Telegram bot applications are pre-programmed within Telegram and exist as distinct message-centered users. Bots, unlike real users, are computer applications capable of performing functions that relate to the provision of various types of assistance (both entertainment and utility), including reading messages and sending messages automatically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Daily Examples of the Types of Bots include but are not limited to:
1. @weatherbot - Sends you the current temperature and forecast based on what city you sent to the bot.
2. @gif - Responds to the text you send to the bot by sending out an animated gif (ie "happy cat").
3. @pollbot - Creates quick polls to be used in group discussions (ie "What time do you want to meet?").
4. @stickerfinder - Lets you search for stickers by typing in a word or phrase.
5. @youtubedlbot - Allows users to send YouTube links to the bot, which will download the corresponding video/audio files.
6. @pdfbot - Allows users to convert images and documents to PDF format or merge multiple documents to create a single PDF document.
7. Group management bots - Manage members within the chat, such as kicking spammers, welcoming new members, muting users, etc.
How Bots Work (Basic View)
1. To create a new bot, one must use the free Telegram Bot API (a group of rules that Telegram provides)
2. To allow people to use the bot, its Creator gives it a name and username ending with "bot" (e.g. @MyHelperBot)
3. The bot resides on a server (can be cheap cloud server or a Raspberry Pi)
4. Chatting with the bot begins when the user has a conversation via the bot’s username search or link (all messages sent through the chat are then sent to that server)
5. The server’s code reads your message and decides what to reply (or what action to take)
There are Two Main Types of Bots Available
1. Personal / Utility Bots: These allow for chatting individually with the bot on a person-to-person basis. Common examples include: weather bots, currency converter bots, reminder bots, downloader bots, and translator bots.
2. Group / Channel Bots: These bots are purposely added to groups or channels in order to automate the moderation of posts, games, welcome messages, anti-spam, polls, RSS feeds, etc.
Things You Should Know About Bots
1. Most of the bots you will see today are safe and useful. They were created by developers, hobbyists, and companies.
2. However, some bots are created with malicious intent. For instance, there are bots that can be used to spread phishing links, capture telephone numbers, collect sensitive personal information (i.e., a person's name, address, birthday, social security number etc.) or run scams (i.e. fake giveaways; the Next Big Coin; clicking the "ClickFix" button).
3. You should never provide a bot with any sensitive personal information including passwords, bank account details, one-time passwords (OTP), or pictures of your identification.
4. You should never click on any suspicious links sent to you from a bot, especially if you weren't expecting the message.
5. If a bot suddenly shows up in your group that was not added by one of the members of that group, check the identity of the person who added the bot. If the identity is unknown, use caution when interacting with that bot.
Quick Safety Guidelines for Using Bots on Telegram
1. Only use bots that you trust, or that have been verified.
2. Report the Bot to Telegram and Block it typically asking for: Personal Information/Password/ Money
3. If you are in a group with a bot that is posting unnecessary URLs or performing unusual activities, please report the item & delete yourself from the group if you believe it is necessary to do so.
4. You may set privacy options on your Telegram account to restrict individuals from adding you to groups & seeing your phone number.
Telegram bots are essentially helpful little robots that reside in your chat list. By and large, they're great buddies who save you time; however, some bots exist only to deceive or trick users into doing something bad. So, be sure to be as cautious when dealing with a bot as you would with someone you met online for the first time.
