About Inline Keyboard in Telegram and Widget

Inline keyboard allows displaying buttons directly under the message in Telegram and Widget. Unlike regular keyboard, inline buttons do not take up space in the user's permanent keyboard and allow more flexible interaction.

Context and Problem

In many scenarios, you need to give users the ability to choose an action without entering text:

Navigate to website
Answer question with one click
Navigate through menu
Quick actions

Inline keyboard solves this task by allowing adding buttons directly to the message.

Key Concepts

Differences from Regular Keyboard

Inline keyboard:

Displayed directly under the message
Does not take up space in permanent keyboard
Can contain links and special actions
Works only for Telegram and Widget

Regular keyboard:

Replaces user's standard keyboard
Takes up entire keyboard space
Limited to text responses
Works for all channels

Button Action Types

Inline keyboard supports different action types through ActionType parameter:

reply — sending response text (default)
open-url — opening link
none — button without action

Approach Options

Inline Keyboard vs Regular Keyboard

Inline keyboard:

✅ Pros: Does not take up keyboard space, supports links, more flexible
❌ Cons: Works only for Telegram and Widget

Regular keyboard:

✅ Pros: Works for all channels, always visible
❌ Cons: Takes up entire keyboard space, limited to text responses

Why we use inline keyboard: For Telegram and Widget, inline keyboard provides more capabilities and does not take up permanent keyboard space, making the interface more convenient.

Adopted Solutions

Limited Channel Support

Inline keyboard works only for Telegram and Widget due to API limitations of other channels. For Viber and Facebook Messenger, you need to use regular keyboard.

Required Protocol for Links

Links in ActionBody must have https:// or http:// protocol. This is a Telegram API requirement for security.

Link Confirmation Pop-up

When clicking a button with a link (ActionType: "open-url"), a pop-up opens asking whether to open the link and the site name. This ensures user security.

Implications for Users and Implementation

For Integrators

When using inline keyboard, it's important to:

Check channel — inline keyboard works only for Telegram and Widget
Enable option — must check "Inline keyboard (Telegram and Widget only)" checkbox
Configure ActionType — specify action type for each button
Add protocol to links — links must have https:// or http:// protocol

Common Errors

Error: Inline keyboard does not display
Problem: "Inline keyboard" checkbox is not checked
Solution: Enable inline keyboard option in block settings

Error: Link does not work
Problem: Link does not have protocol or incorrect ActionType
Solution: Add https:// protocol and specify ActionType: "open-url"

Error: Button does not send response
Problem: ActionBody is not specified or incorrect ActionType
Solution: Specify ActionType: "reply" and text in ActionBody

Limitations

Inline keyboard works only for Telegram and Widget
Maximum button count per row: 8 (for Telegram)
Maximum row count: depends on channel
Links must have https:// or http:// protocol

Usage Examples

{
  "ActionType": "open-url",
  "ActionBody": "https://example.com"
}

Button with Response

{
  "ActionType": "reply",
  "ActionBody": "Yes, I agree"
}

Or you can omit ActionType, then reply will be used by default.

Reference: Telegram Bot API - Inline Keyboard — official Telegram documentation about inline keyboards
Explanation: Telegram WebApp — using WebApp through inline keyboard