The short answer
- 1A connected chatbot reads customer messages and replies in your chats, in your name.
- 2Its operator can see those chats, and its mistakes count as yours.
- 3Use it for fixed facts and collecting details; keep judgement calls for yourself.
In this article
Handing your chats to a program
Telegram Business lets you connect a chatbot to your account. The bot reads what customers send and can reply in the same chats, in your name, while you do something else. It is the most powerful Business setting, and the only one that passes your conversations to someone else's computer. The full checklist before connecting one is in connecting a chatbot to Telegram Business.
Everything else in Business sends messages you wrote, at times you chose. A chatbot is different: a program decides what to say and says it, under your name, to customers who believe they are talking to you.
What a Business chatbot is good and bad at
| Good fit | Poor fit |
|---|---|
| Factual answers that do not change: hours, address, what you sell | Judgement calls: refunds, exceptions, complaints |
| Collecting details before you reply: a date, an order number | Prices that vary or depend on the customer |
| Answering at night with a clear "a person will reply in the morning" | Anything where sounding human and being wrong is costly |
A bot you build and run on your own server gives no one else access. An outside service is a supplier you hand customer chats to, and should be chosen like one. For most small businesses, quick replies, a greeting and an away message cover the same ground without a third party; see quick replies.
Connecting a chatbot carefully
- Find out who runs the bot, where the data goes and what is kept. If that is not public, that is your answer.
- Open Settings › Telegram Business › Chatbots and enter the Bot Username.
- Limit which chats it can access, and exclude chats with friends and family.
- Read its replies for the first few days.
- Disconnect it from the same screen the moment it says something you would not.
- Bot Username or Link - only bots that support Business connect here
- Chats the bot can access - start narrow; the bot reads every chat you allow
The menu row is called Chatbots; the screen it opens is titled Chat Automation.
FAQ
Can a Telegram Business chatbot read my chats?
Yes, the chats you give it access to; whoever runs the bot can see them.
Do customers know a bot is replying?
Replies appear in your name, so say so in the message if it matters.
Do I need a chatbot for Telegram Business?
Usually not. Quick replies, a greeting and an away message cover most small businesses.
Sources
At a glance
- 1What
A bot that answers customers inside your chats.
- 2Risk
Operator access and mistakes made in your name.
- 3Safe use
Known operator, limited chats, first days checked.
Updated
