Chat channels
Set up Telegram
The fastest channel to set up: no server exposure, no approval process, no webhook to register — the assistant picks up messages itself within seconds, even from a deployment with no public address.
Before you start
- A Telegram bot account, free and created inside Telegram itself: message @BotFather, send /newbot, and give the bot a name and a username ending in “bot”. It replies with the bot token — the only credential this channel needs.
- Nothing else: no developer account, no app review, and no server-side webhook to configure anywhere.
- Chat channels → Telegram: paste the bot token. Create, then Test — the result names the bot's @username.
- Open the people list and add each teammate by @username (or their numeric Telegram ID, for an instant match) — their first message to the bot binds it, nothing for them to do.
- Anyone else who messages the bot is asked to link instead: “Link messaging apps” in the web chat gives them a one-time code to send back.
How people use it
A linked person just messages the bot like any other Telegram chat — no command needed for a plain question. /new starts a fresh conversation, /help lists the commands. In a group the bot answers only when @mentioned or replied to, governed by “In group chats” below; the whole group then sees the reply.
Access
Linked people ask with their own account's access, exactly like the web chat. Anyone unlinked is asked to link an account instead, unless you've opened guest access groups on this channel — then an unrecognised sender reads from those groups. “In group chats” decides group visibility separately: the asker's own access, guest groups only, or ignored entirely.
No public URL is needed — this works even when the assistant runs on a private network. Test fails only when the token is wrong or has been revoked; create a fresh one with @BotFather and paste it in here.
Last updated 20 Sep 2026