Connect Telegram to Text to receive customer messages in your Inbox and reply without switching apps. Set up the channel, test your first conversation, and share your Telegram link with customers.
Customers continue to use Telegram as usual: they open your link and send a message. The conversation appears in your Text inbox, and your reply goes back to them in Telegram.
What do you need to connect Telegram to Text?
Before you start, make sure you have:
A Telegram account you can open on your phone or computer.
Admin access in Text to set up the channel.
A Telegram bot you control. If you do not have one yet, the next section shows how to create it.
A Telegram bot is the account customers message to reach your business. An access token is the secret code that lets Text connect to that bot. You do not need to build or program anything.
Don’t mistake a Telegram bot for an AI Agent. The bot is only the entry point for customer messages, and your team replies from the inbox. Curious about automation? Text also offers AI Agents that handle repetitive customer questions and route conversations that need a human to your team.
How to set up Telegram in Text
Create a Telegram bot and copy its token
BotFather is Telegram's official tool for creating and managing bots.
Open Telegram and open @BotFather.
Tap Start if prompted.
Send /newbot.
Follow the prompts to choose a name for the bot. Customers see this name, such as "Acme Support"
Choose the bot's username when prompted. Follow BotFather's naming requirements. The username is included in the bot's Telegram link.
Copy the access token from BotFather's reply. Paste it into Text in the next step.
Already have a bot? Open @BotFather, send /token, and follow the prompts to select your bot and get its token. Then continue to the next step.
Keep the token private, like a password. Paste it only into the bot connection field in Text. The token is not the bot's name, its username, or your Telegram password.
Connect the bot to Text
In Text, open Settings -> Channels -> Telegram.
Click Connect Telegram bot.
Paste the token and click Connect bot.
Wait for the connection to finish. The bot appears in the bots list with the Connected status.
Test your first conversation
Find the connected bot in the list and click Open in the Telegram link column.
Open the bot's chat link in Telegram, or scan its QR code with your phone.
Send a test message such as "Hello, this is a test."
Open the Text inbox and find the Telegram conversation.
Reply from Text.
Return to Telegram and check that your reply arrived.
If it did, messages would travel both ways: customers would contact the bot, and your team would answer from Text.
Managing and sharing your Telegram bots
Manage your connected bots
Every connected bot appears in the bots list in Settings -> Channels -> Telegram. A working connection shows the Connected status.
To connect another bot:
Click + Connect bot above the bots list.
Paste the other bot's token and connect it.
Send a test message to that bot too.
Each bot has its own name, username, and link. You can connect as many bots as you need.
Share your Telegram bot with customers
In Settings -> Channels -> Telegram, find the bot.
Click Open next to it.
Copy the chat link from the popover, or use the QR code.
Share the link on your website, in your email signature, or on social media.
Disconnecting and reconnecting a Telegram bot
Before you disconnect, know the effect: you can no longer handle that bot's messages through Text. Disconnecting does not delete the bot from Telegram.
Open the Telegram settings in Text.
Find the bot and open the three-dot menu in the Actions column.
Choose Disconnect.
Confirm by clicking Disconnect bot in the confirmation window.
To restore the connection, enter a valid token for the same bot. If the token has changed, get the current one from BotFather. A token from a different bot cannot restore this bot's connection.
Frequently asked questions
No. You create the bot in BotFather and paste its token into Text.
Yes, if you control it and have a valid token. First, check whether it’s connected to another customer service tool, because connecting it to Text can route incoming messages away from that tool.
Yes. Click + Connect bot above the bots list and connect each bot with its own token.
No. This integration connects a Telegram bot, not a personal account. Customers message the bot to reach your team.
No. Customers start the conversation by opening your bot. Text can’t message arbitrary Telegram users.
No. The bot’s earlier conversation history isn’t imported.
Telegram doesn’t accept your token. Copy it again from BotFather and verify that it belongs to the bot you’re connecting to.
Messages stopped after you changed the token. Reconnect the bot with its current token.
A reply fails for one customer. They may have blocked your bot.
Replies fail for several customers. Telegram may be limiting messages. Wait a little and try again.
A file doesn’t arrive. Check that its type is supported and that it’s under the 10 MB limit for incoming files.
What's next?
Now that Telegram is connected, add more ways for customers to reach your team from the same inbox:
Connecting Instagram to Text — Handle Instagram DMs and story replies alongside your Telegram conversations.
Connecting Messenger to Text — Receive Facebook Messenger conversations without switching tools.
Connecting WhatsApp to Text — Answer customers who prefer WhatsApp from the same place.