Connect Telegram to PishDast

Connect a Telegram bot to receive and manage customer messages directly in PishDast.

How It Works

PishDast connects to Telegram through a bot. When customers message your bot, you'll see their messages in your PishDast inbox and can reply from there.

Prerequisites

You'll need:

• A Telegram account
• Access to @BotFather on Telegram

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create a Bot with BotFather

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a chat and send /newbot
3. Follow the prompts:
   • Enter a name for your bot (e.g., "My Shop Support")
   • Enter a username ending in bot (e.g., myshop_support_bot)
4. BotFather will give you an API Token - copy this!

Step 2: Add Bot Token to PishDast

1. Go to your PishDast dashboard
2. Navigate to Settings > Channels
3. Click Connect Telegram
4. Paste your bot token
5. Click Connect

Step 3: Verify Connection

Once connected, you'll see:

• Bot username and name
• Connection status: Active
• Webhook URL (automatically configured)

Step 4: Test Your Bot

1. Find your bot on Telegram (search for its username)
2. Send it a message
3. Check your PishDast inbox - the message should appear!

Customizing Your Bot

Set Bot Profile Picture

1. Message @BotFather
2. Send /setuserpic
3. Select your bot
4. Send the image you want to use

Set Bot Description

1. Message @BotFather
2. Send /setdescription
3. Select your bot
4. Enter the description users see when they start chatting

Set Bot Commands

1. Message @BotFather
2. Send /setcommands
3. Select your bot
4. Add commands like:

   start - Start conversation
   help - Get help
   catalog - View products
   

Advanced Features

Multiple Bots

You can connect multiple Telegram bots to the same workspace - useful if you have different bots for different purposes.

Bot Groups

PishDast can also receive messages from groups where your bot is a member. Enable "Group Privacy Mode" in BotFather if needed.

Troubleshooting

"Invalid token"

• Make sure you copied the full token from BotFather
• Tokens look like: 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz

Messages not appearing

1. Check that the bot is connected in Settings > Channels
2. Verify webhook status is "Active"
3. Make sure the bot hasn't been blocked or deleted

"Bot already in use"

Each bot can only be connected to one PishDast workspace. Create a new bot with BotFather if needed.

What's Next?

With Telegram connected:

• Create automations for auto-replies
• Set up Quick Replies for common responses
• Manage all messages in your unified Inbox