a9c35f9175
All four platform guides rewritten from thin ~60-line summaries to comprehensive step-by-step setup guides with current (2025-2026) info: telegram.md (74 → 196 lines): - Full BotFather walkthrough with customization commands - Privacy mode section with critical group chat gotcha - Multiple user ID discovery methods - Voice message setup (Whisper STT + TTS bubbles + ffmpeg) - Group chat usage patterns and admin mode - Recent Bot API features (privacy policy requirement, streaming) - Troubleshooting table (6 issues) discord.md (57 → 260 lines): - Complete Developer Portal walkthrough (application, bot, intents) - Detailed Privileged Gateway Intents section with warning about Message Content Intent being #1 failure cause - Invite URL generation via Installation tab (new 2024) and manual - Permission integer calculation (274878286912 recommended) - Developer Mode user ID discovery - Bot behavior documentation (DMs, channels, no-prefix) - Troubleshooting table (6 issues) slack.md (57 → 214 lines): - Warning about classic Slack apps deprecated since March 2025 - Full scope tables (required + optional) with purposes - Socket Mode setup with App-Level Token (xapp-) - Event Subscriptions configuration - User ID discovery via profile - Two-token architecture explained (xoxb- + xapp-) - Troubleshooting table whatsapp.md (77 → 193 lines): - Clarified whatsapp-web.js (not Business API) with ban risk warnings - Linux Chromium dependencies (Debian + Fedora) - Setup wizard QR code scanning workflow - Session persistence with LocalAuth - Second phone number options with cost table - WhatsApp Web protocol update warnings - Troubleshooting table (7 issues) Docusaurus build verified clean.
197 lines
7.8 KiB
Markdown
197 lines
7.8 KiB
Markdown
---
|
||
sidebar_position: 1
|
||
title: "Telegram"
|
||
description: "Set up Hermes Agent as a Telegram bot"
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
# Telegram Setup
|
||
|
||
Hermes Agent integrates with Telegram as a full-featured conversational bot. Once connected, you can chat with your agent from any device, send voice memos that get auto-transcribed, receive scheduled task results, and use the agent in group chats. The integration is built on [python-telegram-bot](https://python-telegram-bot.org/) and supports text, voice, images, and file attachments.
|
||
|
||
## Step 1: Create a Bot via BotFather
|
||
|
||
Every Telegram bot requires an API token issued by [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather), Telegram's official bot management tool.
|
||
|
||
1. Open Telegram and search for **@BotFather**, or visit [t.me/BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather)
|
||
2. Send `/newbot`
|
||
3. Choose a **display name** (e.g., "Hermes Agent") — this can be anything
|
||
4. Choose a **username** — this must be unique and end in `bot` (e.g., `my_hermes_bot`)
|
||
5. BotFather replies with your **API token**. It looks like this:
|
||
|
||
```
|
||
123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
:::warning
|
||
Keep your bot token secret. Anyone with this token can control your bot. If it leaks, revoke it immediately via `/revoke` in BotFather.
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
## Step 2: Customize Your Bot (Optional)
|
||
|
||
These BotFather commands improve the user experience. Message @BotFather and use:
|
||
|
||
| Command | Purpose |
|
||
|---------|---------|
|
||
| `/setdescription` | The "What can this bot do?" text shown before a user starts chatting |
|
||
| `/setabouttext` | Short text on the bot's profile page |
|
||
| `/setuserpic` | Upload an avatar for your bot |
|
||
| `/setcommands` | Define the command menu (the `/` button in chat) |
|
||
| `/setprivacy` | Control whether the bot sees all group messages (see Step 3) |
|
||
|
||
:::tip
|
||
For `/setcommands`, a useful starting set:
|
||
|
||
```
|
||
help - Show help information
|
||
new - Start a new conversation
|
||
sethome - Set this chat as the home channel
|
||
```
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
## Step 3: Privacy Mode (Critical for Groups)
|
||
|
||
Telegram bots have a **privacy mode** that is **enabled by default**. This is the single most common source of confusion when using bots in groups.
|
||
|
||
**With privacy mode ON**, your bot can only see:
|
||
- Messages that start with a `/` command
|
||
- Replies directly to the bot's own messages
|
||
- Service messages (member joins/leaves, pinned messages, etc.)
|
||
- Messages in channels where the bot is an admin
|
||
|
||
**With privacy mode OFF**, the bot receives every message in the group.
|
||
|
||
### How to disable privacy mode
|
||
|
||
1. Message **@BotFather**
|
||
2. Send `/mybots`
|
||
3. Select your bot
|
||
4. Go to **Bot Settings → Group Privacy → Turn off**
|
||
|
||
:::warning
|
||
**You must remove and re-add the bot to any group** after changing the privacy setting. Telegram caches the privacy state when a bot joins a group, and it will not update until the bot is removed and re-added.
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
:::tip
|
||
An alternative to disabling privacy mode: promote the bot to **group admin**. Admin bots always receive all messages regardless of the privacy setting, and this avoids needing to toggle the global privacy mode.
