Connect Telegram
The bot, the channel and the first message to an agent
Telegram connects in three steps: a bot from BotFather, the token in a connection, a channel on an agent.
1. Create a bot
Send @BotFather the /newbot command, answer two questions and get
a token of the form 1234567890:AA….
The token gives full access to the bot. It is stored encrypted on the platform and is never shown again. If it leaks, revoke it at BotFather.
2. Create a connection
On the connections screen pick Telegram and paste the token. The "Test" button makes a real request to Telegram and answers with the bot's name, which is your confirmation.
3. Point the messages at an agent
A connection only receives messages. For somebody to answer them you need a channel; it links the connection to an agent. How to create one is in Telegram channel.
If the bot stays silent, look at the trigger logs. They show whether the message reached the platform and, if it did, which agent took it.
Common questions
One bot across several agents is not possible, because a channel links a connection to a single agent. Group chats work, but the bot has to be added to the group with its privacy mode turned off.