I’m trying to figure out how to make my Telegram bot greet users with a default message when they first open a chat with it. You know, like how some bots show an intro or a list of what they can do right away? I don’t want to wait for the user to send a message first. I want my bot to be proactive and say hello as soon as someone starts chatting with it. Is there a way to set this up? I’ve seen other bots do it, but I’m not sure how to implement it for mine. Any help or pointers would be awesome!
hey there! for a welcome msg, you can use the /start command. it triggers automatically when someone first chats with ur bot. just make a function to handle it and send ur greeting. keep it short n sweet tho, maybe mention what ur bot does and a couple main commands. good luck!
To set up a welcome message for your Telegram bot, you’ll want to implement a /start command handler. This is automatically triggered when a user first interacts with your bot.
In your bot’s code, create a function to handle the /start command. Within this function, define your welcome message and use the appropriate method (like bot.send_message() in python-telegram-bot) to send it.
Make sure your message is informative but concise. Include a brief intro about what your bot does and maybe 2-3 key commands to get users started.
Remember to test thoroughly. Sometimes small tweaks to wording or formatting can significantly improve user engagement.
I’ve implemented welcome messages for several Telegram bots, and here’s what I’ve found works best:
Use the /start command handler as others mentioned, but also consider adding a brief delay (1-2 seconds) before sending the welcome message. This creates a more natural interaction.
In terms of content, I’ve had success with a short, friendly greeting followed by 2-3 bullet points highlighting key features. End with a call-to-action like ‘Type /help to see all commands’.
One thing to watch out for - make sure your welcome message doesn’t get too long. Users tend to engage more when the initial message is concise and easy to digest.
Lastly, consider adding some basic error handling. Sometimes the welcome message fails to send on the first try, so having a backup plan can improve reliability.