How Can I Add a /start Command to My Python Telegram Bot?

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1

I’m developing a Python Telegram Bot that monitors Bitcoin prices by fetching data from the CoinMarketCap API. The current script periodically retrieves BTC pricing and sends notifications when the price falls below a preset limit. However, I haven’t implemented a /start command yet, which prevents the bot from being activated properly within a Telegram group chat. I’m looking for assistance on how to integrate a /start command into the bot so that users can initialize it. Below is my revised code snippet for reference:

import requests
from telegram.ext import Updater, CommandHandler

COIN_API_TOKEN = 'your_coin_api_token'
TELEGRAM_BOT_KEY = 'your_telegram_bot_key'
PRICE_THRESHOLD = 30000


def retrieve_bitcoin_value():
    api_url = 'https://pro-api.coinmarketcap.com/v1/cryptocurrency/listings/latest'
    hdrs = {
        'Accept': 'application/json',
        'X-CMC_PRO_API_KEY': COIN_API_TOKEN
    }
    resp = requests.get(api_url, headers=hdrs)
    json_data = resp.json()
    btc_value = json_data['data'][0]['quote']['USD']['price']
    return btc_value


def activate_bot(update, context):
    update.message.reply_text('Bot activated! Now tracking BTC price...')
    current_value = retrieve_bitcoin_value()
    if current_value < PRICE_THRESHOLD:
        update.message.reply_text(f'Warning: BTC has dropped to {current_value} USD.')


def run_bot():
    updater = Updater(TELEGRAM_BOT_KEY, use_context=True)
    dispatcher = updater.dispatcher
    dispatcher.add_handler(CommandHandler('start', activate_bot))
    updater.start_polling()
    updater.idle()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    run_bot()
2

hey, try inserting a small delay, cuz sometimes rapid API calls mess things up. also check if your token’s all good. small typos in your cmd syntax can do wonders as well. give it a go

3

A thorough approach I’ve found effective was to separate the initialization of background activities from the response to the /start command. Instead of running the BTC price check immediately after replying, you can initialize a separate thread or use a job queue which periodically checks the prices. This not only improves readability but also ensures the bot remains responsive to new commands. It’s important to make sure that API responses are validated to handle any errors gracefully during background operations.

4

I experimented with integrating the /start command into my bot by ensuring that the initialization and user feedback are handled separately. In my experience, a robust approach is to use the command handler just to set user expectations while offloading the heavy lifting to background tasks. This way, the bot remains responsive and users don’t experience delays. Also, adding logging helps to debug issues when the API isn’t returning expected results. Validating API responses and handling exceptions gracefully has proven effective in maintaining stability when the bot tracks real-time BTC prices in group chats.