An AI assistant for your business on Telegram: set up in 5 minutes
Connecting a business account on Instagram or WhatsApp goes through approval processes. Telegram is different: creating a bot takes minutes, there is no review, and the Bot API is completely free. This post walks through setting up an AI customer assistant on Telegram with Talkano, step by step.
Why Telegram?
- No approval process. Telegram has no app review; the bot starts working the moment you paste the token.
- No 24-hour messaging window. On WhatsApp and Instagram, a business can't freely message a customer 24 hours after their last message. Telegram has no such rule — as long as the user hasn't blocked the bot, the assistant can always reply.
- Free. The Telegram Bot API has no per-message cost. On the Talkano side, the Telegram connection is available on every package, including Demo.
- One brain. The bot uses the same knowledge base as Instagram, WhatsApp and your website chat widget; conversations land in the same inbox.
What does the assistant do on Telegram?
Exactly what it does on every other channel:
- It answers only from the information you provided (products, Q&As, documents) — it never makes things up.
- Every reply gets a confidence score; replies below your threshold aren't sent — they're handed to you.
- It respects your working hours and follows your off-hours mode.
- It shares your gallery photos when useful.
- When it collects a name and phone number in chat, it writes them to your Leads list.
Setup in 5 minutes
- Open @BotFather on Telegram and type
/newbot. - Give the bot a display name and a username ending in
_bot(e.g.mybusiness_bot). - Copy the token BotFather gives you. The token is your bot's key; never share it.
- In the Talkano panel, open Settings → Connections → Telegram, paste the token and click "Connect bot". Talkano validates the token, stores it encrypted and sets up the webhook automatically.
- Send the bot a test message — your assistant replies, and the conversation lands in your inbox.
For the detailed guide: Telegram connection guide
Put the bot in front of customers
Your bot has a permanent link: t.me/yourusername_bot. Put it where customers can start chatting in one tap:
- As a "Message us on Telegram" button on your website
- In your Instagram bio and Google Business profile
- As a QR code on table cards, menus or business cards
Frequently asked questions
Does a Telegram bot cost anything? No. All you need is a Telegram account; the API is free.
Does the bot work in group chats? The Talkano assistant replies only in one-to-one chats; group messages are ignored.
What if I revoke the token?
If you revoked the token in BotFather (/revoke), just paste the new token on the Connections screen.
Which packages include it? All of them — including the free 3-month Demo.
Telegram is the fastest way to try AI-powered customer communication for your business: create an account, connect the bot, and let your assistant answer your first customer tonight. Get started free.