How to Build a Telegram Bot Using Node.js – Step-by-Step Guide

 Creating your own Telegram bot is easier than you think. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the complete process — from setting up your bot with BotFather, writing the bot using Node.js, to deploying it live 24/7 using Render.

username: tns_server_error_bot

🧭 Step 1: Create a Bot on Telegram Using BotFather

1. Open Telegram app

2. In the search bar, type: BotFather

3. Start the chat and type /start

4. Then type /newbot and follow the steps:

   • Choose a name for your bot (e.g., TNS Server Bot)

   • Choose a username that must end with _bot (e.g., tns_server_error_bot)

5. Copy the HTTP API token that BotFather gives you — we’ll use this later in our .env file.
   
   

💻 Step 2: Set Up Your Project in VS Code (or Cursor)

1. Open your preferred IDE (I used Cursor but you can use VS Code)

2. Create a new folder for your project:

   mkdir tns_server_error_bot
   cd tns_server_error_bot
   

3. Initialize the project:

   npm init -y
   

4. Install required packages:

   npm install node-telegram-bot-api dotenv

📁 Step 3: Project Structure

Create the following files:

telegram-bot/

├── bot.js

├── .env

├── .gitignore

├── package.json

🔐 Step 4: Store Your Telegram Bot Token Securely

Inside the .env file:

env
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_token_here

Never share this token publicly.

https://unhealthyirreparable.com/cit2c8ca?key=7566cfdb82de49ba4912160b26b7621f

Step 5: Write the Bot Logic (bot.js)

js
require('dotenv').config();
const TelegramBot = require('node-telegram-bot-api');

const token = process.env.TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN;
const bot = new TelegramBot(token, { polling: true });

console.log('🤖 Telegram Bot is running...');

bot.on('message', (msg) => {
  const chatId = msg.chat.id;
  const userMessage = msg.text;

  console.log(`📩 Message from ${msg.from.username}: ${userMessage}`);

  // Example: simple replies
  if (userMessage.toLowerCase() === 'hello') {
    bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Hello! How can I help you today?');
  } else if (userMessage.toLowerCase().includes('error')) {
    bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Please share the error details, I’ll look into it.');
  } else {
    bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Thanks for your message!');
  }
});

To run the bot:

bash
node bot.js

Now go back to Telegram, search your bot username (e.g., @tns_server_error_bot), click /start and try sending messages.

🚀 Step 6: Deploy the Bot on Render for 24/7 time

1. Create a GitHub repository and push your code.

2. Follow my guide here to upload your project properly to GitHub:
   👉 How I Learned the Right Way to Upload Code to GitHub

3. Visit https://render.com

4. Create a new Web Service

   • Connect your GitHub repo

   • Set the Start Command to:

     bash
     node bot.js
     

   • Add your .env variable inside the "Environment" tab on Render

Now your Telegram bot will stay live 24/7.

---

🧠 Bonus: Train Your Bot to Respond to Custom Messages

You can customize how your bot replies using if...else or even advanced logic like keyword matching or AI APIs. Example:

js
if (userMessage.toLowerCase().includes('help')) {
  bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'I am here to help. Please describe your issue.');
}

Want to add buttons, menus, or AI responses? That’s totally possible

too.

---

📝 Final Words

You’ve just created a live, responsive Telegram bot using:

• ✅ BotFather

• ✅ Node.js + node-telegram-bot-api

• ✅ Hosted it on Render

💬 Follow me for more tutorials like this on my dev blog:
👉 Avinash Dev Blog

🔗 GitHub Source Code

You can view or clone the complete code for this Telegram bot on my GitHub:

👉 GitHub Repository – telegram_bot

Feel free to ⭐ star the repo if you found it helpful, and fork it if you'd like to build on it.

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