No replies in a group
Bots behave differently in groups than in private chats. Go through this list.
1. Address it properly
Section titled “1. Address it properly”In a group, a bot only sees your message if you mention it by @username or reply to one of its messages — unless it’s an admin (below). Writing “hey bot” in the middle of a conversation is not enough.
2. Make it a group admin
Section titled “2. Make it a group admin”Telegram’s privacy mode means a non-admin bot only receives messages that mention or reply to it. Promoting the bot to administrator lets it read the whole conversation — which is what summaries, digests and moderation need.
3. Check “Respond when”
Section titled “3. Check “Respond when””In the agent → Access → Respond when, at least one of these must be on:
- Tagged by name
- Replied to
- Conversation is relevant
If all three are off, the bot stays silent by design.
4. Check credits
Section titled “4. Check credits”If the agent is Public, check Pay for in its Access settings. On Everyone, your balance covers the whole group. If it runs out, the bot answers members with “This bot is out of credits” and names you as the owner who needs to top up. On Me + admins, every other member spends their own credits, and someone with an empty balance is told they are out of credits. See How credits work.
5. Check it’s actually in the group
Section titled “5. Check it’s actually in the group”Open the agent → Groups. If the chat isn’t listed, add the bot again — see Add your agent to a group.
6. Reconnect
Section titled “6. Reconnect”Actions → Reconnect bot restores the Telegram connection for every chat at once.
Channels and forums
Section titled “Channels and forums”In channels, the bot must be added as an administrator to post. In forum groups, make sure you’re writing in a topic the bot can see.