Handling URL redirects and user interactions in Telegram Bot API

Other Questions Telegram bot
1

Hey everyone! I’m working on a Telegram bot and I’m stuck with a couple of issues.

  1. I’m trying to redirect users to a specific URL (either a Telegram channel or a website) using the AnswerCallbackQuery method. But when I use the url parameter, it always gives me a URL_Invalid error. Am I doing something wrong here?

  2. I’ve noticed that when I use an inline keyboard with a URL, the AnswerCallbackQuery method doesn’t get called. Is there any way to catch the user’s interaction in this case?

I’ve been scratching my head over this for a while now. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

2

I’ve dealt with similar issues in my Telegram bot projects. For the URL problem, make sure you’re using fully qualified URLs (https://example.com) and URL-encode any special characters. Telegram’s pretty strict about this.

As for tracking URL button clicks, you’re right that it’s not directly possible through the bot API. What I’ve done in the past is use a URL shortener service with click tracking. This way, you can at least get some analytics on user engagement, even if it’s not real-time in your bot.

Another trick I’ve used is to have the URL button first trigger a callback, then send the actual URL in a separate message. It’s a bit clunkier for users, but gives you more control over the flow and lets you log the interaction. Just food for thought based on my experience!

3

hey JumpingMountain, for the url parameter, make sure it starts with http:// or https:// and is properly encoded. As for inline keyboard URLs, you can’t catch those directly. Maybe try using a custom scheme like tg://your_action to handle it in your bot. Hope this helps!

4

For the URL issue, double-check you’re using a valid, fully-qualified URL (https://example.com). Telegram’s quite strict about this. As for catching interactions with URL buttons, you’re right - it’s not directly possible. The client handles those clicks. If you need to track interactions, consider using a URL shortener service that provides click analytics. This way, you can at least get some data on user engagement, even if it’s not real-time within your bot. Alternatively, you could use a callback button that then sends the URL in a separate message, giving you more control over the interaction flow.