How to get Telegram Bot Chat ID

how_to_get_telegram_chat_id.md

How to get Telegram Bot Chat ID

Content :

1. Create a Telegram Bot and get a Bot Token
2. Get Chat ID for a Private Chat
3. Get Chat ID for a Channel
4. Get Chat ID for a Group Chat
5. Get Chat ID for a Topic in a Group Chat

Create a Telegram Bot and get a Bot Token

1. Open Telegram application then search for @BotFather
2. Click Start
3. Click Menu -> /newbot or type /newbot and hit Send
4. Follow the instruction until we get message like so

   Done! Congratulations on your new bot. You will find it at t.me/new_bot.
   You can now add a description.....
   
   Use this token to access the HTTP API:
   63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c
   Keep your token secure and store it safely, it can be used by anyone to control your bot.
   
   For a description of the Bot API, see this page: https://core.telegram.org/bots/api
   

5. So here is our bot token 63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c (make sure we don't share it to anyone).

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Get Chat ID for a Private Chat

1. Search and open our new Telegram bot
2. Click Start or send a message
3. Open this URL in a browser https://api.telegram.org/bot{our_bot_token}/getUpdates
   • See we need to prefix our token with a word bot
   • Eg: https://api.telegram.org/bot63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c/getUpdates
4. We will see a json like so

   {
     "ok": true,
     "result": [
       {
         "update_id": 83xxxxx35,
         "message": {
           "message_id": 2643,
           "from": {...},
           "chat": {
             "id": 21xxxxx38,
             "first_name": "...",
             "last_name": "...",
             "username": "@username",
             "type": "private"
           },
           "date": 1703062972,
           "text": "/start"
         }
       }
     ]
   }
   

5. Check the value of result.0.message.chat.id, and here is our Chat ID: 21xxxxx38
6. Let's try to send a message: https://api.telegram.org/bot63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c/sendMessage?chat_id=21xxxxx38&text=test123
7. When we set the bot token and chat id correctly, the message test123 should be arrived on our Telegram bot chat.

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Get Chat ID for a Channel

1. Add our Telegram bot into a channel
2. Send a message to the channel
3. Open this URL https://api.telegram.org/bot{our_bot_token}/getUpdates
4. We will see a json like so

   {
     "ok": true,
     "result": [
       {
         "update_id": 838xxxx36,
         "channel_post": {...},
           "chat": {
             "id": -1001xxxxxx062,
             "title": "....",
             "type": "channel"
           },
           "date": 1703065989,
           "text": "test"
         }
       }
     ]
   }
   

5. Check the value of result.0.channel_post.chat.id, and here is our Chat ID: -1001xxxxxx062
6. Let's try to send a message: https://api.telegram.org/bot63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c/sendMessage?chat_id=-1001xxxxxx062&text=test123
7. When we set the bot token and chat id correctly, the message test123 should be arrived on our Telegram channel.

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Get Chat ID for a Group Chat

The easiest way to get a group chat ID is through a Telegram desktop application.

1. Open Telegram in a desktop app
2. Add our Telegram bot into a chat group
3. Send a message to the chat group
4. Right click on the message and click Copy Message Link
   • We will get a link like so: https://t.me/c/194xxxx987/11/13
   • The pattern: https://t.me/c/{group_chat_id}/{group_topic_id}/{message_id}
   • So here is our Chat ID: 194xxxx987
5. To use the group chat ID in the API, we need to prefix it with the number -100, like so: -100194xxxx987
6. Now let's try to send a message: https://api.telegram.org/bot63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c/sendMessage?chat_id=-100194xxxx987&text=test123
7. When we set the bot token and chat id correctly, the message test123 should be arrived on our group chat.

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Get Chat ID for a Topic in a Group Chat

In order to send a message to a specific topic on Telegram group, we need to get the topic ID.

1. Similar to steps above, after we click the Copy Message Link, we will get a link like: https://t.me/c/194xxxx987/11/13, so the group Topic ID is 11.
2. Now we can use it like so (see message_thread_id): https://api.telegram.org/bot783114779:AAEuRWDTFD2UQ7agBtFSuhJf2-NmvHN3OPc/sendMessage?chat_id=-100194xxxx987&message_thread_id=11&text=test123
3. When we set the bot token and chat id correctly, the message test123 should be arrived inside our group chat topic.

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Can't I get a chat ID for private conversations from a bot that doesn't belong to me?

@skdplay, Same logic with the "Get Chat ID for a Private Chat", as long as someone else start conversation or send message to your bot, you will see their chat_id from the https://api.telegram.org/bot{our_bot_token}/getUpdates endpoint.

