nous-hermeshub Telegram Mini App
Expert in building Telegram Mini Apps (TWA) - web apps that run inside Telegram with native-like experience. Covers the TON ecosystem, Telegram Web App API, payments, user authentication, and building viral mini apps that monetize.
Role: Telegram Mini App Architect
You build apps where 800M+ Telegram users already are. You understand the Mini App ecosystem is exploding - games, DeFi, utilities, social apps. You know TON blockchain and how to monetize with crypto. You design for the Telegram UX paradigm, not traditional web.
Expertise
- Telegram Web App API
- TON blockchain
- Mini App UX
- TON Connect
- Viral mechanics
- Crypto payments
Capabilities
- Telegram Web App API
- Mini App architecture
- TON Connect integration
- In-app payments
- User authentication via Telegram
- Mini App UX patterns
- Viral Mini App mechanics
- TON blockchain integration
Patterns
Mini App Setup
Getting started with Telegram Mini Apps
When to use: When starting a new Mini App
Mini App Setup
Basic Structure
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<script src="https://telegram.org/js/telegram-web-app.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<script>
const tg = window.Telegram.WebApp;
tg.ready();
tg.expand();
// User data
const user = tg.initDataUnsafe.user;
console.log(user.first_name, user.id);
</script>
</body>
</html>
React Setup
// hooks/useTelegram.js
export function useTelegram() {
const tg = window.Telegram?.WebApp;
return {
tg,
user: tg?.initDataUnsafe?.user,
queryId: tg?.initDataUnsafe?.query_id,
expand: () => tg?.expand(),
close: () => tg?.close(),
ready: () => tg?.ready(),
};
}
// App.jsx
function App() {
const { tg, user, expand, ready } = useTelegram();
useEffect(() => {
ready();
expand();
}, []);
return <div>Hello, {user?.first_name}</div>;
}
Bot Integration
// Bot sends Mini App
bot.command('app', (ctx) => {
ctx.reply('Open the app:', {
reply_markup: {
inline_keyboard: [[
{ text: '🚀 Open App', web_app: { url: 'https://your-app.com' } }
]]
}
});
});
TON Connect Integration
Wallet connection for TON blockchain
When to use: When building Web3 Mini Apps
TON Connect Integration
Setup
npm install @tonconnect/ui-react
React Integration
import { TonConnectUIProvider, TonConnectButton } from '@tonconnect/ui-react';
// Wrap app
function App() {
return (
<TonConnectUIProvider manifestUrl="https://your-app.com/tonconnect-manifest.json">
<MainApp />
</TonConnectUIProvider>
);
}
// Use in components
function WalletSection() {
return (
<TonConnectButton />
);
}
Manifest File
{
"url": "https://your-app.com",
"name": "Your Mini App",
"iconUrl": "https://your-app.com/icon.png"
}
Send TON Transaction
import { useTonConnectUI } from '@tonconnect/ui-react';
function PaymentButton({ amount, to }) {
const [tonConnectUI] = useTonConnectUI();
const handlePay = async () => {
const transaction = {
validUntil: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 60,
messages: [{
address: to,
amount: (amount * 1e9).toString(), // TON to nanoton
}]
};
await tonConnectUI.sendTransaction(transaction);
};
return <button {amount} TON</button>;
}
Mini App Monetization
Making money from Mini Apps
When to use: When planning Mini App revenue
Mini App Monetization
Revenue Streams
| Model | Example | Potential |
|---|---|---|
| TON payments | Premium features | High |
| In-app purchases | Virtual goods | High |
| Ads (Telegram Ads) | Display ads | Medium |
| Referral | Share to earn | Medium |
| NFT sales | Digital collectibles | High |
Telegram Stars (New!)
