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Common Telegram bot errors

Written by Joseph Russo, Principal Architect, Networks and Tech, AskVault · Reviewed by Allison Chan
Last updated: · 3 min read

Error 1: bot not responding

Symptoms. Customer messages the bot; no reply.

Causes. Webhook URL not set, bot token revoked, AskVault workspace disabled.

Fix.

  1. Check Channels > Telegram > Status.
  2. If "Disconnected", re-paste token.
  3. Verify webhook via https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/getWebhookInfo. Should return AskVault URL.

Re-pasting the token usually fixes it.

Error 2: "401 Unauthorized" from BotFather

Symptoms. Token shows as invalid in AskVault.

Causes. Token revoked via BotFather (manually or after /revoke).

Fix. Get new token from BotFather (/token), paste into AskVault. 30 seconds.

Error 3: "Too Many Requests" (429)

Symptoms. Bot replies slowly or drops messages.

Causes. Hit Telegram's 30-messages-per-second rate cap.

Fix. Telegram limits how fast a bot can send. Short bursts recover on their own; if it keeps happening, contact AskVault support.

Error 4: "Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user"

Symptoms. Outbound messages to specific user fail.

Causes. Customer blocked the bot in Telegram.

Fix. Nothing to do on your side. The customer has to unblock the bot before it can reply to them.

Error 5: bot responds in DMs but not in groups

Symptoms. Group members mention the bot; no reply.

Causes. Privacy mode enabled (default). Bot only sees mentions, not all messages.

Fix.

  1. Open BotFather, send /setprivacy.
  2. Pick the bot.
  3. Choose Disable.
  4. Mention the bot directly in group: @yourbot help.

Recommended: keep privacy mode ON; train customers to mention the bot explicitly.

Error 6: "Conflict: terminated by other getUpdates request"

Symptoms. Webhook seems set but bot doesn't receive messages.

Causes. Two AskVault workspaces or two bot platforms both registered the same token.

Fix.

  1. Check Telegram for duplicate active webhooks.
  2. https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/deleteWebhook.
  3. Re-paste token into one AskVault workspace only.
  4. Re-verify in AskVault.

Debugging checklist

For any issue, run these 4 checks in order:

  1. Token validity. getMe endpoint returns 200 with bot details.
  2. Webhook health. getWebhookInfo shows AskVault URL and 0 pending errors.
  3. Bot in target chat. For groups, the bot must be a member.
  4. Permissions in target chat. Bot needs Read and Send permissions.

Most issues surface in one of these.

Conversation history

Telegram conversations appear in your AskVault inbox and conversation history alongside other channels, with each customer message and bot reply.

Useful for showing support team a specific failure for fast resolution.

FAQ

Does the bot work in Telegram channels?

Telegram channels (broadcast) differ from groups. AskVault supports group chats, not channels. Use Telegram channels for one-way broadcast outside AskVault.

Can the bot send images and files?

Not today. The Telegram bot replies with text. Voice messages sent to the bot aren't transcribed on Telegram.

Why does my bot reply 10 seconds late?

AskVault receives Telegram messages by webhook, not polling. If replies are slow, check the webhook status in the Telegram setup panel and the model your workspace uses.

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