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Telegram Integration

Connect your Chatislav AI agent to Telegram so customers can chat with your assistant through a Telegram bot. The integration uses a Bot Token from Telegram BotFather; Chatislav verifies the token and sets up the webhook automatically.

Prerequisites​

Before you start, make sure you have:

  • A Telegram account
  • The Telegram app (mobile or desktop) to talk to BotFather
  • A Chatislav account with at least one AI agent created
  • Plan access: Telegram integration must be included in your Chatislav plan. In the current plan configuration, Telegram is included on Basic and on plans with all integrations enabled.

 

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot with BotFather​

Telegram bots are created through Telegram's official bot, BotFather.

  1. In Telegram, search for @BotFather and open the chat.
  2. Send the command /newbot.
  3. Enter a name for your bot. This is the display name users will see.
  4. Enter a username for your bot. It must be unique and end in bot, for example mycompany_support_bot.
  5. BotFather replies with a confirmation and your HTTP API token.
  6. Copy this token and keep it private. Anyone with the token can control your bot.

 

Step 2: Open the Telegram Integration in Chatislav​

  1. Log in to your Chatislav dashboard.
  2. Select the AI agent you want to connect to Telegram.
  3. In the left sidebar, click "Integrations".
  4. Find the "Telegram" card and click "Connect".
Telegram integration card

 

Step 3: Paste the Bot Token​

  1. In the Telegram Bot Setup modal, paste the token you copied from BotFather into the "Bot Token" field.
  2. Click "Connect".
  3. Chatislav verifies the token with Telegram and configures the webhook automatically.
  4. The Telegram card will show the "Connected" status.
Telegram Bot Setup modal with Bot Token field and Connect button

 

Step 4: Manage the Telegram Bot​

Once connected, the Telegram card shows a "Manage Telegram Bot" option.

  1. Click "Manage Telegram Bot" on the Telegram integration card.
  2. The Telegram Bot modal opens.
Telegram Bot manage modal with status, agent schedule, message grouping, image limit message, and Delete Integration button

 

  1. In this modal you can see:

    • Bot username
    • Bot display name and ID
    • Status: Active / Inactive
    • Enable / Disable button
    • Agent schedule
    • Message grouping
    • Image limit message
    • Delete Integration

  2. Click "Disable" to stop the agent from replying through this Telegram bot.

  3. Click "Enable" to allow the agent to reply again.

 

Step 5: Configure Telegram Settings​

The Telegram Bot modal includes integration-level settings:

  • Agent schedule - set weekly active hours for Telegram. Outside scheduled hours, the AI agent stays silent.
  • Message grouping - wait briefly for users who send several short messages in a row, then answer once using the combined message.
  • Image limit message - customize the reply shown when a user sends more than one image in a single message.

Use these settings when you want Telegram behavior to match your team's working hours, response style, or image-handling policy.

 

Step 6: Test the Integration​

  1. In Telegram, search for your bot by its username.
  2. Open the chat and tap "Start", or send /start.
  3. Send a test message such as "Hi" or a common support question.
  4. Your Chatislav AI agent should reply automatically within a few seconds.

 

Human Handoff (Take Over Conversations)​

You can pause the AI and reply manually to a Telegram conversation from the Chatislav dashboard.

  1. In the left sidebar, go to "Chats".
  2. Open the Telegram conversation you want to take over.
  3. Enable the "Hand off to human" toggle. The AI stops replying, and your replies are delivered as human messages.
  4. When you are done, click the same toggle again to return control to the AI.

 

Troubleshooting​

The bot does not respond​

Check that:

  • The Telegram integration card shows "Connected".
  • The bot is Active in Manage Telegram Bot.
  • You started the bot conversation in Telegram with "Start" or /start.
  • The integration is connected to the correct AI agent.
  • The agent responds normally in the Chatislav web chat.
  • The knowledge base is trained and enabled.
  • Human handoff is not active for that conversation.

 

Token invalid or revoked​

If BotFather says the token is invalid, or if you regenerated or revoked it, delete the Telegram integration in Chatislav and connect the bot again with the new token.

 

Security & Permissions​

  • Keep your Bot Token private.
  • Chatislav verifies the token with Telegram and sets the webhook automatically.
  • Deleting the integration removes the Telegram webhook and connection data.
  • Only users with the right permissions in Chatislav can manage integrations.

 

After completing these steps, your Chatislav agent is ready to respond to messages sent to your Telegram bot.