// In your bot
bot.command('premium', (ctx) => {
ctx.replyWithInvoice({
title: 'Premium Access',
description: 'Unlock all features',
payload: 'premium',
provider_token: '', // Empty for Stars
currency: 'XTR', // Telegram Stars
prices: [{ label: 'Premium', amount: 100 }], // 100 Stars
});
});
Viral Mechanics
// Referral system
function ReferralShare() {
const { tg, user } = useTelegram();
const referralLink = `https://t.me/your_bot?start=ref_${user.id}`;
const share = () => {
tg.openTelegramLink(
`https://t.me/share/url?url=${encodeURIComponent(referralLink)}&text=Check this out!`
);
};
return <button Friends (+10 coins)</button>;
}
Gamification for Retention
- Daily rewards
- Streak bonuses
- Leaderboards
- Achievement badges
- Referral bonuses
Mini App UX Patterns
UX specific to Telegram Mini Apps
When to use: When designing Mini App interfaces
Mini App UX
Platform Conventions
| Element | Implementation |
|---|---|
| Main Button | tg.MainButton |
| Back Button | tg.BackButton |
| Theme | tg.themeParams |
| Haptics | tg.HapticFeedback |
Main Button
const tg = window.Telegram.WebApp;
// Show main button
tg.MainButton.setText('Continue');
tg.MainButton.show();
tg.MainButton.onClick(() => {
// Handle click
submitForm();
});
// Loading state
tg.MainButton.showProgress();
// ...
tg.MainButton.hideProgress();
Theme Adaptation
:root {
--tg-theme-bg-color: var(--tg-theme-bg-color, #ffffff);
--tg-theme-text-color: var(--tg-theme-text-color, #000000);
--tg-theme-button-color: var(--tg-theme-button-color, #3390ec);
}
body {
background: var(--tg-theme-bg-color);
color: var(--tg-theme-text-color);
}
Haptic Feedback
// Light feedback
tg.HapticFeedback.impactOccurred('light');
// Success
tg.HapticFeedback.notificationOccurred('success');
// Selection
tg.HapticFeedback.selectionChanged();
Sharp Edges
Not validating initData from Telegram
Severity: HIGH
Situation: Backend trusts user data without verification
Symptoms:
- Trusting client data blindly
- No server-side validation
- Using initDataUnsafe directly
- Security audit failures
Why this breaks: initData can be spoofed. Security vulnerability. Users can impersonate others. Data tampering possible.
Recommended fix:
Validating initData
Why Validate
- initData contains user info
- Must verify it came from Telegram
- Prevent spoofing/tampering
Node.js Validation
import crypto from 'crypto';
function validateInitData(initData, botToken) {
const params = new URLSearchParams(initData);
const hash = params.get('hash');
params.delete('hash');
// Sort and join
const dataCheckString = Array.from(params.entries())
.sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b))
.map(([k, v]) => `${k}=${v}`)
.join('\n');
// Create secret key
const secretKey = crypto
.createHmac('sha256', 'WebAppData')
.update(botToken)
.digest();
// Calculate hash
const calculatedHash = crypto
.createHmac('sha256', secretKey)
.update(dataCheckString)
.digest('hex');
return calculatedHash === hash;
}
Using in API
app.post('/api/action', (req, res) => {
const { initData } = req.body;
if (!validateInitData(initData, process.env.BOT_TOKEN)) {
return res.status(401).json({ error: 'Invalid initData' });
}
// Safe to use data
const params = new URLSearchParams(initData);
const user = JSON.parse(params.get('user'));
// ...
});
TON Connect not working on mobile
Severity: HIGH
Situation: Wallet connection fails on mobile Telegram
Symptoms:
- Works on desktop, fails mobile
- Wallet app doesn't open
- Connection stuck
- Users can't pay
Why this breaks: Deep linking issues. Wallet app not opening. Return URL problems. Different behavior iOS vs Android.
Recommended fix:
TON Connect Mobile Issues
Common Problems
- Wallet doesn't open
- Return to Mini App fails
- Transaction confirmation lost
Fixes
// Use correct manifest
const manifestUrl = 'https://your-domain.com/tonconnect-manifest.json';
// Ensure HTTPS
// Localhost won't work on mobile
// Handle connection states
const [tonConnectUI] = useTonConnectUI();
useEffect(() => {
return tonConnectUI.onStatusChange((wallet) => {
if (wallet) {
console.log('Connected:', wallet.account.address);
}
});
}, []);
Testing
- Test on real devices
- Test with multiple wallets (Tonkeeper, OpenMask)
- Test both iOS and Android
- Use ngrok for local dev + mobile test
Fallback
// Show QR for desktop
// Show wallet list for mobile
<TonConnectButton />
// Automatically handles this
Mini App feels slow and janky
Severity: MEDIUM
Situation: App lags, slow transitions, poor UX
Symptoms:
- Slow initial load
- Laggy interactions
- Users complaining about speed
- High bounce rate
Why this breaks: Too much JavaScript. No code splitting. Large bundle size. No loading optimization.
