Telegram messages, media and Stars
Understand Telegram reply access, supported uploads, private media, and the difference between Stars prices and estimated revenue.
Use the connected Telegram creator’s conversations in Substy. Fans contact the creator’s Telegram account, not a shared Substy notifications bot. If you have not connected the account yet, start with Connect your Telegram account.
This guide uses the English interface labels.
Why a connected account may not be able to reply
The connection must be active, the bot must be enabled with permission to reply, and the conversation must have received an incoming message within the last 24 hours. An active connection alone does not open every chat for replies.
If sending is unavailable, check the bot’s chat access and Manage Messages rights in Telegram, then use Check connection in Substy. See Manage your Telegram connection.
If a send result is uncertain, check the conversation before trying again. Repeatedly pressing send can create a duplicate; a failed or delayed response is not proof that the fan received nothing.
Prepare media for the selected creator
Select the Telegram creator before opening Vault. Media access depends on the creator and your permissions.
Supported uploads are:
| File type | Upload limit |
|---|---|
| JPEG or PNG photo | 10 MiB per file |
| MP4 video | 50 MiB per file |
The interface labels these limits as MB. Empty files and other formats are rejected. Wait for upload processing to finish before selecting the media to send: a started upload is not yet ready-to-send content.
Keep private media links private. Do not treat an upload or preview URL as a permanent public download link, or share it outside its intended audience.
Paid media uses Stars
Telegram paid media is priced in Stars. Where Substy displays Estimated revenue (USD), the dollar amount is a creator-revenue estimate; the preview shows the corresponding exact Stars amount, rounded up to whole Stars. Review that preview after changing the amount.
The estimate is not the fan’s checkout price, a guaranteed exchange rate or a guaranteed payout. Telegram settlement remains in Stars. Do not assume a USD display means the fan pays that exact dollar amount, or that Telegram sales are exempt from Substy commission.
Paid content must include media; a text-only message cannot carry a paid-media price. A send can contain up to ten media items. Text-only messages are limited to 4,096 characters; captions sent with media are limited to 1,024 characters.
If an upload or message is rejected
- Check the file format and size, and wait for upload processing to finish.
- For paid content, include media and review the exact Stars preview and the returned price error. Do not rely on an estimated dollar amount alone.
- Shorten captions or text that exceed the limits above.
- Check reply eligibility and the bot’s permissions rather than repeatedly retrying a blocked conversation.
- If a valid-looking price is rejected, keep the error text and contact support. Do not repeatedly resend or share your bot token or private media links.