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Common Telegram bot errors

Written by , Founder, AskVault · Reviewed by Aashiq
Last updated: · 3 min read

Error 1: bot not responding

Symptoms. Customer messages the bot; no reply.

Causes. Webhook URL not set, bot token revoked, AskVault workspace disabled.

Fix.

  1. Check Deploy Hub > Telegram > Status.
  2. If "Disconnected", re-paste token.
  3. Verify webhook via https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/getWebhookInfo. Should return AskVault URL.

About 80% of cases resolve with token re-paste.

Error 2: "401 Unauthorized" from BotFather

Symptoms. Token shows as invalid in AskVault.

Causes. Token revoked via BotFather (manually or after /revoke).

Fix. Get new token from BotFather (/token), paste into AskVault. 30 seconds.

Error 3: "Too Many Requests" (429)

Symptoms. Bot replies slowly or drops messages.

Causes. Hit Telegram's 30-messages-per-second rate cap.

Fix. AskVault auto-throttles. If sustained, contact Telegram support for elevated limits. Real-world hit rate: under 1% of workspaces.

Error 4: "Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user"

Symptoms. Outbound messages to specific user fail.

Causes. Customer blocked the bot in Telegram.

Fix. Nothing to do. AskVault flags the contact and stops attempting outbound. Customer must unblock from their side.

Error 5: bot responds in DMs but not in groups

Symptoms. Group members mention the bot; no reply.

Causes. Privacy mode enabled (default). Bot only sees mentions, not all messages.

Fix.

  1. Open BotFather, send /setprivacy.
  2. Pick the bot.
  3. Choose Disable.
  4. Mention the bot directly in group: @yourbot help.

Recommended: keep privacy mode ON; train customers to mention the bot explicitly.

Error 6: "Conflict: terminated by other getUpdates request"

Symptoms. Webhook seems set but bot doesn't receive messages.

Causes. Two AskVault workspaces or two bot platforms both registered the same token.

Fix.

  1. Check Telegram for duplicate active webhooks.
  2. https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/deleteWebhook.
  3. Re-paste token into one AskVault workspace only.
  4. Re-verify in AskVault.

Debugging checklist

For any issue, run these 4 checks in order:

  1. Token validity. getMe endpoint returns 200 with bot details.
  2. Webhook health. getWebhookInfo shows AskVault URL and 0 pending errors.
  3. Bot in target chat. For groups, the bot must be a member.
  4. Permissions in target chat. Bot needs Read and Send permissions.

Most issues surface in one of these.

Audit log

Every Telegram event logs in AskVault under Conversations > Channel: Telegram:

  • Inbound messages received.
  • Bot responses sent.
  • Errors with full Telegram error code.

Useful for showing support team a specific failure for fast resolution.

FAQ

Does the bot work in Telegram channels?

Telegram channels (broadcast) differ from groups. AskVault supports group chats, not channels. Use Telegram channels for one-way broadcast outside AskVault.

Can the bot send images and files?

Yes. AskVault forwards files from your knowledge base. Voice transcription is planned.

Why does my bot reply 10 seconds late?

Telegram polling vs webhook. AskVault uses webhooks (under 2 seconds typical). If slow, check webhook health.

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