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Reach your squad from Telegram

Connect your own Telegram bot that answers only you, and get scheduled results in Telegram. Learn what you can and can't do there, and change or stop your bot.

4 min read
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Before you begin

You need a Telegram account. You create your own bot there with @BotFather.

Connect your bot

Your own bot lets you message your lead from Telegram. It answers only you.

  1. Create a bot in Telegram

    In Telegram, search for @BotFather and send /newbot. Answer its questions to pick a name and a username for your bot. BotFather sends you the bot's HTTP API token: a secret code that lets SquadRoom run your bot. Copy it.

  2. Open Messaging

    In SquadRoom, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then Settings, then Messaging. The Telegram card shows Not connected.

  3. Paste the token

    Paste the token in Bot Token.

  4. Add your Telegram user ID

    In Telegram, send any message to @userinfobot. It replies with your user ID, a number such as 123456789. Paste it in Your Telegram user ID. If you type anything other than digits, you see "Use the number @userinfobot sends you, digits only."

    Your bot answers only this account. Scheduled job results go to your private chat with the bot.

  5. Click Enable Telegram

    Enable Telegram stays off until both fields are filled. Click it. You see "Saved. Your bot answers only your Telegram account.", and the card shows Connected.

  6. Message your bot

    Open your bot in Telegram and send it a message. Your lead answers.

What you can do from Telegram

  • Message your lead and read its answers.
  • Get the results of scheduled jobs that send to Telegram.

Send scheduled job results to Telegram

First connect your bot and save your user ID. Then the Edit Scheduled Job window on Calendar shows Send results to, with Telegram and Local. Every result still goes on the board too.

When a squad member asks you to approve a job, the approval says where results go. After you approve, each result goes to your Telegram chat without asking you again.

Change the token or your Telegram user ID

  • New token: paste it in Bot Token and click Save Changes. Leave Bot Token empty to keep the current token.
  • New Telegram account: type its user ID in Your Telegram user ID and click Save Changes. Your bot then answers only that account.

Save Changes stays off until you type a token or a user ID. Saving restarts your bot's connection.

Stop using Telegram

In Telegram, open @BotFather and cancel your bot's token with /revoke. Your bot stops answering, though Settings > Messaging still shows Connected.

To use Telegram again, get a new token from @BotFather, paste it in Bot Token, and click Save Changes.

Who can talk to your bot

Only the Telegram account whose user ID you saved. Anyone else who messages your bot gets the reply "This bot only answers the person who set it up." Nothing they send reaches your lead. Only you can send /sethome, so no one else can move your scheduled results to their own chat.

If something goes wrong

Your bot doesn't answer

Cause

The token is wrong or was cancelled, or the bot's connection didn't start.

Fix

Copy the token from @BotFather again, paste it in Bot Token, and click Save Changes. Saving restarts the connection.

You seeYour bot answers no one until you add your Telegram user ID below.

Cause

Your bot is connected in Settings > Messaging, but no Telegram user ID is saved.

Fix

Get your ID from @userinfobot, type it in Your Telegram user ID, and click Save Changes.

You seeTelegram Home Channel Not Set

Cause

You see this on Calendar when your bot is connected but no Telegram user ID is saved.

Fix

Type your ID in Your Telegram user ID in Settings > Messaging and click Save Changes.

No Send results to when you edit a job

Cause

Your bot isn't connected, or no Telegram user ID is saved.

Fix

Connect your bot and save your user ID.

You seeThis bot only answers the person who set it up.

Cause

Your bot sent you this, so the saved user ID isn't yours.

Fix

Check your ID with @userinfobot, save it in Your Telegram user ID, and message the bot again.

Saving shows an error

Cause

The save didn't finish. The error shows next to the button instead of "Saved.", and the card may already show Connected.

Fix

Click the button again. Your entries are still in the fields. If it keeps failing, write to [email protected].

What Telegram doesn't do

  • It doesn't replace SquadRoom. Answer tickets and approve drafts in SquadRoom.
  • It doesn't tell you about new tickets or finished tasks. Only scheduled job results arrive there.
  • Only your lead answers. You can't pick another squad member.
  • Pausing your squad doesn't stop your lead from answering there, but scheduled jobs don't run, so no results arrive.
  • Your Telegram conversation is separate from Chat and doesn't show there.
  • Settings > Messaging has no disconnect button. See Stop using Telegram.
  • There is no shared SquadRoom bot. Each workspace uses its own.