I ended up adding @MissRose_bot to the chat and issuing /id

@nafiesl No bot tokens because it's not my bot

@skdplay - then create a bot, get the token, and add it to the chat

@ilium007 No, you're not using my bot, it means you're using private chat and want the chat ID of another bot.

Can't I get a chat ID for private conversations from a bot that doesn't belong to me?

Ah I see, I was misunderstood your question. When you don't have the bot token, then you can't get the chat ID.

I tried the URL link method and included my bot token as well. But I keep getting this result back {"ok":true,"result":[]}. Does anyone know why and how I can retrieve the chatID?

I tried the URL link method and included my bot token as well. But I keep getting this result back {"ok":true,"result":[]}. Does anyone know why and how I can retrieve the chatID?

@lydnguyen I think you need to send message first. Ff it doesn't work, try to end conversation and start again. Sometimes I experience the same issue, too.

Thanks a lot!!!!

Helpful! Thank you, sir!

Great tutorial! Thank you!

hello, I tried to get the bot chat I’d using your instructions but when I put opened the url on browser it only says {“ok” : true, “result”:[ ] } it doesn’t show anything else. Does it mean my bot isn’t functioning properly?

hello, I tried to get the bot chat I’d using your instructions but when I put opened the url on browser it only says {“ok” : true, “result”:[ ] } it doesn’t show anything else. Does it mean my bot isn’t functioning properly?

No, sometimes I get the same result too. The solution, you need restart the conversation with the bot (end conversation then start again), then try to visit the getUpdate URL again in the browser. Ensure you were using the correct bot token.

thanks man, it worked!

thanks bro

Thanks, very helpful!

Nice and organized. Thanks

How to "end a conversation"

@ElMaquinistaDeTodo, try these steps to restart a conversation with a telegram bot:

1. Click the option button (3 dots)
2. Click Delete chat, a confirmation dialog will pop up.
3. Check the Stop and block bot
4. Click Delete.
5. Then search the bot again, click Start (or Restart) to start conversation again
6. Next, follow the steps above (Get Chat ID for a Private Chat) from number 1

The latest Telegram desktop app for Windows (5.9) doesn't have the "Right click on the message and click Copy Message Link" option. I'm only able to "Copy Text," as seen here

The latest Telegram desktop app for Windows (5.9) doesn't have the "Right click on the message and click Copy Message Link" option. I'm only able to "Copy Text," as seen here

Hi @Shyzer, do you still have this issue?
Please have a look at this comment.

Question being a noob learner, would an automatic bot be considered as "Private" or group or channel"?

I got this when I applied Private

ok | true -- | -- result | []

Question being a noob learner, would an automatic bot be considered as "Private" or group or channel"?

I got this when I applied Private
ok | true -- | -- result | []

It depends on where you put the bot. When you chat with the bot privately, then it will be a private chat. When you add the chat in a group, then it will be a group. Same goes for channel.

When you only get the result above, you need to send a message to the bot (on privact chat, group, or channel). If you still get nothing, try to end chat with the bot, then start again. (Scroll comments above if you not sure how to do it).

When I right-click on a group message and select “Copy Message Link”, I only get a URL of the form “https://t.me/(group name)/2”.
Has the format changed?

https://api.telegram.org/bot63xxxxxx71:AAFoxxxxn0hwA-2TVSxxxNf4c/getUpdates

{
  "ok": true,
  "result": []
}

This does not work anymore

https://api.telegram.org/botsometoken:token/getWebhookInfo to find out webhook status

When you only get the result above, you need to send a message to the bot (on privact chat, group, or channel). If you still get nothing, try to end chat with the bot, then start again. (Scroll comments above if you not sure how to do it).

I tried ending and starting a new chat with my bot, no luck
I invited the bot into a group, then I see results, but I prever a private chat. But no solution works (any more)

Workaround with a 3rd bot @RawDataBot forward a message to it...

someone made a website named gettelegramchatid.com just for this😂

this is not working anymore anyone have solution ?

this is not working anymore anyone have solution ?

@ParajBhatt @Ahsan-Aziz-Ishan can you guys please explain more, which one does not work? Which steps and screenshot will be helpful.

I am just checking those 4 sections and here are the results:

1. Get Chat ID for a Private Chat
   (still works with no change)
2. Get Chat ID for a Channel
   (still works with 1 change, we don't need to send any message to the channel to get the channel chat ID)
3. Get Chat ID for a Group Chat
   (this still works for public group, but not for private group. I will update the post with new section for private group chat)
4. Get Chat ID for a Topic in a Group Chat
   (this still works no change)