Connecting a Telegram bot for user support

Telegram Connection – Administrator's Guide

What does this give?

Once you connect to Telegram, your clients will be able to write to you. on Telegram, and you will answer them from the same "Chats" window in the Elbuz system, as well as messages from the website. No need to keep a separate Telegram app open or switch between programs.

Connecting to Telegram gives you two options:

1. Communication with clients. Anyone who messages your bot on Telegram is added to the general conversation list. They are managed by an AI assistant or a live manager, just like website visitors.
2. Notifications to managers. The same bot sends managers private messages on Telegram when a client invites them to chat. A separate bot is not required for this.

It is important to understand: the bot is connecting once After this, both options work simultaneously.

How it will work after connection

1. The client finds your bot on Telegram and sends it a message.
2. The message appears in the Chats section, with a Telegram icon next to the client's name.
3. An AI assistant or manager responds directly from the system.
4. The response is automatically sent back to the client in Telegram.

For the client, it looks like a regular conversation with a bot. For you, it's like a regular chat in the Elbuz system.

What you will need

• Telegram account.
• About 5-10 minutes of time.
• Administrator access to Elbuz system settings.

Step 1: Create a Telegram bot

A bot is your store's "representative" on Telegram, and all correspondence is conducted on its behalf.

1. Open Telegram and search for it. @BotFather (Telegram's official bot creation tool, with a blue checkmark icon).
2. Open a dialog with it and click “Run” (or send a command /start ).
3. Send a command /newbot.
4. BotFather will ask bot name — This is the name clients will see in their correspondence. For example: "Technomart Store."
5. Then he will ask bot username - it should end in bot. For example: my_shop_bot.
6. After this, BotFather will send a message with token - a long line of the form 123456789:AAH....

Token — This is your bot's secret key/password. Don't share it with anyone or publish it. Anyone with the token will have full access to the bot.

Step 2: Copy the token

Select and copy the entire token string from BotFather's message. You'll need it in the next step.

Step 3: Connect the bot to the Elbuz system

1. Log in to Elbuz as an administrator.
2. Open widget settings on the website (smart assistant section).
   
3. At the top of the form, click the button Channels and Messengers — a separate window will open with a list of available channels.
   
4. Find the card Telegram and click on it to expand.
5. Paste the copied token into the field Bot token.
6. Click the button Check and connect.

The system will check the token and, if everything is correct, it will show the name and title of your bot This means that the connection was successful.

If the system reports an error, check that the token was copied completely, without any extra spaces, and try again.

If the "Channels and Messengers" button is not visible — Your account doesn't have permission to configure messengers. This permission is granted to the "Administrators" group. Log in as an administrator or ask them to add this permission in the "User Groups" section.

Step 4: Set up the operating mode

In the same Telegram card, set the parameters:

• AI mode — Who responds to clients on Telegram:
  • Operator only — only live managers answer;
  • AI automatically — the AI assistant answers first;
  • AI, then operator — The AI responds until a manager joins the conversation.
• Time until a new dialogue — how long after the end of a conversation does the client's next message count as a new request? The typical value is 24 hours.

Save the settings.

Step 5: Check the connection

1. Open your bot in Telegram (using the username you specified in Step 1).
2. Click "Start" and send him any message.
3. Open the "Chats" section in the system - your message should appear there with the Telegram icon.

If the message appears, Telegram is connected and working.

How to disable

In the Telegram card, in the "Messengers" section, click "Disable" Receiving messages from Telegram will stop. Reconnection is performed using the same token.

What's next?

Other messaging apps—Instagram, Facebook, Viber, and WhatsApp—will be connected to the system using the same principle. There will be separate instructions for each.

Related instructions

• "Single Dialogue Window - General Overview" - how the system works as a whole.
• "Telegram Notifications" (for managers) - how a manager can receive alerts about a chat call via a connected bot.

Telegram Notifications – A Guide for Managers

What does this give?

When a client in the chat asks to connect a live person and selects you, the system will send you private message on Telegram — "You're invited to chat." This way, you won't miss the request even if you're not checking the system: the signal will be sent directly to your phone.

What does it look like?

You'll receive a message in Telegram that looks something like this:

🔔 The client invites you to chat Ivan Petrov asks to join a conversation (chat #337). Open the system → "Chats" section → "Requires manager" folder.

What you need to do once to set up

To receive notifications, you need to link your Telegram account to the system once. This takes a couple of minutes.

Step 1: Make sure the company bot is connected

Notifications are sent via your company's Telegram bot. If it isn't already connected, ask your administrator to do so. Ask your administrator for the bot's name, too.

Step 2: Launch the company bot

1. Find the company's bot on Telegram by its name.
2. Open a dialogue with him and press the button "Launch" (or send /start ).

This step is mandatory. Telegram prohibits bots from messaging users who haven't initiated a conversation with them. If you don't launch the bot, you won't receive notifications.

Step 3: Find your Telegram number

The system needs your Telegram number—it tells the bot who to send the notification to.

Why is the field called "chat id"? Telegram uses a "chat ID" to send messages. In private messages between you and the bot, The chat ID and your personal user number are the same number. Therefore, it is enough to know your personal number - it is the required value.

You can find out the number directly from the company's bot—no third-party bots needed:

1. In an already open dialogue with the company bot (Step 2), send the command /myid.
2. The bot will send your number - an integer of the form 123456789.
3. On mobile, you can simply tap the number—it will copy automatically. On a computer, select it and copy it as usual.

The bot's response, along with the number, will include a short hint on where to insert it—this is the same instruction as here.

Step 4: Enter the number in your profile

1. Log in to Elbuz.
2. Open your user card (profile).
3. Find the section Subscribe to Telegram events.
4. In the field Telegram chat id Enter the number obtained in Step 3.
5. Save the card.

If you don't have access to edit your profile, give this number to the administrator; they will enter it for you.

Ready

After this, as soon as a client invites you to chat, you will receive a notification in Telegram.

What to do when you receive a notification

1. Open the system.
2. Go to the section Chats.
3. Open the folder "Manager needed" — this is the first item in the menu on the left.
4. Find the chat with the label "To you" and respond to the client.

For more information on working with chats, see the instructions "Working with the Chats section."

If notifications don't arrive

• Make sure you've launched the company bot (Step 2) - without this, Telegram won't let messages through.
• Please check that the number in the "Telegram chat id" field is entered correctly, without any extra spaces.
• Check with your administrator to see if your company's Telegram bot is connected.

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