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How to create a Telegram bot using Serverless in the management console

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Updated at June 15, 2026

To create a Telegram bot using Serverless in the Yandex Cloud management console:

  1. Get your cloud ready.
  2. Set up required resources.
  3. Register your Telegram bot.
  4. Post a bot image.
  5. Create an API gateway.
  6. Create a function.
  7. Configure a link between the function and the Telegram bot.
  8. Test your Telegram bot.

If you no longer need the resources you created, delete them.

Get your cloud ready

Sign up for Yandex Cloud and create a billing account:

  1. Navigate to the management console and log in to Yandex Cloud or create a new account.
  2. On the Yandex Cloud Billing page, make sure you have a billing account linked and it has the ACTIVE or TRIAL_ACTIVE status. If you do not have a billing account, create one and link a cloud to it.

If you have an active billing account, you can create or select a folder for your infrastructure on the cloud page.

Learn more about clouds and folders here.

The cost of supporting the Telegram bot infrastructure includes:

Set up the required resources

  1. Download an image for the bot.
  2. Create a service account and assign it the editor and functions.functionInvoker roles for your folder.

Create a Telegram bot

Create a bot in Telegram and get a token.

  1. To register a new bot, start BotFather and run the below command.

    /newbot

  2. In the name field, enter a name for the bot, e.g., Serverless Hello Telegram Bot. This is the name users will see when chatting with the bot.

  3. In the username field, specify a username for the bot, e.g., ServerlessHelloTelegramBot. You can use it to find the bot in Telegram. The username must end with ...Bot or ..._bot.

    As a result, you will get a token. Save it, as you will need it later.

  4. Set an icon for the bot using sayhello.png from the saved archive. Send this command to BotFather:

    /setuserpic

Post a bot image

If you want your bot to respond to user messages with an image, create an Object Storage bucket and upload sayhello.png from the saved archive to it.

Create an Object Storage bucket

  1. In the management console, select the folder where you want to create a bucket.

  2. Go to Object Storage.

  3. Click Create bucket.

  4. On the bucket creation page:

    1. Enter a name for the bucket. Save the bucket name. You will need it later.

    2. Specify these bucket settings:

      • Max size: 1 GB.
      • Read objects: For all.
      • Storage class: Standard.

    3. Click Create bucket.

Upload the image to the bucket

  1. In the management console, select the folder containing the created bucket.
  2. Go to Object Storage.
  3. Select the bucket.
  4. Click Upload.
  5. In the window that opens, select sayhello.png from the saved archive. The management console will display the file selected for upload.
  6. Click Upload.
  1. In the management console, select the folder containing the created bucket.
  2. Go to Object Storage.
  3. Select the bucket.
  4. Select sayhello.png.
  5. Click Get link.
  6. Make sure the image is accessible through the link in your browser.

Create an API gateway

To enable your bot to work with a function, create and configure an API gateway.

  1. In the management console, select the folder where you want to create an API gateway.

  2. Go to API Gateway.

  3. Click Create API gateway.

  4. Name the gateway: for-serverless-hello-telegram-bot.

  5. Clear the Specification field and paste this code:

    openapi: 3.0.0
info:
  title: for-serverless-hello-telegram-bot
  version: 1.0.0
paths:
  /sayhello.png:
    get:
      x-yc-apigateway-integration:
        type: object_storage
        bucket: <bucket_name>
        object: sayhello.png
        presigned_redirect: false
        service_account_id: <service_account_ID>
      operationId: static

    Where:

  6. Click Create.

  7. Select the previously created API gateway. Save the Default domain field value as you will need it to create the function.

Create a function

If you want your Telegram bot to respond to the /start and /help commands and send an image in response to any other text, create a designated function.

