114925
The official source for news about the Telegram Bot API. https://core.telegram.org/bots
Bot API 7.11
• Bots can now participate in revenue sharing from Telegram Ads ⭐️ – unlocking a new way to help support their development.
• Introduced Paid Broadcasts ⭐️ – allowing bots to broadcast up to 1000 messages per second.
• Bots can now send and receive chat-specific hashtags that only show posts and stories from a specific chat when tapped.
• Added a new inline button to let users copy text in one tap.
• Bots can now add media to existing text messages.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#october-31-2024
⚠️ Warning: Starting December 1, 2024 messages with video posted in big communities can be delayed by the server until the respective video is reencoded. Read more here.
Standard Bot Privacy Policy
As previously announced, all Bots and Mini Apps must provide a Privacy Policy detailing how they handle user data.
To facilitate this process, we published a Standard Privacy Policy which applies by default to all Bots and Mini Apps that don't have their own. This policy broadly covers the data handling practices of most apps on Telegram, simplifying compliance for developers and adding transparency for users.
Alternatively, you can now set up your own Privacy Policy directly on @BotFather – allowing users to access it from a dedicated button in your Mini App's settings menu.
Please ensure our Standard Policy suits your needs – and publish your own via @BotFather if it does not.
For more details, please reference Section 4 of the Bot Developer Terms.
Today's update introduces a new Mini App Store – to highlight successful Mini Apps that utilize Stars ⭐️, making them easily accessible to the more than 500 million users who interact with mini apps each month (out of Telegram's 950 million monthly users).
If your bot is a mini app, you can add a prominent Launch app button as well as demo videos and screenshots to the bot’s profile. To do this, go to @BotFather and set the mini app as your bot's Main App.
Bot API 7.7
• Mini Apps can now disable vertical swipes – preventing users from exiting by accident.
• Bots can now detect service messages about refunded payments.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#july-7-2024
Star Reward Withdrawals, Subsidized Ads and Bot API 7.6
Developers of bots accepting Telegram Stars ⭐️ can now withdraw rewards via the TON blockchain, or use stars to place subsidized Ads on Telegram.
Telegram takes nearly 0% commission and adds a 30% discount for ads to compensate for third-party payment system fees – you can read more here.
Bot API 7.6, released today, adds even more improvements for all bots and mini apps, like:
• Native multitasking – allowing mini apps to be minimized and expanded without loading delays.
• Default full-screen mode for mini apps opened by direct link.
• Support for sending paid media content on behalf of content creators.
• Updated transaction history, with support for Telegram Ads and bot-specified payloads.
• And more, see the full changelog for details.
Following our previous announcement, plenty of popular bots and mini apps implemented Telegram Stars ⭐️ – allowing them to sell digital products to millions of users in compliance with Apple's and Google's Terms.
Unfortunately, to comply with store terms, we had to suspend a small number of bots that were accepting payments for digital products without using Telegram Stars despite our warnings.
⭐️ Bots and Mini Apps that implemented Stars will soon be able to place subsidized Ads and might be featured in our upcoming Mini App Store.
Telegram Stars ⭐️ are now live – allowing all developers to sell digital goods and services in their bots and mini-apps.
The new payment documentation has everything you need to get started – including answers to the most frequently asked questions.
For more details about these changes, see the updated Payments Section in our Terms of Service for Bot Developers.
⚠️ Payments for physical goods and services are unaffected by this change and can continue operating as usual.
Bot API 7.3
Telegram Business
• Messages sent on behalf of a business account now support url, login_url, and callback_game inline buttons.
Live Locations
• Added support for live locations that can be edited indefinitely.
• Bots can now edit live periods via the new live_period parameter.
General
• Added support for custom emoji in Polls.
• Added the field via_join_request to ChatMemberUpdated, for users whose join request was approved.
• Bots can now detect service messages about background changes in chats via the new chat_background_set field in Message.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#may-6-2024
Note: The method getChat now returns the new ChatFullInfo class, which has been split out from Chat.
