Why isn't my custom keyboard showing up in my Telegram bot?

Other Questions Telegram bot
1

I’m having trouble with my Telegram bot. I want to show a custom keyboard to users when they get a message. But it’s not working and I can’t figure out why.

Here’s what I’ve tried:

String apiUrl = "https://api.telegram.org/botMY_SECRET_TOKEN/sendMessage";
String payload = "{\"chat_id\":123456789,\"text\":\"Choose an option:\",\"reply_markup\":{\"keyboard\":[[\"Option A\",\"Option B\"],[\"Option C\",\"Option D\"]],\"one_time_keyboard\":true}}";

URL endpoint = new URL(apiUrl);
HttpURLConnection connection = (HttpURLConnection) endpoint.openConnection();
connection.setRequestMethod("POST");
connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
connection.setDoOutput(true);

try (OutputStream out = connection.getOutputStream()) {
    byte[] input = payload.getBytes("utf-8");
    out.write(input, 0, input.length);
}

try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(connection.getInputStream(), "utf-8"))) {
    StringBuilder response = new StringBuilder();
    String line;
    while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
        response.append(line.trim());
    }
    System.out.println(response.toString());
}

I think the problem might be in how I’m formatting the reply_markup part of the JSON. Can anyone spot what I’m doing wrong or suggest a fix?

2

I’ve dealt with this exact issue before, and it can be frustrating. One thing that’s not immediately obvious is that Telegram’s API is quite particular about the format of the JSON it receives. Even a small error can cause the keyboard to fail silently.

Instead of constructing the JSON manually, I’d suggest using a dedicated HTTP client library like OkHttp along with a JSON library. This combination has worked wonders for me in the past.

Also, make sure you’re testing with a real chat_id. The one in your example (123456789) looks like a placeholder. If you’re not using a real chat_id, the API might accept your request but not actually send anything.

Lastly, don’t forget to check Telegram’s API response. It usually provides helpful error messages if something’s wrong. Parse the response JSON and look for the ‘ok’ field - if it’s false, there should be an error description that can point you in the right direction.

3

I had a similar issue when implementing custom keyboards in my Telegram bot. The problem might be in how you’re constructing the JSON payload. Instead of manually creating the JSON string, I’d recommend using a JSON library like Gson or Jackson. This approach is less error-prone and easier to maintain.

Here’s a snippet that worked for me using Gson:

Gson gson = new Gson();
Map<String, Object> payload = new HashMap<>();
payload.put("chat_id", 123456789);
payload.put("text", "Choose an option:");

Map<String, Object> replyMarkup = new HashMap<>();
replyMarkup.put("keyboard", Arrays.asList(
    Arrays.asList("Option A", "Option B"),
    Arrays.asList("Option C", "Option D")
));
replyMarkup.put("one_time_keyboard", true);

payload.put("reply_markup", replyMarkup);

String jsonPayload = gson.toJson(payload);

This approach ensures your JSON is properly formatted. Also, double-check that your bot token is correct and that you have the necessary permissions to send messages with custom keyboards.

4

hey mate, have u tried using a JSON library like jackson? i had similar issues and it helped me out. also, double check ur bot token is correct and u have the right permissions. sometimes telegram can be picky about that stuff. good luck!