> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kw.hellenictechnologies.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect Telegram

> Set up a Telegram integration for hellenicAI Assistants using BotFather, paste the bot token into your dashboard, complete the one-time pairing step, and start chatting with your AI assistant on any device.

By connecting Telegram, you and your team can send messages to your AI assistant directly from the Telegram app — on mobile or desktop.

This takes about 5 minutes and requires a Telegram account.

## Step 1: Create a Telegram bot

You create Telegram bots through a special Telegram account called **@BotFather**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open BotFather">
    In Telegram, search for **@BotFather** (the verified account with a blue checkmark) and start a conversation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new bot">
    Send the command:

    ```
    /newbot
    ```

    BotFather will ask you a couple of questions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your bot's display name">
    When asked *"Alright, a new bot. How are we going to call it?"*, type a friendly name for your bot. This is the name users will see in chats, for example:

    ```
    Hellenic Assistant
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your bot's username">
    When asked for a username, type a unique handle ending in `bot`, for example:

    ```
    HellenicAssistantBot
    ```

    The username must be unique across all of Telegram. If it is already taken, try adding your company name or a number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy your bot token">
    BotFather will confirm the bot is created and show a message like:

    > Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/HellenicAssistantBot. You can now add a description...
    > **Use this token to access the HTTP API:**
    > `123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz`

    Copy the token — you will need it in the next step.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Keep your bot token private. Anyone who has the token can send messages as your bot and read all conversations. Never share it publicly or commit it to a code repository.
</Warning>

## Step 2: Connect to hellenicAI Assistants

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to your instance dashboard">
    Log in at [app.hellenicai.com](https://app.hellenicai.com) and open your instance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the Channels section">
    Scroll down to the **Channels** section on your instance page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste your bot token">
    Find the Telegram card, paste the token you copied from BotFather into the token field, then click **Connect**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You should see the Telegram status change to **Connected**.

## Step 3: Approve your Telegram account

After saving the token, you need to complete a one-time pairing step to link your personal Telegram account to the bot. This is a security measure to ensure only authorised users can chat with your assistant.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open your bot in Telegram">
    On your phone or desktop, search for your bot by username (for example `@HellenicAssistantBot`) and tap **Start**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Receive your pairing code">
    The bot will send you a message like this:

    ```
    OpenClaw: access not configured.

    Your Telegram user id: 1234567890
    Pairing code: GC5CC9FK

    Ask the bot owner to approve with:
    openclaw pairing approve telegram GC5CC9FK
    ```

    Copy the 8-character pairing code (for example `GC5CC9FK`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste the code in your dashboard">
    Back in the hellenicAI Assistants dashboard, a **Step 2** panel will have appeared below the Telegram token field. Paste your pairing code into the input and click **Approve**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm pairing">
    The status badge will change to **Paired**. You are now connected and can start chatting with your assistant directly in Telegram.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  Each Telegram user who wants to chat with the assistant needs to complete this pairing step once. If you need to link a different account, click **Re-pair** next to the Paired badge and repeat the process.
</Info>

## Step 4: Test the connection

<Steps>
  <Step title="Send a message">
    In the Telegram chat with your bot, type any question, for example: *"What can you help me with?"*
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the reply">
    Your AI assistant should reply within a few seconds. If it does, the connection is working correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                                      | Solution                                                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bot sends a pairing code but the Step 2 panel is not visible | Refresh the dashboard page and scroll down to the Channels section                                                                |
| Pairing code is rejected                                     | Make sure you are entering the code exactly as shown, without spaces. Codes are 8 characters and contain only letters and numbers |
| Status shows Connected but not Paired                        | Complete Step 3 above to approve your Telegram account                                                                            |
| No reply from bot after pairing                              | Verify the bot token was saved correctly and that the status shows Paired, not just Connected                                     |
| Want to let another team member use the bot                  | Each user must open the bot in their own Telegram account, receive their pairing code, and enter it in the dashboard              |
| "Unauthorised" error in dashboard                            | The token may be incorrect. Regenerate it in BotFather with `/revoke` and reconnect                                               |
| Bot replies but answers seem off                             | Check the AI model selected in your instance settings                                                                             |

Need more help? Email [support@hellenicai.com](mailto:support@hellenicai.com).