Telegram has hundreds of millions of users and something that makes it especially good for customer service: bots. A Telegram bot is an account for your business that anyone can message through a link, without giving you their number and without installing anything else.
The catch is that a bot, on its own, can’t answer. With MuseRelay you put an AI assistant behind it that knows your business, replies at any hour, books appointments and lets you know when a conversation needs a person. And everything lands in the same inbox as WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email and your website chatbot.
Why Telegram is a good channel for your business
- Free. Telegram doesn’t charge for bot messages.
- No 24-hour window or templates. You can always reply, even if the customer wrote a week ago.
- Instant setup. Created with @BotFather in two minutes, with no business verification or approvals.
- Easy to find. A
t.me/your_botlink or a QR code on your website, social media, email signature or shop. - Private for your customers. Telegram doesn’t show their phone number to the bot: they write with their username.
What your Telegram chatbot does with MuseRelay
Replies with AI, 24 hours a day
Your AI agent answers with your business information —services, prices, opening hours, FAQs— in the customer’s language. While it prepares the reply, the customer sees “typing…”, like in any chat.
Books appointments in your calendar
It checks your online booking calendar, offers free slots and books the appointment. When it needs the customer’s phone, it shows Telegram’s official “📱 Share my phone” button: one tap and the number, verified by Telegram, is saved on their record.
Opens tickets and captures contacts
An issue becomes a ticket with its follow-up, and the details of anyone showing interest are saved on their contact record.
Photos, audio, video and documents
Customers can send photos with captions, voice notes, videos and documents (up to 20 MB), and you can reply with files from the inbox. Stickers show as their emoji and locations arrive with a map link.
You step in whenever you want
Anyone on the team can take over a conversation, reply in person and hand it back to the AI. The dashboard bell alerts you when a conversation needs you, and stays quiet while the AI has it covered.
One customer, one history, even across channels
If a customer writes on Telegram today and on WhatsApp tomorrow, MuseRelay makes it easy: when they share their phone and it matches another contact, it suggests merging them under Contacts → Duplicates. They’re never merged automatically: you decide.
How to create your AI Telegram bot in 5 minutes
- In Telegram, open @BotFather and send
/newbot. - Choose the name your customers will see (for example “Ana’s Salon”) and a username ending in
bot. - Copy the token @BotFather gives you.
- In MuseRelay, go to Channels → Create channel → Telegram, paste the token and save.
- Assign an AI agent on the channel page and share your
t.me/your_botlink.
The guide Telegram channel: connect your bot covers it in full detail, including the most common issues.
Secure and private
- Your bot token is stored encrypted and never shown in the dashboard.
- We only accept messages that come from Telegram with a secret key unique to your channel; anything else is rejected.
- Photos, audio and documents are stored encrypted, and everything is hosted on servers in the European Union.
- The bot only handles private chats: if it’s added to a group, group messages are ignored.
- The bot is yours: if you change its token in @BotFather, the old one stops working instantly.
And also: your team, on Telegram too (beta)
Telegram isn’t just for customers to reach you. With Telegram alerts, each person on your team connects their Telegram to our bot @MuseRelayBot and gets alerts from all your channels there: WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email, website chatbot and Telegram.
- Reply to a customer straight from Telegram: it reaches them on their channel and they never see your personal Telegram.
- Take over, hand the conversation back to the AI or close it with one button.
- Choose which alerts you get, from which channels, with quiet hours.
- AI approvals: your assistant asks your permission on Telegram before granting a discount, refund or exception above the limits you set. Approve or reject with one tap.
These team features are in beta: if you’d like to try them, write to us from the dashboard.
Telegram or WhatsApp?
| Telegram | ||
|---|---|---|
| How customers find you | t.me/your_bot link or username | Your phone number |
| Cost per message | Free | Meta charges some conversations |
| Replying after 24 hours | Yes, always | Only with approved templates |
| Setup | Instant with @BotFather | With your Meta account |
The best option is having both: WhatsApp for most of your customers and Telegram for those who prefer it, all in the same inbox with the same AI assistant. See all the options in AI chatbot for Telegram.
FAQ
How much does an AI Telegram chatbot cost?
Telegram doesn’t charge for messages. In MuseRelay, Telegram is also available on the free plan, which includes one channel; see the plans for more channels.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You create the bot with @BotFather, paste the token and choose which AI agent replies. No code.
Can I see the phone number of whoever writes to me?
Telegram doesn’t share it with bots. When it’s needed (for example, for an appointment), the assistant asks the customer to share it with the official button, and it’s only saved if they tap it.
Can I use a bot I already have?
Yes, with its token. Keep in mind a bot can only send its messages to one service at a time: if it’s connected to another tool, it will stop receiving them there.
Does the assistant reply in several languages?
Yes: it replies in the language the customer writes in.
Get started today
MuseRelay is in an invitation-based open beta: the account is free and no card is required. Write to webmaster@muserelay.com to get your access code and create your account. If you have questions, all the documentation is available in English and Spanish.