Bot Communication in Telegram: How to Set Up

Telegram Enables Bot-to-Bot Communication: Setup and Usage Examples

Telegram has updated its API, allowing bots to exchange messages directly. Previously, this feature was blocked at the platform level. Now bots can interact in group chats via mentions like /command@OtherBot, replies, or within Business Mode. To activate, enable Bot-to-Bot Communication mode in BotFather for one of the dialog participants.

This change is relevant for developers of AI agents and automated systems. Bots can now integrate into task processing chains without external intermediaries, simplifying app architecture.

Ways to Initiate Communication

Bots communicate in the following scenarios:

• Mention with command: /review@ReviewerBot — triggers the command on the target bot.
• Reply: Response to another bot's message using its context.
• Business Mode: Integration into business accounts for automated workflows.

Activation is simple: in BotFather, select the bot, go to settings, and enable the option. After that, the bot responds to incoming requests from other bots in shared chats.

Example from the documentation:
Contributor Bot: "/review@ReviewerBot [code for review]"
Reviewer Bot: Analyzes the code and responds with remarks.

Practical Scenarios for Developers

Integration with platforms like OpenClaw or KimiClaw has become simpler. Developers set up AI agent chains via Telegram chats instead of custom servers. Example: a code review pipeline where one bot generates code, another checks it, and a third deploys it.

Advantages for mid/senior specialists:

• Reduced latency thanks to native processing in the messenger.
• Scalability: bots work in existing chats without additional infrastructure.
• Logging: all communication is preserved in the chat for auditing.

The documentation shows a workflow: the contributor bot requests a review from a specialized bot. This demonstrates a basic pattern for CI/CD integrations.

Security and Limitations

Bot-to-Bot mode is activated only by the bot's administrator in BotFather, minimizing risks of unauthorized access. Bots cannot initiate new chats on their own — communication is limited to existing group chats or business contexts.

Implementation recommendations:

• Use webhooks to handle incoming messages from other bots.
• Implement rate limiting at the bot level to prevent abuse.
• Test in private chats before production.

For senior developers: integrate with Telegram Bot API v7+ for full support. Update getUpdates or webhook to parse mentions with @botname.

Key Points

• Activation: Enable Bot-to-Bot Communication in BotFather for one bot in the pair.
• Methods: Mentions /command@Bot, replies, Business Mode.
• Applications: Code review, AI agents (OpenClaw, KimiClaw), automated workflows.
• Limitations: Only in existing chats, no new chat initiation.
• API: Requires Bot API with inter-bot message support.

This update expands Telegram as a platform for complex automations, making it competitive with Discord or Slack for dev tools.

— Editorial Team