I’m trying to set up a Telegram bot using a Python library. I’ve got it working on my computer, but now I need to find a way to keep it running all the time. What’s the simplest and fastest option to get it hosted on the internet so it’s always available?
Here’s what I’ve found so far:
The easiest solution for me has been using a cloud platform:
Upload the bot script
Install required packages through the command line
Start the script using Python
Done!
Is there a better or more efficient way to do this? I’m open to other suggestions that might be easier or more reliable. Thanks for any help!
I’ve had great success using PythonAnywhere for hosting Telegram bots. It’s incredibly user-friendly, especially if you’re already comfortable with Python. You can simply upload your script, set up a virtual environment if needed, and use their ‘Always-on tasks’ feature to keep your bot running continuously. The free tier is quite generous for personal projects.
One tip from my experience: make sure to handle exceptions properly in your code to prevent unexpected crashes. Also, consider implementing a logging system so you can troubleshoot issues more easily when your bot is running remotely. This has saved me countless hours of debugging in the long run.
If you’re looking for something more scalable in the future, AWS Lambda with API Gateway could be an option, but that’s a bit more complex to set up initially.
hey, have you considered using heroku? it’s pretty straightforward for hosting bots. just push ur code to github, connect it to heroku, and set up a worker dyno. it’s free for small projects and stays online 24/7. might be worth checkin out if u want something simple!
Have you looked into using Google Cloud Functions? It’s a serverless option that works well for Telegram bots. You just upload your code, set the entry point, and it handles scaling automatically. The free tier is generous for small projects.
One advantage is you only pay for actual compute time used, which can be cost-effective. The setup is straightforward - connect to your Google account, enable the necessary APIs, and deploy your function. You’ll need to set up a webhook for your bot to receive updates.
Make sure to handle rate limiting properly in your code to avoid issues with Telegram’s API. Also, consider using environment variables for sensitive info like your bot token. This approach has worked reliably for me on several bot projects.