| name | telegram-bot-builder |
| description | Build Telegram bots in Node.js. Use when a request mentions Telegram bot, BotFather, bot token, webhook, long polling, commands, inline keyboards, callback queries, or handling Telegram Bot API updates. |
Telegram Bot Builder
Overview
Create production-ready Telegram bots in Node.js with clear setup steps, secure token handling, and reliable update processing. Default to telegraf unless the user specifies another library.
Workflow
- Clarify requirements
- Ask for bot token availability (BotFather token) and whether commands are defined.
- Ask for hosting and update mode: webhook or long polling.
- Ask for features: commands, inline keyboards, callbacks, files, or integrations.
- Ask for data storage or state (sessions, database, or in-memory).
- Choose library and update mode
- Use
telegraffor modern middleware and strong typing support. - Use
node-telegram-bot-apionly when explicitly requested. - Prefer webhooks for production hosting, long polling for local or simple deployments.
- Implement core bot flow
- Create command handlers and message routing.
- Validate inputs and avoid echoing secrets.
- Add error boundaries and logging.
- Ship-ready details
- Provide install commands and env vars.
- Include webhook configuration or polling startup instructions.
- Provide quick test steps and sample output.
Common tasks
Build a basic bot
- Use
references/telegraf.mdfor a minimal bot and message routing.
Add commands and keyboards
- Define commands in BotFather and mirror them in code.
- Use inline keyboards with callback queries; keep callback data small.
Webhooks and deployments
- Use
references/webhooks.mdfor webhook setup and platform notes.
Alternate library
- If the user insists on
node-telegram-bot-api, usereferences/node-telegram-bot-api.md.
Output expectations
- Provide runnable Node.js code (ESM by default; call out CJS if needed).
- List dependencies and install commands.
- List required env vars, especially
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN. - Include a short verification checklist.
References
references/telegraf.mdreferences/webhooks.mdreferences/node-telegram-bot-api.md