Everything you need to build, deploy, and scale powerful Telegram bots with Botract's visual editor. From your first bot to advanced integrations.
Getting started with Botract takes less than a minute. Visit app.botract.com and sign up with your email address or Google account. No credit card is required for the free Starter plan, which gives you access to the visual editor, one active bot, and 300 messages per month. After signing up, you will receive a confirmation email. Click the verification link to activate your account and land directly in your dashboard, ready to build your first bot.
Every Telegram bot needs a unique token issued by @BotFather, Telegram's official bot manager. Open Telegram, search for @BotFather, and start a conversation. Send the command /newbot, then follow the prompts to choose a display name and username for your bot. BotFather will reply with an API token that looks like 123456789:ABCdefGhIJKlmNoPQRsTUVwxyz. Copy this token carefully and paste it into the Botract dashboard when prompted. Keep your token secret. If you ever suspect it has been compromised, use the /revoke command in BotFather to generate a new one and update it in Botract.
Once your token is connected, Botract verifies it with Telegram and pulls in your bot's profile information automatically. From the dashboard, click Create New Bot, paste your token, and give the project an internal name for your reference. Botract sets up the webhook connection behind the scenes so your bot can receive messages in real time. You can also choose a starter template at this stage to skip the blank canvas and begin with a pre-built flow for lead capture, customer support, or appointment booking.
The visual editor is the heart of Botract. It uses a node-based canvas where each node represents a step in the conversation. Drag nodes from the left panel onto the canvas, then connect them by drawing lines between output and input ports. The editor supports zooming, panning, and multi-select so you can arrange complex flows comfortably. Each node has a settings panel on the right where you configure messages, buttons, conditions, and variables. Use the minimap in the bottom corner to navigate large flows quickly, and press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac) to save your work at any time.
Message nodes are the building blocks of every conversation. A text message node sends plain text, Markdown-formatted text, or emoji-rich content to the user. Image nodes let you send photos, GIFs, or documents by uploading a file or providing a URL. Button nodes attach inline keyboards beneath a message so users can tap a choice instead of typing. You can combine these freely: for example, send a product photo, add a description below it, and attach Buy Now and Learn More buttons. Each button can trigger a different branch in your flow, linking to another node or an external URL.
Conditional nodes let your bot make decisions based on user input, stored variables, or external data. Set up if/else branches that evaluate conditions like user_language equals 'es' or cart_total is greater than 50. You can chain multiple conditions using AND/OR operators for more complex rules. When a condition is true, the flow follows the green output; when false, it follows the red output. This is how you build personalized experiences: greet returning users by name, route VIP customers to a priority queue, or skip steps the user has already completed in a previous session.
Data collection nodes turn your bot into an interactive form. Use text input nodes to ask for a name, email, phone number, or any free-text response. Botract automatically validates email formats and phone numbers, showing a friendly error message if the input is invalid. Choice nodes present a list of options as buttons or a numbered menu. You can chain multiple collection nodes to build multi-step forms that feel like a natural conversation rather than a boring web form. All collected data is saved to the user's profile and can be exported as CSV or synced to your CRM via webhooks.
Botract integrates directly with Stripe to let you accept payments inside Telegram. Add a payment node to your flow, configure the product name, price, and currency, and Botract generates a secure Stripe Checkout link sent as a button. When the user completes payment, Stripe sends a webhook back to Botract, which triggers the success branch of your flow automatically. You can then send a confirmation message, unlock premium content, or update the user's status. Refunds and subscription management are handled through your Stripe dashboard. Test payments work in Stripe's test mode so you can verify the entire flow before going live.
Variables let you store and reuse information throughout a conversation. Botract supports user-scoped variables that persist across sessions, so your bot remembers each user's name, preferences, and history. Set a variable with the assignment node using syntax like {user_name} = 'Alice'. Reference it anywhere in a message node with the same curly-brace syntax: 'Hello, {user_name}!' System variables give you access to metadata such as {user_id}, {timestamp}, and {message_count}. You can also use variables in conditions, API calls, and payment amounts, making your flows dynamic and deeply personalized.
Webhooks connect your bot to the rest of your tech stack. The HTTP request node sends GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE requests to any URL with custom headers and a JSON body. Use this to sync leads to HubSpot, create tickets in Zendesk, add rows to Google Sheets, or trigger Zapier automations. Botract also exposes incoming webhook endpoints so external systems can push data into a bot conversation. For example, when a new order is placed in Shopify, a webhook can notify the customer through Telegram. Response data from outgoing requests can be parsed and stored in variables for use later in the flow.
The analytics dashboard gives you a clear picture of how your bot is performing. Track key metrics including total users, active users, messages sent and received, conversion rates, and drop-off points. The funnel view shows exactly where users abandon a flow, so you can optimize weak steps. Filter data by date range, user segment, or specific flow to drill into the numbers. Export reports as CSV for your team or connect the analytics API to your business intelligence tools. Real-time event logs let you debug issues by replaying individual user sessions step by step.
Serve a global audience by building bots that speak multiple languages. Enable multi-language mode in your bot settings and define translations for every text node, button label, and error message. Botract detects the user's Telegram language preference automatically and routes them to the matching translation. If no translation exists for their language, the bot falls back to your default language. You can also let users switch languages mid-conversation with a language-picker button. Each translation is managed in a side-by-side editor, making it easy to keep all versions in sync as you update your flows.
Before going live, use the built-in test mode to simulate conversations without affecting real users. Click the Test button in the editor to open a chat simulator on the right side of the screen. Type messages, tap buttons, and walk through every branch of your flow. The simulator highlights which node is active in real time, so you can visually trace the conversation path. Variable values are displayed in a debug panel below the chat, letting you verify that data is being captured and stored correctly. Run through edge cases like invalid inputs, unexpected button presses, and empty messages to make sure your bot handles them gracefully.
When you are satisfied with testing, publishing takes a single click. Press the Publish button in the top-right corner of the editor. Botract registers your webhook with the Telegram API, and your bot goes live immediately. Users who message your bot on Telegram will now receive responses from your flow. If you have previously published, a new publish overwrites the existing flow. There is no downtime during this process. Your bot's Telegram profile, including its name, description, and profile picture, is managed through @BotFather and is separate from Botract. Make sure your bot's description clearly tells users what to expect when they press Start.
After publishing, monitor your bot's health from the dashboard overview. The status indicator shows green when the webhook is connected and responding, yellow when latency is elevated, and red when errors are detected. Set up email or Telegram alerts for downtime events so you are notified immediately. The error log records every failed API call, timed-out webhook, and unhandled user input along with a timestamp and user ID. Use this information to identify and fix issues quickly. For high-traffic bots, the performance panel shows response time percentiles (p50, p95, p99) so you can ensure a smooth experience for all users.
Botract makes iteration fast and safe. Edit your flow in the editor at any time without affecting the live version. Changes only go live when you press Publish again. This means you can work on new features, test them thoroughly, and deploy with confidence. Version history keeps a record of every published version, so you can roll back to a previous state if something goes wrong. When updating, keep in mind that users who are mid-conversation will continue on the old flow until they start a new session. If you need to force all users to the new version, enable the Reset Active Sessions option before publishing.