About Telegram Group Bots

ConnectiveOne allows creating bots that can listen and respond in Telegram groups. This allows automating work in groups, processing commands, and forwarding messages to operators.

Context and Problem

In many cases, you need automation in Telegram groups:

  • Bot that executes commands in groups (/command@mybot)
  • Bot that recognizes mentions to itself (@mybot pay attention)
  • Bot that listens to all messages in the group and forwards them to operators

Group bots solve this task by allowing automating work and providing operator support in groups.

Key Concepts

Types of Group Bots

Command bot:

  • Responds to commands like /command@mybot
  • Executes specific actions by commands
  • Uses action for command processing

Mention bot:

  • Recognizes mentions to itself through @mybot
  • Can save information or forward to operators
  • Uses text message checking

Listener bot:

  • Listens to all messages in the group
  • Forwards messages to operator panel
  • Allows operators to respond on behalf of the bot

Group Privacy Settings

For a bot to listen to all messages in a group, you need to disable "Group Privacy" in BotFather:

  1. Open BotFather
  2. Select bot
  3. "Bot Settings" → "Group Privacy"
  4. Disable "Group Privacy"

Approach Options

Commands vs Mentions vs Listener

Commands:

  • ✅ Pros: Clear structure, easy to process
  • ❌ Cons: Limited flexibility

Mentions:

  • ✅ Pros: More natural interaction
  • ❌ Cons: Requires text processing

Listener:

  • ✅ Pros: Full control, operator support possibility
  • ❌ Cons: Requires Group Privacy configuration

Why we use different approaches: Each approach suits different usage scenarios and client needs.

Adopted Solutions

Using Action for Processing

For processing commands and mentions, Action blocks are used that:

  • Analyze message text
  • Determine command type or mention
  • Return events for scenario transition

Forwarding to Operator Panel

For forwarding messages to the operator panel, action operator_panel__connect_to_operator_with_msg is used, which allows:

  • Creating chat in operator panel
  • Forwarding message and user data
  • Allowing operator to respond on behalf of the bot

Implications for Users and Implementation

For Integrators

When creating group bots, it's important to:

  1. Configure Group Privacy — for listener bots, disable Group Privacy in BotFather
  2. Create Action for processing — for commands and mentions
  3. Configure forwarding to operator panel — if operator support is needed
  4. Handle different message types — text, media, commands

Common Errors

Error: Bot does not respond to commands
Problem: Commands are not configured in BotFather or incorrect Action processing
Solution: Check command settings and Action processing

Error: Bot does not see messages in group
Problem: Group Privacy is not disabled
Solution: Disable Group Privacy in BotFather

Error: Operator cannot respond on behalf of bot
Problem: Forwarding to operator panel is not configured
Solution: Use operator_panel__connect_to_operator_with_msg to create chat

Usage Examples

Command Processing

const action_handle_command = function() {
    const j = this.getCurrentStateJSON();
    const command = j.user_request?.text || '';
    
    if (command === '/start@mybot') {
        return 'start';
    } else if (command === '/help@mybot') {
        return 'help';
    }
    
    return 'unknown';
};

Mention Check

const action_check_mention = function() {
    const j = this.getCurrentStateJSON();
    const message = j.user_request?.text || '';
    const bot_username = 'mybot';
    
    if (message.includes(`@${bot_username}`)) {
        return 'mentioned';
    }
    
    return 'not_mentioned';
};