---
title: "Telegram"
description: "Get store notifications in a Telegram staff group and as private messages, through your own Telegram bot."
url: "https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/telegram/"
lang: en
alternates:
  en: "https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/telegram/"
  hu: "https://docs.poltura.com/hu/apps/telegram/"
---

# Telegram

Get store notifications in a Telegram staff group and as private messages, through your own Telegram bot.

- Where: Apps → Telegram

The Telegram app sends store notifications through a Telegram bot that you create. Messages can go to a shared staff group. They can also go as private messages to every team member who links their own Telegram account. Other apps use the same bot for approval buttons, for example [Fraud detection](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/fraud-detection/).

## Before you start

- The app comes installed on new stores.
- You have a Telegram account. The bot itself is free and takes a minute to create.

## Set up Telegram

1. In Telegram, open a chat with `@BotFather` and send `/newbot`. Follow its questions and copy the bot token it gives you.

2. In the admin, open **Telegram** in the **Apps** group of the sidebar. If it is not there, install the app first from the [App Store](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/#install).

3. Under **Settings**, paste the token into **Bot token**.

4. Select **Save settings**. The **Status** panel shows **Token stored**.

   ![The Telegram page with the Settings card on the left and the Your Telegram and Status panels on the right, showing Token stored](https://docs.poltura.com/screenshots/en/apps/telegram.webp)

   _After saving, the Status panel on the right shows Token stored._

5. Select **Validate credentials**. **Credentials validated** confirms that the bot answers.

6. If the app is not on yet, open it in the App Store and select **Turn on**.

The bot username is detected from the token. Everything else is optional.

## Settings

The same four fields are on the **Telegram** page and in the app's **Settings** in the App Store.

- **Bot token**: the token `@BotFather` gave you. It is stored encrypted and never shown again after saving. To change it, use **Replace bot token**.
- **Bot username**: optional. The bot's username without the leading `@`. It is used for the link team members follow to connect their own Telegram. Leave it blank and it is read from the token.
- **Staff chat ID**: optional. The group or channel that receives store notifications.
- **Staff topic ID**: optional. A forum topic (thread) inside the staff group, if you want the notifications in one topic.

## Send notifications to a staff group

1. Add your bot to the Telegram group or channel your team uses.
2. In that group, send `/chatinfo`. The bot answers with the chat ID, and with the topic ID if the group uses forum topics.
3. On the **Telegram** page, enter the value in **Staff chat ID**, and the topic in **Staff topic ID** if you want one.
4. Select **Save settings**. The **Status** panel shows the IDs in force.

## Connect your own Telegram

Each team member does this for themselves. A linked person gets private messages whether or not a staff group is set.

1. Open **Telegram** in the **Apps** group of the sidebar.
2. Under **Your Telegram**, select **Connect Telegram**. The button changes to **Waiting for Telegram…**.
3. Select **Open Telegram** and start the conversation with the bot.
4. Return to the admin. The status shows **Linked** with your Telegram username under **Account**.

To stop the private messages, select **Disconnect** and confirm with **Disconnect** again.

## Good to know

- Which events you are told about is set per person under [Notifications and alerts](https://docs.poltura.com/en/settings/notifications/#alerts). The wording of the messages is edited on the **Notifications page**, linked from the Telegram page.
- Fraud detection sends its reviews to the staff chat with Approve and Refund buttons when its **Notify Telegram** setting is on.
- Anyone who has the bot token can control the bot. If it leaks, create a new token with `@BotFather` and replace it here.

## If something goes wrong

- **"Telegram is not configured. Set the bot token in the app settings."** No token is saved. Add it under **Settings**.
- **"Could not determine the bot username."** The token is wrong, or Telegram could not be reached. Check the token, or type the username into **Bot username**.
- **"Validation failed".** The token was not accepted. Copy it again from `@BotFather`, without spaces.
- **Nothing arrives in the group.** Check that the bot is still a member of the group. Check that **Staff chat ID** is the value `/chatinfo` returned. In a group with topics, check **Staff topic ID** too.
- **"Could not start Telegram linking."** Try **Connect Telegram** again after a moment.

## Related

- [App Store](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/)
- [Notifications and alerts](https://docs.poltura.com/en/settings/notifications/)
- [Fraud detection](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/fraud-detection/)
- [CodesWholesale](https://docs.poltura.com/en/apps/codeswholesale/)
- [People and roles](https://docs.poltura.com/en/settings/organization/team/)