Connect Bot and Secretary Mode
This is the base of the whole stack. If the wrong bot is connected, if Secretary Mode is not enabled, or if the bot is attached to the wrong Telegram profile, AI will fail later even if the dashboard looks configured.
On this page
Create the bot in BotFather
- Open @BotFather in Telegram.
- Run /newbot.
- Choose the display name and username for the production bot.
- Copy the HTTP API token immediately.
- Keep that token private. Anyone with it can control the bot.
Use one production bot
Do not test with one bot and later enable Secretary Mode on another one. Most early setup failures come from bot identity mismatch.
Paste the token into Telestars
- Open the bot connection flow in Telestars.
- Paste the BotFather token.
- Save the bot.
- Check that the bot username shown in Telestars matches the bot you just created.
- If the username does not match, stop here and fix the token first.
- A successful save only means the token was accepted. It does not prove the Secretary connection is ready.
Enable Secretary Mode on the same bot
- Return to BotFather.
- Open the bot you connected to Telestars.
- Enable Secretary Mode or Secretary Mode for that exact bot.
- Do not continue until you are sure you changed the same bot identity.
Connect the bot to your Telegram profile
- Open Telegram on the account that should own the live Secretary Mode conversations.
- Open Secretary Mode settings.
- Add the bot as a chatbot for that profile.
- Verify again that the selected bot is the same one stored in Telestars.
- If you link the bot to the wrong Telegram account, AI may never answer from the profile you expect.
- This step is what turns a simple bot connection into a profile-level Secretary Mode messaging path.
Required Secretary Mode permissions
| Permission | Why it matters | What fails without it |
|---|---|---|
| Message permissions | Allows the bot to participate in conversations | Replies may fail or never appear |
| Manage messages | Supports normal business message handling | Operational actions can be incomplete |
| Manage Gifts and Stars | Needed for paid media and Telegram Stars actions | Paid delivery can fail even if chat works |
| Correct chat accessibility scope | Determines which chats the bot can actually access | Some chats remain invisible or excluded |
How to confirm the Secretary connection is live
- Send a real message to the Telegram profile from another Telegram account.
- Open Telestars and confirm the conversation appears in Fan Inbox.
- Send one reply from Telestars.
- Confirm the reply reaches Telegram successfully.
- Check that there is no Secretary connection warning on the bot.
- Do not mark this setup as complete until both inbound and outbound tests work.
- Some Secretary connection warnings disappear only after a real Telegram interaction.
Why messages still do not appear or send
- The token belongs to a different bot than the one you enabled in BotFather.
- The bot is attached to the wrong Telegram profile.
- Secretary Mode permissions are incomplete.
- The chat accessibility scope excludes the conversation you are testing.
- No real message has been sent yet, so the Secretary connection event has not been created.
Common setup mistakes
- Testing several bots at once and losing track of which token belongs to which profile.
- Assuming a connected bot in Telestars means Secretary Mode is already working.
- Skipping the inbound and outbound live test.
- Forgetting to enable Gifts and Stars rights before trying paid media.
Next
Once the Telegram runtime is confirmed live, move to AI setup. That is where creator data and persona are configured, and where most activation blockers become visible.