How to get a Telegram API token using the BotFather?
Telegram Integration
Telegram
is a cloud-based communication platform and it can be integrated with
Zoho Desk to communicate with your customers instantly.
What are Telegram Bots?
Telegram Bots are special accounts that do not require an additional business phone number for setting up a dedicated IM channel on your help desk. These accounts serve as an interface for code running somewhere on your server.
The Telegram BOT API
The Telegram Bot API allows you to connect to a Bot from your system. Telegram's intermediary server will handle all the encryption and communication with the Telegram API for you. The Bot API allows you to create programs that use Telegram as a messaging medium to assist customers around the clock.
Getting started
A bot has to be created by the customer to start the configuration process so that they integrate Telegram with Zoho Desk.
How to create a Telegram Bot
1. Open the Telegram Messenger and sign in to your account, or create a new one if you have not already.
2. Enter @BotFather in the search tab and choose the relevant bot.
2. Enter @BotFather in the search tab and choose the relevant bot.
Note: Official Telegram bots have a tick mark beside their name.
3. Click Start to activate the BotFather bot. You will receive a list of commands to manage the bots.
4. Choose or type the /newbot command and click Send.
5. Choose a name for your bot. Your subscribers will see it in their conversations. Next, choose a username for your bot. The bot can be found by its username in the search bar. The username must be unique and end with the word “bot.”
After you choose a suitable name for your bot, the bot will be created.
You will receive a message with a link to your bot t.me/<bot_username>, recommendations to set up a profile picture, description of the profile, and a list of commands to manage your new bot.
Copy the token value to connect a bot to the IM channel.
How to find a token for an existing Telegram Bot?
1. Go to the @BotFather bot and send the command /token.
You will see buttons with all the bots that you have created earlier.
2. Choose the Bot that you need a token for so you can connect it with IM.
3. Once the token is generated, copy the token and create a channel on the Telegram IM Module.
4. Navigate to Setup -> Integration -> Telegram -> Configure -> Create Channel -> Add Channel -> Bot Auth Token. Enter the token details here and click Save. The channel will be created as shown in the screenshot. Click Proceed to start chatting.
4. Navigate to Setup -> Integration -> Telegram -> Configure -> Create Channel -> Add Channel -> Bot Auth Token. Enter the token details here and click Save. The channel will be created as shown in the screenshot. Click Proceed to start chatting.
The channel is created as shown in the screenshot.
Happy Chatting!