Create a Telegram Bot

This guide walks you through creating a Telegram bot using BotFather. Takes about 2 minutes.

Step 1: Open BotFather

1. Open Telegram (app or web)
2. Search for @BotFather
3. Start a chat with BotFather

Important: Make sure you’re chatting with the official @BotFather (verified with a blue checkmark).

Step 2: Create a New Bot

1. Send the command /newbot
2. BotFather will ask for a name for your bot
3. Enter a friendly name like “My Channel Tracker”

Step 3: Choose a Username

1. BotFather asks for a username
2. Must end in “bot” (e.g., mychanneltracker_bot)
3. Must be unique across Telegram

Tips for usernames:

• Keep it short and memorable
• Use your brand name + _bot suffix
• Examples: brandname_bot, mychannel_tracker_bot

Step 4: Copy Your Bot Token

After creation, BotFather sends you a message with your bot token. It looks like:

1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz123456789

Keep this token secret! Anyone with the token can control your bot.

Step 5: Add Token to AdTarget

1. Go to your AdTarget dashboard 
2. Navigate to Settings → Telegram Bots
3. Click Add Bot
4. Paste your bot token
5. Click Connect

AdTarget will verify the token and show your bot’s username.

Bot Settings (Optional)

You can customize your bot through BotFather:

Set a Profile Picture

1. Send /setuserpic to BotFather
2. Select your bot
3. Upload an image (ideally your brand logo)

Set a Description

1. Send /setdescription to BotFather
2. Select your bot
3. Enter a description users see when they start the bot

Disable Group Privacy

To ensure your bot can see channel events:

1. Send /setprivacy to BotFather
2. Select your bot
3. Choose Disable

This allows the bot to receive member events in groups/channels.

Security Best Practices

Protect your token:

• Never share your bot token publicly
• Don’t commit it to version control
• Rotate the token if compromised

To regenerate a token:

1. Send /revoke to BotFather
2. Select your bot
3. BotFather generates a new token
4. Update the token in AdTarget

Troubleshooting

BotFather not responding?

• Make sure you’re messaging the verified @BotFather
• Try closing and reopening the chat
• Check your internet connection

Username already taken?

• Try a more unique variation
• Add numbers or underscores
• Use your full brand name

Token not working in AdTarget?

• Copy the full token (including the numbers before the colon)
• Make sure there are no extra spaces
• Regenerate if still not working

Next Steps

Now that your bot is created, connect it to your Telegram channel.