Skip to content
Guides
Telegram Bot and Channel

Telegram Bot and Channel

Overview

The MiniPaaS role sends monitoring reports and log alerts to Telegram. It needs two values:

  • telegram_bot_token: the HTTP API token of the bot that posts alerts
  • telegram_chat_id: the channel or group that receives them

When both are set, the role installs the monitoring script and writes /etc/telegram.secrets with BOT_TOKEN and GROUP_ID. See Monitoring.

This guide covers creating the bot, creating the channel, and giving the role its credentials.

Prerequisites

1. Create the Bot

  1. Open Telegram and chat with @BotFather.
  2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts. Choose a display name and a username ending in bot.
  3. Copy the token BotFather returns. It looks like 123456:ABC-DEF.... This is telegram_bot_token.

Keep the token private. Anyone with it can post as the bot.

2. Create the Channel

  1. In Telegram, create a channel for alerts. A group works the same way.
  2. Add the bot to the channel as an administrator. Open the channel, select Administrators, and add the bot. A bot can post only when the chat grants it permission.
  3. Post a message in the channel so the chat has an update the bot can read.

3. Find the Chat ID

  1. Open this URL in a browser, replacing the token:
https://api.telegram.org/bot<YourBotToken>/getUpdates
  1. Find "chat":{"id": in the response. The number that follows is telegram_chat_id. Copy it exactly.

Channels and groups use negative IDs. The leading minus is part of the value. If the response is empty, post another message in the channel and reload the URL.

4. Give the Credentials to the Role

Set both variables in group_vars/, host_vars/, or inventory.ini:

telegram_bot_token: "123456:ABC-DEF..."
telegram_chat_id: "-1001234567890"

The variables default to the TELEGRAM_TOKEN and TELEGRAM_CHAT environment variables. Store the token in Ansible Vault rather than plain text. See Configuration.

The role activates Telegram when both values are set. Re-run the playbook to install the monitoring script and write /etc/telegram.secrets.

5. Verify

The role installs /usr/local/bin/system-monitoring.sh and starts it at boot through /etc/cron.d/monitoring-telegram. The script sends a boot report. Watch the channel for the message.

Check the secrets file on a node:

sudo ls -l /etc/telegram.secrets

The file is owned by root:root with mode 0600.

Notes

  • A bot posts to a channel only when the channel grants it permission.
  • The role reads the chat ID as telegram_chat_id and writes it as GROUP_ID.
  • Change the token in BotFather at any time. Update telegram_bot_token and re-run the playbook.
  • The monitoring script also forwards container errors. See Monitoring.

Next Steps

Multiple Environments