Your Essential Guide to Telegram Bot Tokens for AI Assistants

## Understanding Telegram Bot Tokens A **Telegram bot token** is a unique API key generated through Telegram's @BotFather, enabling your bot to access the Telegram Bot API for sending and receiving messages. This token is critical for deploying any Telegram-based AI assistant, including those on the **OpenClaw** platform. Without it, your AI assistant cannot interact with users on Telegram. ## Why You Need a Bot Token - **Access Control**: The bot token authenticates your bot with Telegram’s servers, ensuring that only your bot can send and receive messages. - **Unique Identifier**: Each token is unique, which prevents unauthorized access and ensures your bot functions correctly. - **Integration**: Essential for integrating with various AI models like Claude, GPT, or Gemini when utilizing EaseClaw. ## Step-by-Step Guide to Obtain a Bot Token 1. **Open Telegram**: Start by launching the Telegram app on your device. 2. **Search for @BotFather**: This is Telegram's official bot creator, which you will interact with to create your bot. 3. **Start a Chat**: Click on the @BotFather and hit **Start** to begin the conversation. 4. **Create a New Bot**: Send the command `/newbot` to the BotFather. 5. **Choose a Display Name**: This is the name that users will see (e.g., "My AI Assistant"). 6. **Set a Unique Username**: Telegram requires the username to end with "bot" (e.g., "my_ai_assistant_bot") and be unique across all users. 7. **Receive Your Token**: The BotFather will respond with your token in the format `123456:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl-zyx57W2v1u123ew11`. Make sure to copy and save it securely as you will need it later. ### Important Note Never share your bot token publicly or with unauthorized users, as it can compromise your bot's security. ## How to Use the Bot Token with OpenClaw After obtaining your bot token, you can integrate it into your AI assistant setup on EaseClaw: 1. **Install OpenClaw**: Follow the installation instructions provided on their website. 2. **Select Telegram (Bot API)**: During the setup, choose this option as your communication channel. 3. **Paste the Token**: Insert the copied bot token into the designated field in the OpenClaw setup. 4. **Start Your Bot**: In Telegram, initiate your bot to receive a pairing code. 5. **Approve the Pairing**: Use the terminal command `openclaw pairing approve telegram ` to complete the setup. ## Key Benefits of Using EaseClaw with Your Bot Token - **User-Friendly Interface**: No technical skills required; deploy your AI assistant in under a minute. - **Multiple AI Models**: Choose from Claude, GPT, or Gemini for your assistant's backend. - **Secure and Reliable**: Protect your token and your assistant with best practices for bot security. - **Cross-Platform Support**: Deploy your assistant on both Telegram and Discord seamlessly. ## Best Practices for Managing Your Bot Token - **Secure Storage**: Use a `.env` file to store your token and ensure it’s added to `.gitignore` to prevent accidental sharing on platforms like GitHub. - **Restrict Access**: Consider whitelisting users by adding `USERS=your_username` in your `.env` or `conf.py` file to limit who can interact with your bot. - **Incremental Testing**: After setting up your token, send `/start` to your bot to confirm it's responding correctly before integrating AI functionalities. - **Monitor Rate Limits**: Be aware of Telegram’s limit of approximately 30 messages per second. For more efficient communication, consider using webhooks instead of polling. - **Token Management**: If you suspect your token has been compromised, use the `/revoke` command in BotFather to generate a new one. You can also check your token status with `/token`. ## Tools Needed for Setup To successfully set up your Telegram bot, you’ll need the following tools: - **Telegram Account**: Essential for interacting with @BotFather. - **Text Editor/Terminal**: For managing your configuration files (e.g., VS Code, terminal). - **AI API Keys**: If you’re planning to use an AI model, obtain the necessary keys from platforms like OpenAI or Anthropic. - **Deployment Tools**: Depending on your preference, choose one of the following: | Tool | Use Case | Example Setup | |------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------| | Docker/Docker Compose | Simple Python bots | `git clone repo; create .env with TELEGRAM_TOKEN; docker-compose up` | | Node.js + Telegraf | Custom JS bots | `npm install telegraf dotenv; .env with BOT_TOKEN` | | OpenClaw | AI gateway for Telegram/Discord| Terminal install + bot token + LLM key (e.g., OpenAI) | | No-code: BuildShip/n8n | Quick AI integration | Paste token into workflow; deploy | ## Common Pitfalls and Fixes - **Wrong Username**: Ensure the username ends with "bot" and is unique. If taken, retry the `/newbot` command. - **Token Issues**: Double-check that you copied the token correctly without extra spaces and that the bot is started in Telegram. - **Permission Errors**: If you encounter issues, ensure you’ve added your Telegram ID (available via @userinfobot) to the allowed users list. - **AI Not Responding**: Validate your LLM API key and test the webhook deployment to ensure connectivity. - **Multiple Bots**: If managing multiple bots, always select the correct token for each workflow. - **Outdated Libraries**: Keep your libraries updated, especially when using frameworks like Telegraf for Node.js programming.