Before you start
You need two things:
- A Telegram bot already created and its token. If you do not have it yet, follow Create your Telegram bot with BotFather (10 minutes).
- Your MuseRelay account with access to Channels.
Connecting the bot takes less than 2 minutes and does not require verifying your company.
Step 1: create the channel
- In the panel, go to Channels and click “Create channel”.
- Choose Telegram. You will see a summary of how it works.
- Give the channel a name. We recommend the bot’s username (for example
@anas_salon_bot) so you recognise it at a glance. - Click “Create Telegram channel”. You move on to the bot setup screen.
Step 2: paste the token
- In the “Telegram bot” card, paste the token into the “Bot token” field. It is stored encrypted and never shown again.
- Click “Save credentials”.
- MuseRelay checks the token with Telegram, sets up the connection and activates the channel. If all goes well, a green message appears: “Bot @your_bot connected. Open it in Telegram and write to it to test it.”
On the channel page you will now see the bot’s name, the “Connected” badge and the link for your customers (t.me/your_bot).
Step 3: check that it works
- Open
https://t.me/your_boton your phone (better from a different Telegram account than the one that created the bot) and tap “Start”. - Send any message.
- In the panel, open Channels inbox: the conversation appears with the message you sent. You can reply from there and the reply reaches your Telegram.
Step 4: let the AI reply (optional)
- Open the channel page and go to Configure AI → AI agent.
- Choose the agent that should look after this bot, or create a new one from there.
- Turn on the channel’s automation.
Before giving it to your customers, test it yourself: write to it in your customers’ language, ask three normal questions and one test question it should not be able to answer. If it makes up an answer, refine the agent’s instructions. You can change them whenever you like: the change shows in the next message.
If you want to take over a conversation, just reply yourself from the inbox: the AI steps aside.
Step 5: share your bot
- Put the link
https://t.me/your_boton your website, social media, email signature and business cards. - Generate a QR code of that link for your premises or leaflets.
- Remind your customers that, the first time, they have to tap “Start”.
If something does not work
| Message or situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| “That does not look like a bot token” | Copy the whole token from @BotFather’s message: numbers, a colon and letters, with no spaces at the start or end. |
| “Telegram rejected the token” | Check you copied all of it. If you revoked it or are not sure, generate a new one with /token in @BotFather and paste it. |
| “This bot is already connected in the channel…” | A bot can only be in one channel. Use that channel or create another bot. |
| “This bot is already connected in another MuseRelay account” | Create a new bot with @BotFather for this account. |
| “Telegram did not accept the address to send us messages” | The token is valid, but Telegram failed at that moment. Try again in a few minutes. |
| I write to the bot and nothing reaches the inbox | A bot can only send its messages to one service at a time. If you also connected it in another tool, save the token again in MuseRelay to recover it. |
Change the token or disconnect the bot
- Change the token: open the channel page, paste the new token into “Bot token” and save. Leave it empty to keep the current one.
- Disconnect: if you delete the channel, the bot is disconnected from MuseRelay and stops receiving messages here. The bot still exists in Telegram; you can use it in another channel.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything?
Telegram does not charge for a bot’s messages, and there is no 24-hour window or templates: you can always reply.
Can I have several bots?
Yes, one per channel. Each bot connects to a single channel.
What if I already use Telegram alerts for my team?
That is a different thing: Telegram alerts are for your team to receive panel alerts; this channel is for your customers to use. They are different bots.
Where can I see everything the channel can do?
In Telegram channel: connect your bot and reply with AI: message types, customers’ phone numbers, privacy and common problems.