Telegram Bot API

api.telegram.org · Communication

Communication API Key Free & Open Messaging Bots Social

Build Telegram bots — send messages, photos, documents, polls, and keyboards. Handle user interactions, manage groups, and build inline experiences. Free, no cost per message.

Authentication

API Key authentication Free bot token from @BotFather on Telegram. Token is included in the URL: api.telegram.org/bot{TOKEN}/method.

Sample Requests

GET Get bot info

Verify your token and get bot info.

https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe

Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does

curl -X GET "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe"

import requests
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe",
)
print(response.json())

const url = 'https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe';

const response = await fetch(url); 
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
)

func main() {
	targetURL := "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe"
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", targetURL, nil)

	client := &http.Client{}
	resp, _ := client.Do(req)
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(body))
}

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe")

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"

req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)

res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)

<?php
$url = "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/getMe";
$opts = ["http" => [
    "method" => "GET",
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));

POST Send a message

Send a message to a chat.

https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage

Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does

Headers — extra info sent with the request

Content-Type

application/json

Request Body — data you're sending

{
  "text": "Hello from the Telegram Bot API!",
  "chat_id": "CHAT_ID"
}

curl -X POST "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text":"Hello from the Telegram Bot API!","chat_id":"CHAT_ID"}'

import requests
headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}
data = {
    "text": "Hello from the Telegram Bot API!",
    "chat_id": "CHAT_ID"
}
response = requests.post(
    "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage",
    headers=headers,
    json=data,
)
print(response.json())

const url = 'https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage';

const response = await fetch(url, {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "text": "Hello from the Telegram Bot API!",
  "chat_id": "CHAT_ID"
}),
}); 
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"bytes"
	"encoding/json"
)

func main() {
	targetURL := "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage"
	jsonData, _ := json.Marshal({"text":"Hello from the Telegram Bot API!","chat_id":"CHAT_ID"})
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", targetURL, bytes.NewBuffer(jsonData))
	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")

	client := &http.Client{}
	resp, _ := client.Do(req)
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(body))
}

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage")

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"

req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
req["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
req["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
req.body = "{\"text\":\"Hello from the Telegram Bot API!\",\"chat_id\":\"CHAT_ID\"}"

res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)

<?php
$url = "https://api.telegram.org/botYOUR_TOKEN/sendMessage";
$opts = ["http" => [
    "method" => "POST",
    "header" => implode("\r\n", [
        "Content-Type: application/json",
        "Content-Type: application/json"
    ]),
    "content" => json_encode({"text":"Hello from the Telegram Bot API!","chat_id":"CHAT_ID"}),
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));

Postman Setup Guide

Get Postman ↗

Open Telegram and message @BotFather
Send /newbot and follow prompts to get your token
Token is embedded in the URL: /botYOUR_TOKEN/method
Get your chat ID: message your bot, then GET /getUpdates to see the chat_id
Webhook or polling (getUpdates) for receiving messages

What can you build with Telegram Bot API?

Telegram Bot API is a Communication API. Developers commonly use communication APIs for:

sending SMS alerts and notifications
building in-app chat and messaging features
automating email sequences and transactional emails
creating voice bots and IVR systems
verifying phone numbers at signup

API Key authentication. You'll receive a key after signing up. Send it with every request — in a header or query parameter. Keep it out of client-side code and never commit it to version control. Telegram Bot API is free to use, making it a low-risk choice to experiment with.

New to APIs? Read our beginner's guide

Open documentation ↗