Issue with Sending Media Group via Telegram Bot

I’m encountering an error when attempting to send a video along with its thumbnail. The error message I receive states: Cannot parse input media: media not found. I’m currently using Python version 3.11.6 and python-telegram-bot version 20.7. Here is the code I utilized for this process:

video_file = InputFile(video_file_path)
thumbnail_file = InputFile(thumbnail_file_path) if thumbnail_file_path else None
print(thumbnail_file_path)
media_item = InputMediaVideo(media=video_file, thumbnail=thumbnail_file)
print("Step 1")
await bot.send_media_group(chat_id=group_chat_id, media=[media_item])
print("Step 2")

I’ve confirmed that the video and thumbnail paths are accurate, and I receive “Step 1” as output.

Based on my experience, the issue might not be with the file paths but rather how the media is being uploaded or accessed before sending. Ensure that the video and thumbnail files are not currently open by any program (since sometimes open handles can prevent files from being accessible) and confirm they actually exist and are readable right before executing the bot command. Also, double-check if the bot has sufficient permissions to access these file locations in your operating environment.

In similar situations, I faced issues with file modes and bot permissions. Try ensuring that the files are opened in the correct mode. Additionally, remember that when dealing with async functions, paths could potentially resolve differently if the working directory changes. Verify that you’re executing the script from the correct base directory and that the paths are not relative to a different directory. Sometimes, absolute paths can help avoid these issues if you’re dealing with async operations.

When attempting to send media through a bot, consider checking the format and size of the video and thumbnail. Telegram has specific restrictions on these aspects, which can lead to errors if not met. Ensure that the thumbnail meets the required resolution and size by Telegram. Additionally, errors could arise from using certain libraries with incorrect configurations, such as missing dependencies or compatibility issues with the Python version you are using. Testing the code with smaller media files might sometimes help in identifying if file size is the problem.