Your First Bot¶

Let's get something working on Telegram in the next few minutes. No JavaScript logic, no databases, no complex structures—just a bot that says hello when someone sends /start.

Spoiler: If you can fill in two fields in a dashboard and click "Save", you can build a bot. That is literally all we are doing here!

Step 1: Open the Command Editor¶

First, navigate to your bot project in the dashboard:

1. Open the TeleBotHost Console.
2. Click on your bot from the dashboard list.
3. Open the Commands tab.
4. Click Add Command.

Step 2: Fill in the Fields¶

You will see a form with several fields. For now, we only care about two:

1. Command: Type /start (This is the message users send when they first interact with your bot).
2. Answer: Type your greeting message, for example:

   Hello there! 👋 Welcome to my first bot.
   

Click Save Command at the bottom of the form.

Step 3: Turn It On!¶

Before testing, make sure your bot is online:

1. Look at the top right of your bot's management panel.
2. If it says Offline, click the Launch Bot button.
3. Wait a second until the status indicator turns green (Online).

Step 4: Test Your Bot!¶

Let's see it in action:

1. Open Telegram on your phone or computer.
2. Search for your bot's username (the one you set up with @BotFather).
3. Open the chat and click the Start button at the bottom (or type /start manually and send it).
4. Boom! Your bot will reply instantly with your greeting.

🎉 You are officially a bot creator!

How does this work under the hood?¶

When someone sends /start to your bot:

1. Telegram sends the message data (called an update) to TeleBotHost.
2. TeleBotHost searches your command list, finds the /start command, and immediately sends the text in your Answer field back to the chat.
3. The flow ends. Simple and fast!

What's Next?¶

Tapping buttons is way cooler than typing commands. In the next step, we'll add reply buttons below the chat input!

➔ Adding a Keyboard