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Telegram

Send call updates to a Telegram chat or group with a webhook tool.

A Telegram bot lets your receptionist message you or your team’s group during a call, for example when a caller asks for a callback or reports something urgent. The webhook tool calls Telegram’s Bot API sendMessage method.

Create a bot and find the chat ID

1

Create the bot

In Telegram, open a chat with @BotFather, send /newbot, and follow the prompts to name it. BotFather replies with a bot token, such as 123456789:AA.... Treat it as a secret: anyone who has it controls the bot.

2

Start a chat with the bot

Bots can only message chats they’re in.

  • To message yourself: open a chat with your new bot and select Start.
  • To message a group: add the bot to the group, then send a message that mentions it, such as /start@YOUR_BOT_NAME.
3

Find the chat ID

In a browser, open https://api.telegram.org/botBOT_TOKEN/getUpdates, with your bot token in place of BOT_TOKEN. Find your message in the response and copy the number after "chat":{"id":. A group’s ID is negative, for example -1001234567890; keep the minus sign.

If the response is empty, send the bot another message and reload the page.

Create the webhook tool

Go to Integrations, select Add integration, and choose Webhook Tool.

FieldValue
Namenotify_team_in_telegram
Description”Message the team on Telegram. Use it when a caller asks for a callback, wants to speak to a person, or reports an urgent problem.”
MethodPOST
URLhttps://api.telegram.org/botBOT_TOKEN/sendMessage, with your bot token in place of BOT_TOKEN
Body Parameterschat_id (string, required): “Always the exact value CHAT_ID.”
text (string, required): “The message: the caller’s name, phone number, and what they need.”
Assign to agentsReceptionist

Replace CHAT_ID in the description with your chat ID. The URL contains your bot token, so treat it as a secret too.

Select Enable, then test your receptionist by asking for a callback. The bot posts the message in the chat.

To message several chats, create one tool per chat ID. The same bot can post to all of them.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to check
Telegram returns 401The bot token in the URL is wrong or was revoked in BotFather. The URL must have bot right before the token.
Bad Request: chat not foundCheck the chat ID, including the minus sign for groups, and that you started a chat with the bot or added it to the group.
Forbidden: bot was kickedThe bot was removed from the group. Add it back.
getUpdates shows nothingIn groups, bots only see messages that mention them. Send /start@YOUR_BOT_NAME and reload.
The receptionist never postsMake the tool’s description name the situations where it should post.