How to Host Telegram Bots

Introduction

To develop and host on Square Cloud, it’s essential to follow a structured sequence of configurations and prerequisites. This technical guide will cover the entire process, from initial setup to production deployment.

Prerequisites

Square Cloud Account: Register through the signup page using your email.
Active Paid Plan: Ensures dedicated resources and optimized performance for your application. Check our available plans and choose the most suitable for your needs.

Wondering how much RAM and CPU your plan needs to host Telegram bots?
Don't worry, we're here to help. Our Hobby plan offers 2GB of RAM and 2vCPU, which should be sufficient for most Telegram bots. However, if you are working on a larger project and seeking extra stability, we recommend considering our Pro plan. With additional resources, you can maintain stability even during demand spikes. To purchase, simply click here.

Creating project

A Telegram account is essential for testing and interacting with your bot. If you don’t have one, visit the official Telegram website to create your account for free.

Bot application on Telegram

Getting Started

Access Telegram Web and search for the official BotFather bot, responsible for creating and managing bots on the platform.

Obtaining the Authentication Token

Start a conversation with BotFather and type /start. Then, select the /newbot option to create a new bot. The system will ask for a name for your bot and, after confirmation, will automatically generate the necessary authentication token.

Critical Security: Keep your bot token absolutely secret. This token grants full control over the bot and should be treated as confidential information.

Developing project

The choice of library or framework depends on the programming language you intend to use. Below are some of the most popular options:

Node.js - node-telegram-bot-api
Python - telebot

Environment Setup

Verify that Node.js is installed on your system. Otherwise, download it from the official Node.js website.
Initialize a new Node.js project:

Terminal

npm init -y

Install the official library:

Terminal

npm install node-telegram-bot-api

Basic Implementation

Create the main file (index.js) with the following structure:

index.js

// Import the node-telegram-bot-api library
const TelegramBot = require("node-telegram-bot-api");

// Authentication token configuration
const token = "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE";

// Bot initialization with polling enabled
const bot = new TelegramBot(token, { polling: true });

// Get bot information
bot.getMe().then((botInfo) => {
  // Extract bot name
  const botName = botInfo.username;

  // Define handler for non-command messages
  bot.on("message", (msg) => {
    // Extract chat ID
    const chatId = msg.chat.id;
    // Capture user message
    const userMsg = msg.text;
    // Format response
    const responseMsg = `${botName} responds: ${userMsg}`;
    // Send response message
    bot.sendMessage(chatId, responseMsg);
  });

  // Initialization confirmation log
  console.log(`Bot ${botName} started successfully!`);
});

Environment Setup

Verify that Python and pip are installed. Otherwise, download them from the official Python website.
Install the telebot library:

Terminal

pip install telebot

Basic Implementation

Create the main file (main.py):

main.py

# Import the telebot_router library
from telebot_router import TeleBot

# Application initialization
app = TeleBot(__name__)

# Define route for non-command messages
@app.route('(?!/).+')
def echo_handler(message):
    # Extract destination chat ID
    chat_dest = message['chat']['id']
    # Capture user message
    user_msg = message['text']
    # Get bot information
    bot_info = app.get_me()['result']
    # Extract bot name
    bot_name = bot_info['username']
    # Format response message
    response_msg = f"{bot_name} responds: {user_msg}"
    # Send message
    app.send_message(chat_dest, response_msg)
    
# Main execution function
if __name__ == '__main__':
    # API key configuration
    app.config['api_key'] = 'YOUR_TOKEN_HERE'
    # Get bot information
    bot_info = app.get_me()['result']
    # Extract bot name
    bot_name = bot_info['username']
    # Confirmation log
    print(f"Bot {bot_name} started successfully!")
    # Start polling
    app.poll(debug=True)

Create the requirements.txt file to manage dependencies:

requirements.txt

telebot

Deploying

After preparing your project files, you can now upload them to Square Cloud and host your project. To do so, create a ZIP file containing all your project files.

Via dashboard

Access the Upload Page

Access the upload page and upload your project zip file.

Configure Your Environment

After uploading your zip, you will need to configure the name, main file or runtime environment and other settings for your project.
If you are uploading a web project, make sure to select "Web Publication" and set a subdomain to your project.

Deploy Your Project

Finally, click on the "Deploy" button to host your project on Square Cloud.
After deployment, you can monitor your project's status and logs from the dashboard.

Via CLI

To use this method, you need to create a config file named squarecloud.app in the root directory of your project. This file will contain the necessary configuration for your project.

Learn more about: how to create the configuration file for Square Cloud.

The squarecloud.app file is a configuration file that will be used to configure your application; it will be used to define your environment.

Install the CLI

First, you need to have the CLI installed in your environment. If you don't have it yet, run the following command in your terminal:

npm install -g @squarecloud/cli

If you already have it, we recommend updating it. To do this, run the following command in your terminal:

Windows
Linux, macOS, and WSL

squarecloud update

curl -fsSL https://cli.squarecloud.app/install | bash

Authenticate

Now, to authenticate and use other CLI commands, you will find your authorization key here by clicking on "Request API Key". After obtaining your authorization key, run the following command:

squarecloud auth login

Upload Your Project

Finally, to deploy your application to Square Cloud using the CLI, you need to run the following command:

squarecloud upload

Or if you created the zip manually, you can use:

squarecloud upload --file <path/to/zip>

Testing the bot

After successful deployment, locate your bot on Telegram and send a test message. The bot should respond by echoing your message, confirming the correct implementation functionality.

Additional Resources

To deepen your knowledge about Telegram bot development, consult the official telebot documentation. The documentation offers detailed guides, advanced tutorials, and complete API reference.

Contact us

If you continue facing technical difficulties, our specialized support team is available to assist you. Contact us and we'll be happy to help you resolve any issue.

Square Cloud

Tutorials

Bots

Ready Projects

APIs

Website

How to Host Telegram Bots

Introduction

Prerequisites

Creating project

Bot application on Telegram

Developing project

Deploying

Via dashboard

Via CLI

Learn more about: how to create the configuration file for Square Cloud.

Testing the bot

Additional Resources

Contact us

Square Cloud

Tutorials

Bots

Ready Projects

APIs

Website

​Introduction

​Prerequisites

​Creating project

​Bot application on Telegram

​Developing project

​Deploying

​Via dashboard

​Via CLI

Learn more about: how to create the configuration file for Square Cloud.

​Testing the bot

​Additional Resources

​Contact us

Introduction

Prerequisites

Creating project

Bot application on Telegram

Developing project

Deploying

Via dashboard

Via CLI

Testing the bot

Additional Resources

Contact us