What is the method to retrieve chat names that a Telegram bot belongs to using the Bot API?

Other Questions Telegram bot
1

Developing a Node.js Telegram bot. How do I use the Bot API to gather all chat names the bot belongs to? Revised sample code provided below:

const fetch = require('node-fetch');

const BOT_KEY = process.env.BOT_KEY;
const API_URL = `https://api.telegram.org/bot${BOT_KEY}`;

async function obtainUpdates() {
  try {
    const res = await fetch(`${API_URL}/getUpdates`);
    return await res.json();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
    throw error;
  }
}

async function obtainChatData(chatIdentifier) {
  try {
    const result = await fetch(`${API_URL}/getChat?chat_id=${chatIdentifier}`);
    return await result.json();
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err);
    throw err;
  }
}

module.exports = { obtainUpdates, obtainChatData };
2

The Bot API doesn’t offer a direct method to obtain a list of all chats the bot is a member of. In my experience, you only get the chat information from the updates that your bot receives when users interact with it. This means that if your implementation only records updates from active interactions, you won’t see a complete list of chats unless you store them yourself. A better approach might be to maintain a database of unique chat IDs you receive as updates and then query additional details for each using getChat when needed.

3

While it might seem straightforward, there is no direct Bot API method to extract all chat names a bot belongs to. This stems from how the API works: you only receive data for chats that have initiated an interaction with your bot, which means you’ll have access to their IDs. In my experience, the best solution is to implement a system that logs every new chat the bot interacts with. Later on, you can use getChat for those stored IDs to retrieve detailed information, such as chat names, ensuring you have a consistent record.

4

Drawing from practical experience, retrieving chat names via the Bot API necessitates a proactive, custom solution. The API itself does not offer an endpoint to list all chats, so it becomes essential to design the bot to log chat IDs as interactions occur. Capturing these IDs during updates can then allow subsequent use of the getChat method to acquire relevant details like chat names. This approach requires setting up a persistent store and carefully handling updates, particularly in situations where the bot might be inactive for long periods. In my work, this strategy has proven effective despite its manual nature.