# Connect your Telegram account to Substy

Create your own bot, authorize it in Telegram Chat Automation, and confirm the correct account in Substy.

URL: https://help.substy.ai/en/articles/connect-telegram-business
Language: en

Connect your own bot, authorize it from the Telegram account you want to manage, then confirm that account in Substy. Pasting a bot token alone does not connect your personal account.

This is different from connecting Telegram notifications to receive Substy alerts.

The screenshots and interface labels in this guide are in English. Labels may differ if you use Telegram in another language.

## Before you begin

- Use the Telegram account you want to connect and a dedicated bot that you own.
- You need permission to manage creators in your Substy agency. Access to an existing connected creator also depends on your assignment.
- Keep your bot token private. Do not send it to a fan, include it in a screenshot, or paste it into support chat.

## 1. Create and verify your bot

1. Open the official [@BotFather](https://t.me/BotFather) in Telegram and create your own bot.
2. In that bot’s settings, enable **Secretary Mode**. This is not Telegram Secret Chat mode.
3. Copy the bot’s secret token.
4. In Substy’s creator setup, select Telegram. Paste the token into **Bot token**.
5. Leave **Replace this bot’s existing integration, if any** unchecked unless you intend to replace another service. Replacing an existing integration can stop that service from working with your bot. Then select **Verify bot**.

![Substy’s Connect Telegram screen with an empty Bot token field](https://help.substy.ai/media/telegram/connect-telegram-bot-token.png)

## 2. Authorize the bot in Telegram

1. Switch to the Telegram account you want Substy to manage.
2. Open **Profile → Edit → Chat Automation**.

![Chat Automation in Telegram profile settings](https://help.substy.ai/media/telegram/chat-automation-entry.png)

3. In **Bot Username or Link**, enter your own bot’s @username or t.me link, then select the bot. Use the bot belonging to the token you entered in Substy, not another person’s bot.

![Empty Bot Username or Link field](https://help.substy.ai/media/telegram/chat-automation-bot-field.png)

4. Select **All Private Chats Except…** and exclude unrelated private chats or any conversations you do not want the bot to access. Review the exclusions before continuing: this option shares private chats except those you exclude.
5. Under **Manage Messages**, allow the bot to send replies.
6. Select **Done** at the top of the screen to save the configuration.

## 3. Confirm the correct account in Substy

1. Return to Substy. Your Telegram account appears under **Confirm the Telegram account to connect**. If it has not appeared, select **Check connection**.
2. Check the displayed name, username (if present) and Telegram ID against the account you intend to connect.

![Telegram account awaiting confirmation in Substy, with Connect this account](https://help.substy.ai/media/telegram/connect-telegram-account-confirmation.png)

3. Select **Connect this account**. If a confirmation dialog appears, check the account details again, then select **Confirm account**.
4. If shown, select **Continue** to finish setup.

An active connection does not mean every conversation is open for replies. Telegram permissions and the reply window still apply.

## If setup does not finish

- **Waiting for Telegram setup:** check that you added the same bot to the correct Telegram account and selected **Done** after configuring chat access. Then select **Check connection** in Substy.
- **Account cannot be selected:** enable the bot in Telegram’s connection settings and allow it to send replies under **Manage Messages**, then select **Check connection** in Substy.
- **Token rejected:** paste the complete current token from BotFather. Do not substitute the bot’s username for its token.
- **Another integration already uses this bot:** use a dedicated bot or explicitly decide whether replacing the existing integration is acceptable.
- **Wrong account shown:** do not confirm it. Return to Telegram and check which account authorized the bot.