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
## Step 4: Find Your User ID
|
||
|
||
Hermes Agent uses numeric Telegram user IDs to control access. Your user ID is **not** your username — it's a number like `123456789`.
|
||
|
||
**Method 1 (recommended):** Message [@userinfobot](https://t.me/userinfobot) — it instantly replies with your user ID.
|
||
|
||
**Method 2:** Message [@get_id_bot](https://t.me/get_id_bot) — another reliable option.
|
||
|
||
Save this number; you'll need it for the next step.
|
||
|
||
## Step 5: Configure Hermes
|
||
|
||
### Option A: Interactive Setup (Recommended)
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
hermes gateway setup
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
Select **Telegram** when prompted. The wizard asks for your bot token and allowed user IDs, then writes the configuration for you.
|
||
|
||
### Option B: Manual Configuration
|
||
|
||
Add the following to `~/.hermes/.env`:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ
|
||
TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS=123456789 # Comma-separated for multiple users
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### Start the Gateway
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
hermes gateway
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
The bot should come online within seconds. Send it a message on Telegram to verify.
|
||
|
||
## Home Channel
|
||
|
||
Use the `/sethome` command in any Telegram chat (DM or group) to designate it as the **home channel**. Scheduled tasks (cron jobs) deliver their results to this channel.
|
||
|
||
You can also set it manually in `~/.hermes/.env`:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
TELEGRAM_HOME_CHANNEL=-1001234567890
|
||
TELEGRAM_HOME_CHANNEL_NAME="My Notes"
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
:::tip
|
||
Group chat IDs are negative numbers (e.g., `-1001234567890`). Your personal DM chat ID is the same as your user ID.
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
## Voice Messages
|
||
|
||
### Incoming Voice (Speech-to-Text)
|
||
|
||
Voice messages you send on Telegram are automatically transcribed using OpenAI's Whisper API and injected as text into the conversation. This requires `VOICE_TOOLS_OPENAI_KEY` in `~/.hermes/.env`.
|
||
|
||
### Outgoing Voice (Text-to-Speech)
|
||
|
||
When the agent generates audio via TTS, it's delivered as native Telegram **voice bubbles** — the round, inline-playable kind.
|
||
|
||
- **OpenAI and ElevenLabs** produce Opus natively — no extra setup needed
|
||
- **Edge TTS** (the default free provider) outputs MP3 and requires **ffmpeg** to convert to Opus:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Ubuntu/Debian
|
||
sudo apt install ffmpeg
|
||
|
||
# macOS
|
||
brew install ffmpeg
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
Without ffmpeg, Edge TTS audio is sent as a regular audio file (still playable, but uses the rectangular player instead of a voice bubble).
|
||
|
||
Configure the TTS provider in your `config.yaml` under the `tts.provider` key.
|
||
|
||
## Group Chat Usage
|
||
|
||
Hermes Agent works in Telegram group chats with a few considerations:
|
||
|
||
- **Privacy mode** determines what messages the bot can see (see [Step 3](#step-3-privacy-mode-critical-for-groups))
|
||
- When privacy mode is on, **@mention the bot** (e.g., `@my_hermes_bot what's the weather?`) or **reply to its messages** to interact
|
||
- When privacy mode is off (or bot is admin), the bot sees all messages and can participate naturally
|
||
- `TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS` still applies — only authorized users can trigger the bot, even in groups
|
||
|
||
## Recent Bot API Features (2024–2025)
|
||
|
||
- **Privacy policy:** Telegram now requires bots to have a privacy policy. Set one via BotFather with `/setprivacy_policy`, or Telegram may auto-generate a placeholder. This is particularly important if your bot is public-facing.
|
||
- **Message streaming:** Bot API 9.x added support for streaming long responses, which can improve perceived latency for lengthy agent replies.
|
||
|
||
## Troubleshooting
|
||
|
||
| Problem | Solution |
|
||
|---------|----------|
|
||
| Bot not responding at all | Verify `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN` is correct. Check `hermes gateway` logs for errors. |
|
||
| Bot responds with "unauthorized" | Your user ID is not in `TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS`. Double-check with @userinfobot. |
|
||
| Bot ignores group messages | Privacy mode is likely on. Disable it (Step 3) or make the bot a group admin. **Remember to remove and re-add the bot after changing privacy.** |
|
||
| Voice messages not transcribed | Check that `VOICE_TOOLS_OPENAI_KEY` is set and valid in `~/.hermes/.env`. |
|
||
| Voice replies are files, not bubbles | Install `ffmpeg` (needed for Edge TTS Opus conversion). |
|
||
| Bot token revoked/invalid | Generate a new token via `/revoke` then `/newbot` or `/token` in BotFather. Update your `.env` file. |
|
||
|
||
## Exec Approval
|
||
|
||
When the agent tries to run a potentially dangerous command, it asks you for approval in the chat:
|
||
|
||
> ⚠️ This command is potentially dangerous (recursive delete). Reply "yes" to approve.
|
||
|
||
Reply "yes"/"y" to approve or "no"/"n" to deny.
|
||
|
||
## Security
|
||
|
||
:::warning
|
||
Always set `TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS` to restrict who can interact with your bot. Without it, the gateway denies all users by default as a safety measure.
|
||
:::
|
||
|
||
Never share your bot token publicly. If compromised, revoke it immediately via BotFather's `/revoke` command.
|
||
|
||
For more details, see the [Security documentation](/user-guide/security). You can also use [DM pairing](/user-guide/messaging#dm-pairing-alternative-to-allowlists) for a more dynamic approach to user authorization.
|