How to Use the Telegram Bot API (Beginner Guide)

The Telegram Bot API lets you control your bot by sending HTTP requests. No special libraries are required; you can start with just a browser or cURL.

Getting Started

Create a bot via @BotFather to get your bot token.
All API calls go to: https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/<METHOD>
Replace <TOKEN> with your token and <METHOD> with the API method name.

Sending Your First Message

Open this URL in your browser (replace TOKEN and CHAT_ID):

https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/sendMessage?chat_id=<CHAT_ID>&text=Hello!

You need the target Chat ID. Use TelegramUserID.com to look up any user or group ID by username.

Getting Updates (Receiving Messages)

There are two ways to receive incoming messages:

Polling: Call getUpdates periodically to fetch new messages.
Webhooks: Set a URL where Telegram pushes updates to your server in real time using setWebhook.

Common API Methods

sendMessage - Send a text message
sendPhoto - Send a photo
sendDocument - Send a file
getChat - Get info about a chat (including its ID)
getChatMember - Check if a user is in a group
setWebhook - Register a webhook URL

Popular Frameworks

While you can use raw HTTP requests, most developers use a framework: python-telegram-bot (Python), Telegraf or grammY (Node.js), teloxide (Rust), or TelegramBotAPI (Go).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Telegram Bot API free to use?

Yes. Telegram does not charge for Bot API usage. There are rate limits (around 30 messages per second to different chats, 1 message per second to the same chat), but no monetary cost.

What is the difference between polling and webhooks?

Polling means your code periodically asks Telegram for new updates (simpler setup, slight delay). Webhooks mean Telegram pushes updates to your server instantly (faster, but requires a publicly accessible HTTPS server).

Can a bot message users who have not started a conversation?

No. Users must first interact with the bot (start a conversation, join a group with the bot, or click a deep link). This is a spam prevention measure built into the Telegram platform.