How to Get a Telegram Bot Token

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather — this is Telegram's official bot for creating and managing bots. You'll recognize it by the blue verification checkmark next to its name.

Don't confuse with other bots: There are many bot-related accounts on Telegram. Make sure you select the official one with the blue checkmark. Start the conversation by clicking Start.

Why BotFather? BotFather is the only way to generate legitimate bot tokens. Any bot token from third-party tools or generators is fraudulent and won't work with the official Telegram API.

If you can't find @BotFather, try searching in the global search (not just your contacts) and ensure you have a stable internet connection. The official username is simply @BotFather with no spaces or variations.

Send the command /newbot to BotFather. BotFather will guide you through creating your bot with two required fields:

Display name: This is the name customers will see in chat (e.g., "Acme Support Bot" or "My Company Assistant"). You can use spaces, emoji, and special characters. Pick something that represents your brand clearly since this is what your customers will identify.

Username: This must be unique across all of Telegram and must end in _bot (e.g., acme_support_bot or mycompany_helper_bot). If your chosen username is taken, BotFather will tell you to try another. Try adding your city, year, or numbers if needed.

Tip: Keep the username professional and memorable. Avoid overly long usernames since customers may need to message your bot directly in some cases.

After you submit both fields, BotFather will confirm your bot was created and send you your bot token.

After creating your bot, BotFather will send you a message containing your HTTP API token. This token authenticates your bot with Telegram's servers and is required for Converge to send and receive messages on your bot's behalf.

Your token will look something like this:

123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ

The format is always: [bot_id]:[api_key]. The first number is your bot's unique ID, and the long string after the colon is your API key.

Copy this token immediately and save it securely. Telegram will only show it once for security reasons. If you lose it, you'll need to revoke it and generate a new one.

Security best practices:

• Treat your bot token like a password — anyone with this token can control your bot
• Don't share it in public repositories, chat logs, or screenshots
• Store it securely in your password manager or encrypted storage
• Rotate it periodically if you suspect it's been compromised

What if you lost your token? Go back to BotFather, select your bot from /mybots, and choose Revoke Token. You can then generate a new token to update in Converge.

In Converge, go to Settings → Platforms → Telegram. Paste your bot token into the token field and click Connect.

Converge will verify the token with Telegram's servers. If successful, your Telegram bot will be linked to your inbox and you'll start receiving messages from Telegram in your unified view.

Verification: Send a test message to your Telegram bot. It should appear in your Converge inbox within seconds. You can reply directly from Converge without switching to the Telegram app.

Common connection issues:

• Invalid token error: Double-check you copied the entire token including the colon. No extra spaces or characters.
• Bot not receiving messages: Make sure your bot is not disabled in BotFather. Also, verify you haven't accidentally blocked the bot in Telegram.
• Webhook errors: Converge automatically sets up webhooks for you. If webhook delivery fails, check that your token is still valid in BotFather.

Once connected, you can manage Telegram conversations alongside WhatsApp, Messenger, and all other channels — all from one unified inbox.