Telegram Bot Integration

Configure your ErrorLogDashboard to send error notifications to Telegram chats via bot webhooks.

Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Start a chat with BotFather and send the command: /newbot
3. Follow the prompts:
   • Choose a display name (e.g., "ShitCode Error Notifications")
   • Choose a unique username ending in "bot" (e.g., "shitcode_errors_bot")
4. BotFather will provide you with a Bot Token. Save this securely!

Your bot token will look like:

1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz123456789

Step 2: Get Your Chat ID

You need to get the chat ID where the bot will send messages:

For Personal Chat:

1. Search for your bot username in Telegram
2. Start a chat and send any message (e.g., "/start")
3. Open this URL in your browser (replace BOT_TOKEN with your actual token):

   https://api.telegram.org/bot<BOT_TOKEN>/getUpdates

4. Look for "chat":{"id":123456789} in the JSON response
5. Save this chat ID

For Group Chat:

1. Add your bot to the group
2. Send a message in the group mentioning the bot
3. Use the same /getUpdates URL method above
4. Group chat IDs are usually negative numbers (e.g., -123456789)

Step 3: Create Webhook URL

The webhook URL follows this format:

https://api.telegram.org/bot<BOT_TOKEN>/sendMessage?chat_id=<CHAT_ID>

Example:

https://api.telegram.org/bot1234567890:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrsTUVwxyz/sendMessage?chat_id=123456789

Step 4: Configure Webhook in ErrorLogDashboard

1. Navigate to your project in the ErrorLogDashboard
2. Click on Webhooks or Configure Webhooks
3. Fill in the webhook form:
   • Name: Telegram Notifications
   • Webhook URL: Paste the Telegram webhook URL from Step 3
   • Webhook Type: Select Telegram from the dropdown
   • Secret Token: Leave empty (not used for Telegram)
4. Click Add Webhook

Step 5: Test Your Webhook

You can test the webhook connection before saving:

1. After entering the Telegram webhook URL, click Test Connection
2. Check your Telegram chat for a test message
3. If successful, you'll see a confirmation message

Telegram Message Format

When an error occurs, your Telegram chat will receive a formatted message containing:

• Header: 🚨 New Error Detected
• Error Message: The error message text
• Status: Current error status (Open/InProgress/Resolved)
• Error ID: Unique identifier for tracking
• Timestamp: When the error occurred (UTC)
• Summary: AI-generated summary (if available)
• Stack Trace: Formatted in code block

Example Telegram Message

at MyApp.Service.GetUser(Int32 id)
at MyApp.Controller.Index()
...

Troubleshooting

Webhook test fails

• Verify the bot token is correct and complete
• Ensure the chat ID is correct (negative for groups)
• Make sure you selected "Telegram" as the webhook type
• Check that the bot hasn't been blocked or removed from the chat
• Verify the URL format matches exactly as shown in Step 3

Bot doesn't send messages to group

• Ensure the bot has been added to the group
• Check that the bot has permission to send messages
• Verify you're using the correct (negative) chat ID for the group
• Some groups require admin permissions for bots to post

Messages appear but formatting is broken

• This is normal - Telegram uses Markdown formatting
• Special characters in error messages may affect formatting
• The webhook type must be set to "Telegram" for proper formatting

Best Practices

• Create different bots for different environments (production, staging, development)
• Use dedicated groups/channels for error notifications to avoid spam in main chats
• Keep your bot token secure - never commit it to version control
• Consider using Telegram channels for one-way notifications
• Set up notification filters in Telegram to manage alert volume

Using Telegram Channels (Advanced)

For broadcast-style notifications:

1. Create a Telegram channel
2. Add your bot as an administrator
3. Get the channel ID (starts with -100)
4. Use the channel ID in your webhook URL

Next Steps

• Set up Discord notifications
• View all integration guides
• Return to Dashboard