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Special Commands

Most commands wait for a user to type something. A few reserved names run on their own — before, after, or instead of normal matching. Think of them as hooks wired into every update.

You still create them like any other command in the editor. The difference is when they fire.

/start — the front door

The first thing most users do: tap Start or send /start.
Trigger User clicks Start or sends /start
Typical use Welcome message, main menu, first-run setup

It's not magic — just a normal command name that Telegram and users expect. Your welcome text goes in Answer; menus and logic go in Keyboard and Logic.

Tutorial: Your First Bot.

@ — runs before everything

The @ command runs automatically before any other matched command on every update.
Answer sent? No
Logic runs? Yes
Typical use Auth checks, rate limits, loading shared config

It skips Answer and keyboard side effects — pure setup logic. If @ throws, the matched command may not run. Use it for lightweight checks, not heavy API calls that slow every message.

! — the error catcher

When any command's Logic throws a runtime error, the ! command runs.
Answer sent? Yes (if configured)
Logic runs? Yes
Typical use Friendly fallback message, error logging, alerting you

Without !, users might see a generic platform error. With it, you control the apology:

// ! command Logic
Bot.sendMessage("Oops — something broke. Try /start to reset.")

@@ — runs after everything

The @@ command runs after every command finishes — success or failure.
Answer sent? No
Logic runs? Yes
Typical use Analytics, metrics, cleanup

Like @, it skips automatic Answer sends. Good for "increment message counter" or "log command name" without spamming the user.

* — the catch-all

When no other command matches the incoming text, * runs.
Answer sent? Yes (if configured)
Logic runs? Yes
Typical use "I didn't understand that", help hints, default reply

It's a safety net, not a primary feature. Put real logic in named commands; use * for graceful "huh?" responses.

Guide: Using the Wildcard.

How they fit together

One update, one matched command — but the wrappers always run:

@  →  matched command (or *)  →  ! (on error)  →  @@

Full pipeline diagram: Execution Flow.

See also