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Using the Wildcard (*) Command

No matter how many keyboards, buttons, and help menus you build, users will still send unexpected messages like hello, who are you?, or typos like /sttart.

By default, sending an unknown command results in the bot ignoring it or showing a raw system message. The wildcard command (*) acts as a safety net to catch any messages that don't match your existing commands.

How the Wildcard Works

The * command is a catch-all trigger.

  1. A user sends a message.
  2. TBL searches all your defined commands and aliases.
  3. If no command or alias matches, TBL runs your * command.

Step 1: Create the Wildcard Command

Let's build a polite "I didn't get that" responder:

  1. Open your bot dashboard and click Add Command.
  2. Command: Type * (just a single asterisk).
  3. Answer: Type your fallback response: 
    Hmm, I didn't quite catch that. 🤔 
Type /start or use the buttons below to navigate!
  4. Keyboard: (Optional) Add your main menu buttons (e.g. Help, About) to help them get back on track.
  5. Click Save Command.

Step 2: Test It!

  1. Open Telegram and message your bot.
  2. Send a valid command, like /start. Your /start greeting should run normally.
  3. Now send something completely random, like hello bot!.
  4. Your bot will execute the * command and reply: "Hmm, I didn't quite catch that..." along with your menu buttons.

Best Practices for Wildcards

  • Don't put core features in *: The wildcard is meant as a friendly safety net or a router. Don't write your main bot logic here. Keep that in specific, named commands.
  • Give clear navigation: When the wildcard triggers, always tell the user how to get back to the main menu (like suggesting /start or showing reply keyboard buttons).
  • Case Sensitivity Safety: If you want to catch simple words like help without aliases, * will catch them. You can use JavaScript if conditions in the * command's Logic to inspect the input text (using the global message variable) and route it accordingly.

Congratulations!

You have completed the TBL Hands-on Tutorial Series. You now know how to:

  1. Create commands and static responses.
  2. Build reply menus.
  3. Map multiple buttons to single commands using Aliases.
  4. Capture user text input step-by-step.
  5. Build inline buttons and callback handlers.
  6. Catch unknown messages with a wildcard handler.

To understand how these pieces execute in sequence, check out the Concept Guides:

➔ Execution Flow