Bot API 7.1
Custom Emoji
• Bots can now get the custom emoji sticker set chosen by a group and use any custom emoji from it.
Boosts
• Added support for boost_added service messages, about new boosts added to the chat.
• Added the field sender_boost_count to the class Message, counting boosts added by the sender that are active on the message send date.
Stories
• Bots can now check if admins have the rights to post, edit and delete stories in supergroups.
• Added the field reply_to_story to the class Message.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#february-16-2024
Bot API 6.9
Mini Apps
• Added support for free Cloud Storage, hosted by Telegram.
• Mini Apps can now set any header color with setHeaderColor.
• Added the requestContact method, to ask the user's phone number.
• Added the requestWriteAccess method, to obtain permission to text the user.
Stories
• Bots can now assign the can_post_stories, can_edit_stories and can_delete_stories privileges to other admins.
• Added the respective fields to ChatMemberAdministrator, ChatAdministratorRights and parameters promoteChatMember.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#september-22-2023
New payment provider added:
• Chapa 🇪🇹
More about bot payments:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/payments
Bot API 6.6
Localized Descriptions
• Bots now support localized descriptions that are shown based on the user's language.
• Added the methods setMyDescription and setMyShortDescription to set the bot's localized description and short description.
• Added the methods getMyDescription and getMyShortDescription to obtain the bot's description or short description for a given language.
Stickers and Emoji
• Bots can now create custom emoji sticker sets with createNewStickerSet.
• Added support for adaptive custom emoji colors via the needs_repainting parameter in the createNewStickerSet method.
• Added the ability to specify search keywords for stickers added to sticker sets.
• Improved editing options for sticker sets, including changing the title, deleting a pack, editing emoji lists and more.
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#march-9-2023
Note: Mentions of thumb across all methods and classes have been updated to thumbnail.
Bot API 6.5
Chat and User Selection
• Bots can now show a friendly interface that can be used to select any channel, group or user.
• Added the KeyboardButtonRequestUser and KeyboardButtonRequestChat keyboard buttons for private chats.
• Added support for "user_shared" and "chat_shared" service messages, which hold the identifiers of users and chats shared via the buttons.
Improved Permissions
• Added support for granular media permissions by replacing can_send_media_messages in ChatMemberRestricted and ChatPermissions with several separate fields for the respective media type.
• Added the parameter use_independent_chat_permissions to the methods restrictChatMember and setChatPermissions.
• Added the field user_chat_id to the class ChatJoinRequest.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#february-3-2023
Bot API 6.3
Topics
• Bots now support Topics in Groups.
• Added the fields is_forum and is_topic_message to Chat and Message respectively.
• Bots can send messages to a topic via the new message_thread_id parameter.
• Added service messages about new, closed and reopened topics, each with an optional field in Message.
• Bots can now create, close, edit and delete topics.
• Added chat member permissions for topic management, see can_manage_topics as a field in all relevant classes and as a parameter in promoteChatMember.
Multiple Usernames and Emoji Status
• Multiple Usernames are listed by the active_usernames field in the Chat class.
• Custom user statuses are now shown in the emoji_status_custom_emoji_id field returned from getChat.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#november-5-2022
The Bot API v.3.5 is alive and well.
- Added support for the new albums feature.
- Added support for pinned messages in channels.
Full changelog:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#november-17-2017
Bot API 7.10
• Introduced support for Telegram Star Giveaways ⭐️.
• Bots now receive updates when users purchase paid media.
• Mini Apps can now display and control a secondary button at the bottom of their interface.
• The bottom bar color of Mini Apps can now be customized.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#september-6-2024
Bot API 7.9
• Introduced Star Subscriptions ⭐️ – allowing bots to manage subscription-based invite links.
• Bots can now send Paid Media to any chat, including on behalf of Business Accounts.
• Added support for Super Channels – where admins may post as their own profiles or channels.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#august-14-2024
Bot API 7.8
• Introduced Main Mini Apps, which can be previewed and launched directly from a link or the bot's profile.
