First bot and menu

Your result: a bot that replies to /start and a reply keyboard whose two buttons open the matching commands.

Before you start: a Telegram account and access to Bots.Business on your phone. You will create a bot for learning during this route. No JavaScript is needed.

1

Sign in to the right account

Prepare: decide which Bots.Business account will own this bot. If you are already signed in, check Settings → Profile.

Do: follow Create an account and sign in if needed.

Check: you can open My bots under the intended account. If expected bots are missing, check the account before creating another copy.

Next: connect one Telegram bot.

2

Get your first reply

Prepare: open Telegram. If you do not have a bot yet, the first step explains how to create one and get its token. If you already have a bot for learning, keep its current token ready.

Do: follow all four steps in Create your first Telegram bot: create the bot, add its token, give /start an Answer, and launch it.

Check: sending /start in the bot's private Telegram chat returns Hello! My bot is working. If it does not, finish the connection checks before continuing.

Next: create the two commands that your menu will open.

3

Create the menu's commands

Prepare: open the same bot's Commands tab. Keep the /start command that already works.

Do: use Create a command on your phone to create the /help and /about commands with the Help and About aliases described in Build a two-button menu. Give both commands their own Answer. Keep Wait for answer off.

Check: send Help and About as ordinary messages in Telegram. Each must produce its own reply before you connect the buttons. Check capitalization and aliases if one does not match.

Next: make those messages available as buttons.

4

Add and test the reply keyboard

Prepare: both commands reply when typed.

Do: finish Build a two-button menu, then optionally try separate rows, adding a matching Contact command or alias before testing the third button. The later changing-balance example is optional and requires BJS; it is outside this first route.

Check: send /start, tap both buttons, and confirm that each reply matches the command you tested. A reply keyboard button sends its label as a message.

Next: remember a name and validate input.

Mel’s tip

A Telegram bot token connects your bot. Your Bots.Business account owns its settings and commands. When checking a missing reply, first make sure you opened the bot that matches the configured token.

Keep this checkpoint

You are ready for the next route when /start, typed command names, and both buttons work. For an individual feature instead, browse recipes.