Telegram: messaging features and setup

Overview

Telegram can serve as a small interface for an automated process: a notification arrives in a group, and an authorized user requests details or triggers an action through the bot. There is no need to build a full service conversation system around it if the need is operational. The connection should link the user's Telegram ID to their business authorization and check it on every action. In a shared group, decide which information is appropriate for a visible message and which should stay in the source system.

Features

• Bot API for developers
• Interactive messages and buttons for bots
• Work in groups and channels based on permissions

Business uses

• Notifying the operations team when an automated process fails
• An internal bot that displays request status and lets users request a review

Getting started

• Create a test bot and restrict its actions to a group whose authorized users are known.
• Send a mock alert with an incident ID and a button to request status, and also test a click by an unauthorized user.
• Test repeat clicks, changes to group permissions, and message content to verify that no action is triggered twice and no sensitive information is exposed.

What to check

• Check group permissions and the bot's privacy settings before receiving messages.
• Do not use a display name as authorization for an action in a business system.