How to Create a Telegram Bot (Complete Guide 2026)

Creating a Telegram bot takes under 5 minutes. All bot creation goes through @BotFather, Telegram's official bot management tool.

Step 1: Open BotFather

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather.
Start a conversation and send /newbot.

Step 2: Name Your Bot

BotFather asks for a display name (e.g., "My Awesome Bot"). This can be anything.
Then it asks for a username (e.g., my_awesome_bot). It must end in "bot" and be unique.

Step 3: Save Your Bot Token

BotFather gives you a bot token like 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ. Save this securely. You use it to send API requests and control your bot.

Step 4: Configure Your Bot

/setdescription - Set the text shown when users open your bot for the first time.
/setabouttext - Set the bio shown in the bot's profile.
/setuserpic - Upload a profile picture.
/setcommands - Define the command menu (e.g., start - Start the bot).

Step 5: Start Coding

Use the Telegram Bot API to add functionality. Popular frameworks include python-telegram-bot (Python), Telegraf (Node.js), and teloxide (Rust).

Find Your Bot's User ID

After creating your bot, use TelegramUserID.com to look up its numeric User ID by username. The Bot ID is also the number before the colon in your bot token.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is creating a Telegram bot free?

Yes. Creating bots through BotFather is completely free. Telegram does not charge for bot API usage. You only need to pay for your own server hosting if you self-host the bot.

How many bots can I create?

Each Telegram account can create up to 20 bots via BotFather. If you need more, you can use a different Telegram account.

Can I change my bot username after creation?

Yes. Send /setusername to BotFather to change the username. The new username must end in "bot" and be available. Note: the old username becomes available for others to claim.