Telegram runs about two dozen official bots: @BotFather creates bots, @Stickers manages sticker packs, @PremiumBot sells Premium at a discount, @SpamBot handles account limits, @VerifyBot handles verification, @QuizBot builds quizzes, and inline bots such as @gif, @vid, @pic and @wiki search the web from any chat. Telegram's FAQ says it makes only a few bots for specific purposes — almost every other bot, including ours, is made by third-party developers. Each bot below links to the Telegram page that says it is Telegram's.
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On this page
Account, safety and Premium
| Bot | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| @BotFather | Creates new bots and manages existing ones: name, picture, commands, token | [2] |
| @PremiumBot | Buys Telegram Premium or gifts it, cheaper than through the app stores; also sells Stars | [3] [4] |
| @SpamBot | Checks whether your account is limited for spam and lets you appeal | [5] |
| @VerifyBot | Applies for the verification checkmark for a channel, group or bot | [6] |
| @SearchReport | Reports search terms used to find illegal content | [7] |
| @jobs_bot | Lists jobs at Telegram and accepts applications | [8] |
A checkmark does not mean a bot was made by Telegram: it means the bot belongs to the brand it names. Some of Telegram's own bots, such as @gif, have no checkmark, and many third-party bots have one.
Stickers
Inline search bots (type the name in any chat)
| Bot | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| @gif | GIF search | [1] [10] |
| @vid | YouTube video search | [10] |
| @pic | Yandex image search | [10] |
| @bing | Bing image search | [10] |
| @wiki | Wikipedia search | [10] |
| @imdb | IMDb movie search | [10] |
| @bold | Bold, italic or monospace text | [10] |
| @music | Classical music search | [11] |
| @foursquare | Addresses of places and venues nearby | [11] |
Type the bot's name and a query in the message field of any chat, then tap a result. The query you type goes to that bot, and Telegram warns you about this the first time you use an inline bot.
Quizzes, games and publishing
| Bot | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| @QuizBot | Builds multi-question quizzes with a leaderboard to share | [12] |
| @GameBot | Demo of Telegram's gaming platform with sample games | [13] |
| @telegraph | Logs in to Telegra.ph, manages your articles and shows view statistics | [14] |
| @previews | Feedback about Instant View pages | [15] |
| @DiscussBot | Adds a comments button under channel posts (an early demo; channels now have built-in comments) | [16] |
Demos and tools for bot developers
Not official: HandyBots
Our bots are made by HandyBots, an independent team — not by Telegram. They are free within daily limits and do everyday jobs that Telegram's own bots don't:
- @MakeVideoNoteBot: turns any video into a round video note, MP3 or GIF. Open in Telegram: @MakeVideoNoteBot
- @StickerMakerFromPhotoBot: makes stickers and video stickers from photos and videos, with the background removed. Open in Telegram: @StickerMakerFromPhotoBot
- @TranscribeVoiceBot: turns voice messages and round videos into text, also in groups. Open in Telegram: @TranscribeVoiceBot
- @BgRemoverPhotoBot: removes the background from a photo and returns a transparent PNG. Open in Telegram: @BgRemoverPhotoBot
- @PhotoToPdfMakerBot: turns photos and Office documents into PDF. Open in Telegram: @PhotoToPdfMakerBot
Frequently asked questions
Are Telegram bots made by Telegram?
Mostly no. Telegram's FAQ says it has some official bots for specific purposes, like @gif or @Stickers, but bots are usually made by third-party developers using the Bot API.
How can I tell if a bot is official?
Check whether telegram.org or core.telegram.org names it — this page links each bot to such a page. A short name without the word “bot” is a hint: ordinary bot usernames must end in “bot”, and only a few of Telegram's own, like @gif or @wiki, don't.
Does the blue checkmark mean the bot is made by Telegram?
No. Telegram says the checkmark means the bot is the official one of the brand it names and its verification application was approved; it is not an endorsement and not a sign that Telegram made it.
Where do I report a scam bot or an impersonator?
Report the message from its menu (hold it on iOS, tap it on Android, right-click on desktop) and choose Report. If someone pretends to be you, contact @NoToScam.
Can a bot ask me for my Telegram login code?
Never share it. Telegram sends login codes only to the service chat named “Telegram” in your chat list, and the code must not be given to anyone, including bots.
Sources
- Telegram FAQ — Are bots made by Telegram? — https://telegram.org/faq#q-are-bots-made-by-telegram
- Telegram Bot Features — BotFather — https://core.telegram.org/bots/features#botfather
- Client configuration — premium_bot_username — https://core.telegram.org/api/config#premium-bot-username
- Telegram Spam FAQ — https://telegram.org/faq_spam
- Telegram Verification — https://telegram.org/verify
- Telegram Safety — How to report content — https://telegram.org/safety#how-to-report-content
- Jobs at Telegram — https://telegram.org/jobs
- Telegram Stickers — Stickers mini app — https://core.telegram.org/stickers#stickers-mini-app
- Telegram blog — Inline bots — https://telegram.org/blog/inline-bots
- Telegram blog — Bots 2.0 — https://telegram.org/blog/bots-2-0
- Telegram blog — Polls 2.0 and Quiz Bot — https://telegram.org/blog/polls-2-0-vmq#bot-api-and-quiz-bot
- Telegram blog — Gaming platform — https://telegram.org/blog/games#easy-to-build
- Telegram blog — Telegraph — https://telegram.org/blog/telegraph#better-with-bots
- Telegram blog — Instant View — https://telegram.org/blog/instant-view
- Telegram blog — Discussions and web bots — https://telegram.org/blog/privacy-discussions-web-bots#meet-seamless-web-bots
- Telegram Mini Apps — https://core.telegram.org/bots/webapps
- Telegram blog — Payments — https://telegram.org/blog/payments#check-it-out-now
- Marvin's Marvellous Guide to All Things Webhook — https://core.telegram.org/bots/webhooks#more-information
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