Building a Telegram Bot with n8n - Complete Step-by-Step Guide#

1.1 Talk to BotFather#

First, we need to create a bot using Telegram’s BotFather:

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a conversation with /start
3. Create a new bot with /newbot
4. Choose a name for your bot (e.g., “My n8n Helper Bot”)
5. Choose a unique username ending with “bot” (e.g., “my_n8n_helper_bot”)

1.2 Save Your Bot Token#

BotFather will provide you with a bot token that looks like this:

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123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

⚠️ Important: Keep this token secure and never share it publicly!

1.3 Optional: Customize Your Bot#

You can enhance your bot’s appearance:

• /setdescription - Set bot description
• /setabouttext - Set about text
• /setuserpic - Upload a profile picture
• /setcommands - Set command menu

2.1 Create a New Workflow#

1. Open n8n and create a new workflow
2. Name it “Telegram Bot Handler”

2.2 Add Telegram Trigger#

1. Add a Telegram Trigger node as your starting point

2. Configure the node:

   • Bot Token: Paste your bot token from BotFather
   • Updates: Select “All Updates” to capture all messages
   • Property: Set to “message”

3. Click “Test” to verify the connection

2.3 Set Up Webhook (Alternative Method)#

If you prefer using webhooks:

1. Add a Webhook node instead of Telegram Trigger
2. Copy the webhook URL
3. Set up the webhook with Telegram API:

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curl -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/setWebhook" \
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     -d "url=<YOUR_WEBHOOK_URL>"

3.1 Add Message Processing Logic#

Let’s create a bot that responds to different commands:

1. Add a Switch Node after the Telegram Trigger
2. Configure routing based on message content:

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// Route 1: Start command
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{
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  {
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    $json.message.text === "/start";
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  }
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}
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// Route 2: Help command
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{
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  {
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    $json.message.text === "/help";
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  }
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}
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// Route 3: Weather command
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{
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  {
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    $json.message.text.startsWith("/weather");
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  }
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}
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// Route 4: Random fact
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{
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  {
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    $json.message.text === "/fact";
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  }
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}
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// Default: Unknown command
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{
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  {
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    true;
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  }
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}

3.2 Create Response Handlers#

For each route, add Telegram nodes to send responses:

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// Message text
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Welcome to My n8n Bot! 🤖
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I can help you with:
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• /weather [city] - Get weather information
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• /fact - Random interesting fact
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• /help - Show this help message
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What would you like to do?

4.1 File Upload Handler#

Add capability to handle photos and documents:

1. Add Switch condition for file uploads:

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   {
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     {
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       $json.message.photo !== undefined ||
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         $json.message.document !== undefined;
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     }
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   }
   

2. Process the file:

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   // For photos
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   {
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     {
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       $json.message.photo
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         ? $json.message.photo.slice(-1)[0].file_id
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         : $json.message.document.file_id;
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     }
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   }
   

3. Download and process the file using HTTP Request to Telegram’s getFile API

4.2 Inline Keyboards#

Create interactive buttons:

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// In Telegram node, Additional Parameters
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{
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  "reply_markup": {
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    "inline_keyboard": [
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      [
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        {"text": "Weather 🌤️", "callback_data": "weather"},
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        {"text": "Random Fact 🧠", "callback_data": "fact"}
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      ],
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      [
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        {"text": "Help ❓", "callback_data": "help"}
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      ]
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    ]
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  }
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}

4.3 User Data Persistence#

Store user preferences using Google Sheets or database:

1. Add Google Sheets node to store user data
2. Track user interactions and preferences
3. Personalize responses based on user history

5.1 RSS Feed Monitor Bot#

Create a bot that sends news updates:

1. Add RSS Feed Read node (scheduled trigger)
2. Filter new articles from the last hour
3. Send updates to subscribers via Telegram

5.2 Server Monitoring Bot#

Monitor your servers and get alerts:

1. Add HTTP Request nodes to check server status
2. Use IF nodes to detect issues
3. Send alerts to admin chat

5.3 Task Management Bot#

Integrate with project management tools:

1. Connect to Notion/Trello/Asana APIs
2. Create tasks via Telegram commands
3. Get task updates and notifications

6.1 Error Handling#

Add robust error handling:

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// In error workflow
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{
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  "chat_id": "{{ $json.message.chat.id }}",
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  "text": "Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again later."
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}

6.2 Rate Limiting#

Implement rate limiting to prevent spam:

1. Use Set node to track user request times
2. Add IF conditions to check request frequency
3. Respond appropriately to excessive requests

6.3 Security Considerations#

• Validate all inputs from users
• Use environment variables for sensitive data
• Implement user authentication for admin commands
• Log important events for monitoring

7.1 Testing Your Bot#

1. Test each command individually
2. Verify error scenarios work correctly
3. Check file upload/download functionality
4. Test with multiple users simultaneously

7.2 Monitoring and Analytics#

Track bot performance:

1. Log user interactions to Google Sheets
2. Monitor response times and error rates
3. Track popular commands and usage patterns

7.3 Scaling Considerations#

For high-traffic bots:

• Use webhook mode instead of polling
• Implement queue systems for heavy processing
• Consider database storage for large datasets
• Set up monitoring alerts for failures

1. Customer Support Bot#

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// Route customer queries to appropriate departments
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switch ($json.message.text.toLowerCase()) {
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  case "billing":
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    return "billing_team";
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  case "technical":
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    return "tech_support";
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  default:
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    return "general_support";
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}

2. E-commerce Order Bot#

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// Check order status
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const orderNumber = $json.message.text.match(/\d+/)[0];
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// Query your e-commerce API
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// Return order status and tracking information

3. Content Aggregator Bot#

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// Fetch latest articles from multiple sources
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// Filter by user preferences
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// Send personalized content digest

Bot Not Responding#

1. Check bot token is correct and active
2. Verify webhook URL is accessible
3. Check n8n workflow is active and running
4. Review execution logs for errors

API Rate Limits#

1. Implement proper delays between requests
2. Cache frequently requested data
3. Use batch operations where possible

Message Formatting Issues#

1. Test message formatting with Telegram’s parse modes
2. Escape special characters properly
3. Validate message length (Telegram has limits)

1. Multi-language Support#

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// Detect user language
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const userLang = $json.message.from.language_code || "en";
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// Return appropriate response
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const responses = {
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  en: "Hello!",
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  es: "¡Hola!",
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  fr: "Bonjour!",
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};
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return responses[userLang] || responses["en"];

2. Context Awareness#

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// Store conversation state
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const userId = $json.message.from.id;
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const currentState = getUserState(userId);
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// Handle responses based on context
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if (currentState === "waiting_for_city") {
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  // Process city name for weather
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  return processWeatherRequest($json.message.text);
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}

3. Rich Media Responses#

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// Send photos with captions
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{
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  "chat_id": "{{ $json.message.chat.id }}",
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  "photo": "https://example.com/weather-image.jpg",
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  "caption": "Current weather conditions"
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}