Telegram bot fails to detect slash commands from other bots in group chat

[SoaringEagle]

I’m working with two Telegram bots in the same group and having trouble with command recognition. Bot X responds to /email commands in the group and provides relevant information. When I type /email [email protected] from my personal account, everything works great.

Now I want Bot Y to trigger Bot X by sending the same command. Bot Y uses bot.send_message(chat_id=group_id, text="/email [email protected]") and the message shows up in the group correctly.

The problem is that Bot X doesn’t react to these commands when they come from Bot Y. It only works with human users.

Is there a special configuration needed for bots to recognize commands from other bots? Are there privacy settings that block bot-to-bot interactions? I’ve checked various settings but can’t find what’s preventing this from working.

Using python-telegram-bot library for Bot Y implementation.

[Mike71]

botfather’s privacy mode is the issue. had the same problem last month - disabled privacy mode and it worked right away. just a heads up, your bot will receive all messages after that change, not just commands.

[Samuel87]

Yeah, this is a classic Telegram bot limitation. Privacy mode in BotFather decides if your bot can see messages from other bots in groups. I ran into this exact problem - fixed it by disabling privacy mode with the /setprivacy command through @BotFather. Just heads up though - once you turn off privacy mode, your bot gets flooded with every message in the group. That’s a lot more data to process. I had to beef up my filtering logic to ignore the junk and only handle the commands I actually cared about. Make sure your bot can handle that extra load.

[John_Clever]

The Problem:

You’re experiencing an issue where Bot X, designed to respond to /email commands, fails to react to these commands when sent by Bot Y. Bot Y correctly sends the /email command to the group, but Bot X only responds to commands originating from human users. You suspect this might be due to a special configuration needed for bot-to-bot command recognition or privacy settings blocking bot-to-bot interactions within Telegram. You’re using the python-telegram-bot library for Bot Y’s implementation.

Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):

Telegram, by default, implements privacy measures to prevent bots from receiving messages from other bots within group chats. This is a security feature designed to mitigate spam and unauthorized bot interactions. Your Bot X is not receiving the /email command from Bot Y because of this inherent Telegram privacy setting.

Step-by-Step Guide:

Step 1: Access BotFather. Open Telegram and find the BotFather bot (@BotFather).

Step 2: Select Your Bot. Use the /mybots command in BotFather to list your bots. Select Bot X using the appropriate command (e.g., /setprivacy <bot_username>).

Step 3: Disable Privacy Mode. In the BotFather menu for Bot X, you’ll find options to manage privacy settings. Use the command to disable privacy mode. This will allow Bot X to receive messages from other bots within groups.

Step 4: Verify the Change. After disabling privacy mode, send a test /email command from Bot Y to the group. Bot X should now respond as expected.

Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:

• Increased Message Volume: Disabling privacy mode means Bot X will receive all messages in the group, not just commands. This significantly increases the load on Bot X. Ensure your Bot X’s code efficiently filters messages and handles only the commands intended for it. You might need to add more robust message filtering to your Bot X’s code.
• BotFather Commands: Double-check you’re using the correct BotFather commands and selecting the right bot. Incorrect commands or bot selections will not change the privacy settings.
• Telegram API Limits: Monitor your Bot X’s performance after disabling privacy mode. If the group is very active, your bot might hit Telegram’s API rate limits. Implement throttling or other rate limiting strategies if necessary.

Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!