  1. In the management console, select the folder where you want to create a function.

  2. Go to Cloud Functions.

  3. Click Create function.

  4. Enter the function name: fshtb-function.

  5. Click Create.

  6. Under Editor, select Node.js as the runtime environment and click Continue.

  7. Under Function code, replace the contents of the index.js file with the code below. Replace <API_gateway_domain> with the API gateway service domain.

    const { Telegraf } = require('telegraf');

const bot = new Telegraf(process.env.BOT_TOKEN);
bot.start((ctx) => ctx.reply(`Hello. \nMy name Serverless Hello Telegram Bot \nI'm working on Cloud Function in the Yandex Cloud.`))
bot.help((ctx) => ctx.reply(`Hello, ${ctx.message.from.username}.\nI can say Hello and nothing more`))
bot.on('text', (ctx) => {
    ctx.replyWithPhoto({url: '<API_gateway_domain>/sayhello.png'});
    ctx.reply(`Hello, ${ctx.message.from.username}`);

});

module.exports.handler = async function (event, context) {
    const message = JSON.parse(event.body);
    await bot.handleUpdate(message);
    return {
        statusCode: 200,
        body: '',
    };
};

  8. Under Function code, create a file named package.json and paste the following code into it:

    {
  "name": "ycf-telegram-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "author": "",
  "license": "MIT",
  "dependencies": {
    "telegraf": "^4.12.0"
  }
}

  9. Specify the following parameters:

    • Runtime environment: nodejs22.
    • Entry point: index.handler.
    • Timeout: 5.

  10. Add the BOT_TOKEN environment variable. In the Value field, specify the Telegram bot token.

  11. Click Save changes.

  12. Make sure the function is public. To do this, navigate to the Overview page and enable General information under Public function.

  13. Save your function ID, as you will need it later.

Configure a link between the function and the Telegram bot

  1. Update the API gateway specification:

    1. In the management console, select a folder.

    2. Go to API Gateway.

    3. Select the for-serverless-hello-telegram-bot API gateway.

    4. Update the API gateway specification by adding the fshtb-function section at the end of the code:

        /fshtb-function:
    post:
      x-yc-apigateway-integration:
        type: cloud_functions
        function_id: <function_ID>
      operationId: fshtb-function

      Where function_id is the fshtb-function ID.

    5. Click Save.

  2. In the terminal, run the following command, with <bot_token> replaced with your Telegram bot token, and <API_gateway_domain>, with a link to your API gateway's service domain:

    • Linux, macOS:

      curl \
  --request POST \
  --url https://api.telegram.org/bot<bot_token>/setWebhook \
  --header 'content-type: application/json' \
  --data '{"url": "<API_gateway_domain>/fshtb-function"}'

    • Windows (cmd):

      curl ^
  --request POST ^
  --url https://api.telegram.org/bot<bot_token>/setWebhook ^
  --header "content-type: application/json" ^
  --data "{\"url\": \"<API_gateway_domain>/fshtb-function\"}"

    • Windows (PowerShell):

      curl.exe `
  --request POST `
  --url https://api.telegram.org/bot<bot_token>/setWebhook `
  --header '"content-type: application/json"' `
  --data '"{ \"url\": \"<API_gateway_domain>/fshtb-function\" }"'

    Result:

    {"ok":true,"result":true,"description":"Webhook was set"}

    Where:

    • <bot_token>: Telegram bot token.
    • <API_gateway_domain>: API gateway service domain.

    Result:

    {"ok":true,"result":true,"description":"Webhook was set"}

Test your Telegram bot

Chat with the bot:

  1. Open Telegram and search for the bot using the previously created username.

  2. Send /start to the chat.

    The bot should respond with:

    Hello.
My name Serverless Hello Telegram Bot
I'm working on Cloud Function in the Yandex Cloud.

  3. Send /help to the chat.

    The bot should respond with:

    Hello, <username>.
I can say Hello and nothing more

  4. Send a text message to the chat. The bot should respond with an image and this message: Hello, <username>.

How to delete the resources you created

To stop paying for the resources you created:

  1. Delete the function.
  2. Delete the API gateway.
  3. Delete the bucket.

See also

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