• Mini Apps can now seamlessly share media to the native Story editor.
• Added support for managing pinned messages on behalf of business accounts.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#july-31-2024
Bot Privacy Policies
Bots and mini apps must comply with all applicable privacy laws and regulations – including those from Apple and Google stores.
To remain in compliance with Apple guideline 5.1.1 (i), bots and mini apps must provide a Privacy Policy detailing what data they store, how they collect it, and for what purpose.
Operating without a separate Privacy Policy will lead to suspension or termination of your bot on Telegram.
Mini apps can make their Privacy Policy easily accessible by including a link to it on a 'Settings' page, while bots must make it available via the /privacy command.
For more information about these requirements, please see this section of the Bot Developer Terms of Service.
Bot API 7.5
Telegram Stars
• Bots can now use getStarTransactions to retrieve information about their Telegram Star transactions and withdrawals.
Telegram Business
• Messages sent on behalf of a business account now support callback inline buttons.
• Added support for editing business messages.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#june-18-2024
Developers from various regions showed interest in the purchase cost of Telegram Stars for users around the world.
To address them, here is a table with a detailed breakdown of how much users pay to acquire Stars – along with commissions and net proceeds for bot developers.
Introducing Payments for Digital Goods and Services
With the upcoming Telegram update, your bots and mini apps will be able to sell digital goods and services.
To allow for this change in compliance with third-party store terms, we are rolling out a new in-app currency, Telegram Stars. Users will soon be able to acquire Stars from Telegram using standard Apple and Google in-app purchases and then use them to buy digital goods and services from you.
All payments for digital goods and services have to be carried out exclusively in Telegram Stars. If digital goods and services can be purchased for your bot or mini app on other platforms, like your external website, the same goods and services must also be available for purchase with Telegram Stars, in compliance with Apple Review Guideline 3.1.3(b).
To accept payments for digital goods and services, starting with Bot API 7.4, you can use the sendInvoice or createInvoiceLink methods with the currency field set to "XTR" and the provider_token field left empty. To refund payments, you can use the refundStarPayment method.
💎 Developers will be able to withdraw Telegram Stars using the TON blockchain.
⚠️ Payments for physical goods and services are unaffected by this change and can continue operating as usual.
Along with these changes, Bot API 7.4 adds even more improvements for all bots, like:
• Support for visual effects, which bots can attach to messages via the new message_effect_id parameter.
• Support for expandable blockquote text entities.
• Captions that can be shown above the respective media via the new show_caption_above_media parameter.
• And more, see the full changelog for details.
Bot API 7.2
Telegram Business
• Bots can now manage private chats of Telegram Business subscribers who connect them to their account – check out BusinessConnection.
• Connected bots will receive updates about new messages, message edits and deletions in business chats they manage.
• Added the parameter business_connection_id to most send methods – to send messages on behalf of business users.
• Bots can now see business account details, such as their intro, opening hours and location.
Request Names, Usernames and Photos
• Bots can now request names, usernames and photos via new fields in the KeyboardButtonRequestUsers class.
• Likewise, bots can now use KeyboardButtonRequestChat to request chats' titles, usernames and photos.
Stickers
• Introduced support for mixed-format sticker packs.
• Regular sticker sets now support up to 120 stickers.
• Bots can now upload WEBM stickers using sendSticker.
• Simplified sticker replacement via the new replaceStickerInSet method.
General
• Mini Apps now support biometric authentication.
• The Chat class may now contain the user's birthday and personal channel.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#march-31-2024
Note: We have updated our Terms of Service for Telegram Bot Developers, kindly check out the latest version here.
Bot API 7.0
Announcing our biggest Bot API update yet!
Reactions
• Introducing full reaction support for bots.
• Bots can now react to messages with setMessageReaction.
• Message reactions now generate updates for bots.
• Added the available_reactions field to the class Chat.
Replies 2.0
• Bots can now reply to messages in other chats or topics.
