Evaluating getUpdates Versus setWebhook in Telegram Bot API

I’ve been building a Telegram bot using a C# framework and I’m trying to decide between two methods provided by the Telegram Bot API. Specifically, I want to know whether the getUpdates approach or the setWebhook strategy is more efficient and responsive. In my project, reliability and speed are crucial, so I am curious about the performance differences and overall effectiveness of these methods. Any comparisons, benchmarks, or real-world experiences using C# implementations would be greatly appreciated.

In my experience working on a C# project with high load scenarios, transitioning to setWebhook when moving to production added noticeable performance benefits. Although getUpdates is simple to implement in the early stages and useful for testing, I began to encounter challenges with message delays as the volume increased. The initial configuration for setWebhook required careful environment setup, such as ensuring correct SSL support, but once it was in place, the responsiveness and load balancing were significantly improved. Performance monitoring remains essential regardless of the method chosen.

I worked on a similar project using C# where I implemented both methods at different stages of development. In my case, the webhook setup provided a better performance profile in production because it delivers messages immediately without the polling delay seen in getUpdates. During development, getUpdates was easier to use as it required less initial configuration; however, when scaling up for a production environment, the webhook method improved overall efficiency and response times significantly. Setting up SSL did introduce additional complexity, but it was well worth the investment.

i found setwebhook outperformed getupdates in production. it may be tricky to set up ssl certs, but the drop in latency makes it worth it. getupdates was ok for early dev, but for real-time responese, webhook is the way to go.

I have experimented with both methods in different C# projects. My experience with getUpdates in the early development phase was positive because it allowed me to handle updates without the overhead of SSL certificate management. However, during production deployments where speed and reliability are critical, I found that setting up the webhook system significantly reduced latency. While the configuration process was less straightforward and sometimes required troubleshooting with certificate validation, the performance improvements in dealing with high volumes of messages made it a more attractive option in a production context.

In my personal experience working on a C# project that required real-time updates, the setWebhook approach ultimately proved to be a more robust solution for production, despite the extra setup work involved. I initially started with getUpdates for quick testing and prototyping. However, as the volume of messages increased, the latency involved in polling became a limiting factor. Transitioning to a properly configured webhook with SSL support resulted in more immediate processing and better scalability, making it the preferable choice for critical environments.