Overview
To use Telegram in a Zap, you need a chat ID so Zapier knows which conversation, channel, or group to send messages to. Zapier populates the Chat ID dropdown field automatically, but it will only show chats where your Telegram bot has been active in the last 24 hours. If your chat ID is not appearing, you need to make sure your bot has the right permissions and has sent or received at least one message in the chat.
Step-by-step guide
Method 1: Get your chat to appear in the dropdown
- Open BotFather in Telegram. Search for @BotFather in Telegram and open a chat with it. Type /mybots and select your bot.
- For groups: Disable privacy mode. Go to Bot Settings and select Group Privacy. If privacy mode is enabled, turn it off. This is required for the group to appear in Zapier's Chat ID dropdown field.
- Add your bot as an admin. Open your Telegram channel or group, go to Settings, then Administrators, and add your bot. The bot must be an admin, not a regular member, for Zapier to post messages there.
- Send a message in the chat. Post any message from your personal Telegram account into the channel or group. This registers the chat as active so it can appear in Zapier's dropdown.
- Refresh the Chat ID dropdown in Zapier. Go to your Zap's Telegram action step, click the Chat ID field, and click Load More. The missing Chat ID should now appear in the list.
Method 2: Get and enter the chat ID manually
- Find your chat ID. In your web browser, log into Telegram and open the channel or group. The ID appears in the URL after the # symbol as a negative number. For example: #-1234561234567. For channels and groups, the ID is a negative number. Include the minus sign when entering it in Zapier.
- Enter the ID as a custom value in Zapier. In your Zap's Telegram action, click the Chat ID field and choose Enter a custom value (or Use a custom value). Type in the chat ID directly, including the leading minus sign for channels and groups.
- Test your Zap step. Run a test to confirm Zapier can send a message to the correct chat using the manually entered ID.
Key notes and limitations
- The Chat ID field dropdown only shows chats where the bot has been active in the last 24 hours. If a chat stops appearing in the dropdown after a period of inactivity, send a message in the chat and click the Load More button to refresh the options in the dropdown again.
- Your bot must be an admin in the channel or group (not just a regular member) for Zapier to be able to post messages there.
- The Chat ID field in Zapier also accepts a channel username (e.g. @mychannel) as an alternative to the numeric ID, for public channels.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What's the difference between channel IDs and personal chat IDs?
A: Channel and group chat IDs are negative numbers (e.g. -1234561234567). Personal chat IDs are positive.
Q: How do I get my Telegram group chat ID?
A: Follow the same steps as outlined above: disable privacy mode in BotFather, add your bot as an admin, send a message in the group, then click Load More in the Chat ID dropdown in Zapier. You can also find the group ID in the URL when viewing the group in your web browser, it will be a negative number like #-1234561234567.
Q: Can I send messages to a private chat (direct message)?
A: Yes, personal chat IDs will work the same way, but the bot must have been messaged by that user first before it can send them messages.
Q: Why do I need to disable privacy mode for groups?
A: Privacy mode must be disabled to allow your bot to read all messages in groups. If privacy mode is on, the bot can only see messages that directly mention it, and the group will not appear in the dropdown.