• Added the ExternalReplyInfo class, to track replies across chats.
• The new class ReplyParameters replaces individual reply options in all relevant methods and lets bots quote parts of any message.
• The new field quote of the class Message lets bots detect incoming quoted text.
Link Preview Customization
• Bots can now set a custom URL to generate link previews in outgoing messages.
• Added support for custom size and position of link previews.
• Added the class LinkPreviewOptions to support these new options.
Batch Actions
• Bots can now delete multiple messages in a single request via deleteMessages.
• Bots can now forward or copy multiple messages in a single request via the respective forwardMessages and copyMessages methods.
Boosts & Giveaways
• Added support for Giveaway messages, allowing bots to detect their creation and completion.
• Added updates about chat boost changes via the new classes ChatBoostUpdated and ChatBoostRemoved.
• Bots can now see if a boost came from a premium sub, a gift code, or a giveaway, as well as check all active user boosts via getUserChatBoosts.
General
• Blockquotes are now supported in MarkdownV2 and HTML parse modes.
• Web Apps won't close when calling openTelegramLink.
• Web Apps can now toggle the visibility and on-click behavior of the Settings Button.
• Bots can now request multiple users, see KeyboardButtonRequestUsers.
• The class Chat has new fields holding profile and background colors, custom emoji, and more.
• And a great deal more. See the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#december-29-2023
Happy Holidays from the Telegram Team 🎆
Bot API 6.8
• Bots can now detect forwarded stories via an empty Story object in the new story field of the Message class.
• Added support for chat voters in non-anonymous Polls via the new field voter_chat in PollAnswer.
• Added the field emoji_status_expiration_date to the Chat class.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#august-18-2023
Bot API 6.7
Unlimited Web Apps
• Web Apps can now be launched from any chat – to play multiplayer games, work together in groups or create content on the fly.
• Launch Web Apps with inline query results or direct links.
Collectible Usernames & Custom Emoji
• Collectible usernames can be upgraded and assigned to bots – including usernames that don't end in -bot.
• Bots that are using collectible usernames can now send Custom Emoji via HTML and MarkdownV2.
Bot Profile
• Users can now edit bots directly from their Telegram profile, including setting a new name, description or animated profile photos.
• Introduced support for localized bot names that are shown based on the user's language.
General
• InlineKeyboardButton can now be used to switch to inline mode in any chosen chat for a given type.
• The ChatMemberUpdated class now distinguishes joins coming from Shared Folder invite links.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#april-21-2023
New payment providers added:
• bill_line
• Freedom Pay
• PayBox.money
More about bot payments:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/payments
Bot API 6.4
Forums
• Bots can now open, close, edit and toggle the visibility of the General Topic.
• Added support for new service messages, like ForumTopicEdited, GeneralForumTopicHidden and more.
• The method sendChatAction can now send actions to any thread or topic via the message_thread_id parameter.
Spoilers
• Added spoiler detection via the new has_media_spoiler field in the Message class.
• Bots can send media covered by a spoiler animation via the has_spoiler field in sendPhoto, sendVideo and sendAnimation.
Web Apps
• Added a native QR scanner popup, controllable via showScanQrPopup and closeScanQrPopup.
• Web Apps launched from the attachment menu can request clipboard text via readTextFromClipboard.
• Added a platform field, showing which platform the web app is being used on.
General
• Added the is_persistent field, to keep ReplyKeyboards open by default.
• And more, see the full changelog for details:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#december-30-2022
Many thanks to everyone who submitted bots for our Bot Contest! We have collected a lot of requests.
New applications are no longer accepted – this stage of the contest is over. We will continue awarding creators of great bots this year. Have fun using and building bots in 2018!
The Bot API v.3.4 is here!
- Added support for the new Live Locations feature (see the Telegram blog).
- Bots can now get special entities like usernames, URLs, etc. from media captions.
- Bots can now get and manage the official sticker set of groups.
See the full changelog here:
https://core.telegram.org/bots/api-changelog#october-11-2017