| Media handling | media.md |
| Error codes | errors.md |
Core Rules
1. API Base URL
All requests go to:
https://api.telegram.org/bot{TOKEN}/{METHOD}
Never expose the token in logs or user-visible output.
2. Required Parameters by Method
| Method | Required | Optional (common) |
|---|---|---|
| sendMessage | chat_id, text | parse_mode, reply_markup, disable_notification |
| sendPhoto | chat_id, photo | caption, parse_mode |
| sendDocument | chat_id, document | caption, thumbnail |
| getUpdates | — | offset, limit, timeout |
| setWebhook | url | certificate, max_connections |
| deleteWebhook | — | drop_pending_updates |
| getMe | — | — |
3. Parse Mode Selection
| Format | Use when | Escape chars |
|---|---|---|
MarkdownV2 |
Rich formatting needed | _*[]()~\>#+-= |
HTML |
Complex nesting, safer | <>& |
| None | Plain text only | None |
Default to HTML — fewer escape issues than MarkdownV2.
4. Chat ID Types
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| User | Positive integer | 123456789 |
| Group | Negative integer | -123456789 |
| Supergroup/Channel | -100 prefix | -1001234567890 |
5. Rate Limits
| Scope | Limit |
|---|---|
| Same chat | 1 msg/sec |
| Different chats | 30 msg/sec |
| Groups | 20 msg/min per group |
| Bulk notifications | Use sendMessage with different chat_ids |
When hitting 429 errors, use exponential backoff starting at retry_after seconds.
6. Message Length Limits
| Type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Text message | 4096 chars |
| Caption | 1024 chars |
| Callback data | 64 bytes |
| Inline query | 256 chars |
Split long messages at sentence boundaries, not mid-word.
7. Keyboard Best Practices
Inline keyboards (in message):
- Max 8 buttons per row
- Max 100 buttons total
- Use
callback_datafor bot actions - Use
urlfor external links
Reply keyboards (below input):
- Use for frequent options
one_time_keyboard: trueto hide after useresize_keyboard: truefor better mobile UX
Common Traps
- Forgetting to escape MarkdownV2 → Message fails silently or partially. Use HTML instead, or escape all special chars.
- Using wrong chat_id format → Groups need negative IDs. Supergroups/channels need -100 prefix.
- Not handling 429 errors → Bot gets temporarily blocked. Always implement retry logic.
- Exposing bot token → Anyone can control your bot. Never log or display tokens.
- Sending too fast to groups → 20 msg/min limit. Queue messages with delays.
- Large file uploads → 50MB limit for sendDocument. Use URL method for larger files.
- Webhook not HTTPS → Telegram requires valid SSL certificate.
External Endpoints
| Endpoint | Data Sent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| https://api.telegram.org/bot{TOKEN}/* | Messages, media, commands | All bot operations |
No other data is sent externally. Bot token is required for all requests.
Security & Privacy
Data that leaves your machine:
- Messages and media sent via the Bot API
- Bot token in every request (required by Telegram)
Data that stays local:
- Bot configurations in
~/telegram-bot-api/ - Message templates
This skill does NOT:
- Store message content long-term
- Access user data beyond what Telegram provides
- Make requests to endpoints other than api.telegram.org
Trust
By using this skill, data is sent to Telegram's Bot API servers. Only install if you trust Telegram with your bot's messages.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:
api— REST API best practiceshttp— HTTP protocol essentialsjson— JSON parsing and manipulation
Feedback
- If useful:
clawhub star telegram-bot-api - Stay updated:
clawhub sync