Maybe you don't know, but if you regularly use Telegram and you are subscribed to many public channels and groups it is very likely that you have already interacted at least once with a muzzle. In fact, since mid-2015, the application has released the API for all programmers who want to use this feature and, since then, bots have spread constantly in the Telegram chat.
Ma what are Telegram bots and why are more and more group and channel administrators using them? As the same company that develops the instant messaging app explains, “Bots are third-party applications that run within Telegram. Users can interact with bots by sending them messages, commands and requests online “. In other words, bots are a convenient way to automate some interactions with users, providing pre-established and "pre-filled" answers to their questions and requests. In the case of channels with thousands and thousands of subscribers, which do more or less always the same questions, i muzzle they are therefore an extremely powerful community management tool.
How Telegram bots work
Users can interact with a Telegram bot in two distinct ways. The first is by sending him a direct message via chat: each bot, in fact, has its own username and therefore can be consulted by opening a specific chat with him. The second way is to use online commands. There are one set of commands that can be given to bots by sending a request via the input field, typing "@ + bot name" and immediately after the command. Some classic examples of use of bots on Telegram provide for the automatic sending of news to the users of a channel or group or the sending of specific content following a specific request by the user (typical case: automated online assistance systems).
Who (and how) can create a Telegram bot
Everyone can create as many bots as they want on Telegram. And it's not very difficult to do either. Just open a dedicated account for each bot and ask Telegram for an HTTP API key. The latter is used to control the bot remotely, via an external app.
Create a Telegram bot with BotFather
Telegram has an official internal app for create and manage botsIt is called BotFather. By opening a chat with @BotFather, therefore, you can issue the necessary commands a create and manage bots. The first command is "/ newbot": after typing it we will be asked for the name, the username (which must necessarily end with the letters "bot") and the API key assigned to the bot. The latter, in case of loss, theft or compromise, can always be generated through BotFather with the command "/ token".
What are Telegram bots for