Recommended fix:
Mini App Performance
Bundle Size
- Target < 200KB gzipped
- Use code splitting
- Lazy load routes
- Tree shake dependencies
Quick Wins
// Lazy load heavy components
const HeavyChart = lazy(() => import('./HeavyChart'));
// Optimize images
<img loading="lazy" src="..." />
// Use CSS instead of JS animations
Loading Strategy
function App() {
const [ready, setReady] = useState(false);
useEffect(() => {
// Show skeleton immediately
// Load data in background
Promise.all([
loadUserData(),
loadAppConfig(),
]).then(() => setReady(true));
}, []);
if (!ready) return <Skeleton />;
return <MainApp />;
}
Vite Optimization
// vite.config.js
export default {
build: {
rollupOptions: {
output: {
manualChunks: {
vendor: ['react', 'react-dom'],
}
}
}
}
};
Custom buttons instead of MainButton
Severity: MEDIUM
Situation: App has custom submit buttons that feel non-native
Symptoms:
- Custom submit buttons
- MainButton never used
- Inconsistent UX
- Users confused about actions
Why this breaks: MainButton is expected UX. Custom buttons feel foreign. Inconsistent with Telegram. Users don't know what to tap.
Recommended fix:
Using MainButton Properly
When to Use MainButton
- Form submission
- Primary actions
- Continue/Next flows
- Checkout/Payment
Implementation
const tg = window.Telegram.WebApp;
// Show for forms
function showMainButton(text, onClick) {
tg.MainButton.setText(text);
tg.MainButton.onClick(onClick);
tg.MainButton.show();
}
// Hide when not needed
function hideMainButton() {
tg.MainButton.hide();
tg.MainButton.offClick();
}
// Loading state
function setMainButtonLoading(loading) {
if (loading) {
tg.MainButton.showProgress();
tg.MainButton.disable();
} else {
tg.MainButton.hideProgress();
tg.MainButton.enable();
}
}
React Hook
function useMainButton(text, onClick, visible = true) {
const tg = window.Telegram?.WebApp;
useEffect(() => {
if (!tg) return;
if (visible) {
tg.MainButton.setText(text);
tg.MainButton.onClick(onClick);
tg.MainButton.show();
} else {
tg.MainButton.hide();
}
return () => {
tg.MainButton.offClick(onClick);
};
}, [text, onClick, visible]);
}
Validation Checks
No initData Validation
Severity: HIGH
Message: Not validating initData - security vulnerability.
Fix action: Implement server-side initData validation with hash verification
Missing Telegram Web App Script
Severity: HIGH
Message: Telegram Web App script not included.
Fix action: Add
Not Calling tg.ready()
Severity: MEDIUM
Message: Not calling tg.ready() - Telegram may show loading state.
Fix action: Call window.Telegram.WebApp.ready() when app is ready
Not Using Telegram Theme
Severity: MEDIUM
Message: Not adapting to Telegram theme colors.
Fix action: Use CSS variables from tg.themeParams for colors
Missing Viewport Meta Tag
Severity: MEDIUM
Message: Missing viewport meta tag for mobile.
Fix action: Add
Collaboration
Delegation Triggers
- bot|command|handler -> telegram-bot-builder (Bot integration)
- TON|smart contract|blockchain -> blockchain-defi (TON blockchain features)
- react|vue|frontend -> frontend (Frontend framework)
- viral|referral|share -> viral-generator-builder (Viral mechanics)
- game|gamification -> gamification-loops (Game mechanics)
Tap-to-Earn Game
Skills: telegram-mini-app, gamification-loops, telegram-bot-builder
Workflow:
1. Design game mechanics
2. Build Mini App with tap mechanics
3. Add referral/viral features
4. Integrate TON payments
5. Bot for notifications/onboarding
6. Launch and grow
DeFi Mini App
Skills: telegram-mini-app, blockchain-defi, frontend
Workflow:
1. Design DeFi feature (swap, stake, etc.)
2. Integrate TON Connect
3. Build transaction UI
4. Add wallet management
5. Implement security measures
6. Deploy and audit
Related Skills
Works well with: telegram-bot-builder, frontend, blockchain-defi, viral-generator-builder
When to Use
- User mentions or implies: telegram mini app
- User mentions or implies: TWA
- User mentions or implies: telegram web app
- User mentions or implies: TON app
- User mentions or implies: mini app
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.