How to Use Telegram Bots in Channels

Use bots in channels for scheduled publishing, adding buttons to posts, moderation helpers, and connecting a channel to another system. Bots can participate in channels only as admins.

Request channel admin rights

Just like in groups, channel admins can choose specific admin rights for bots. If you require specific features, change the default selection in BotFather.

Add buttons by editing posts

One common use case is adding buttons to channel posts: likes, links, and other interactive elements. This was especially popular before message reactions were introduced.

This works by using the “Edit messages of others” admin right, which allows bots to add buttons when editing messages. Here's an example:

@bot.channel_message
async def on_new_message(message: Message):
    try:
        await message.edit(
            buttons=[
                [Button.url("Visit Site", "https://example.com")]
            ]
        )
    except (ChatAdminRequiredError, MessageIdInvalidError, InlineBotRequiredError):
        # Bot is not an admin, or the message can't be edited (e.g., a sticker)
        pass

Store direct-message topic IDs

Store direct-message topic IDs if your bot helps answer a channel inbox. Channels can enable direct messages, letting subscribers privately contact channel owners and admins without exposing the owner's personal account.

In Bot API, these conversations are represented as a special direct messages chat with topics. When sending into such a chat, the bot may need to specify the direct messages topic ID so the answer goes to the right subscriber thread.

Bots that help manage a channel inbox should store the channel, direct messages chat, and topic identifiers they receive in updates.

Review suggested and paid posts carefully

Review suggested posts before approving them. Subscribers can suggest posts to a channel through channel direct messages. Suggested posts can include a proposed publishing time and may include payment in Stars or Toncoin.

Bots with the right admin permissions can approve or decline suggested posts. If a post is paid, Telegram marks it in Bot API. Do not delete paid posts during the required 24-hour period if the channel owner expects to receive the payment.