# Connect Telegram

> Get InfraNest alerts as Telegram messages — great for on-call, on your phone, wherever you are.

Source: https://infranest.io/docs/connect-telegram
Last updated: 2026-09-14

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Get InfraNest alerts as Telegram messages — great for on-call, so you see problems the moment they happen, wherever you are.

## Overview
- Alerts arrive as Telegram messages, sent to a chat or group you choose.
- You can use the ready-made Telegram bot, or connect your own custom bot.
- Either way, you'll need a **Chat ID** so InfraNest knows where to send messages.

## Connect the InfraNest bot (easiest)
No bot setup needed — you only need your **Chat ID**.

1. In Telegram, use **Open Telegram and search for** the InfraNest bot, or select **Open {'@'}{username} in Telegram**, and send it any message. For a group, add the bot to the group first.
2. The bot replies with your **Chat ID**. Select **Copy** to copy it.
3. In InfraNest, go to **Alert Channels**, then select **Add channel** (or **Add your first channel** if this is your first one).
4. Choose **Telegram**.
5. Paste your **Chat ID** into the **Chat ID** field.
6. Select **Send test** to send a test message. You'll see **Test sent successfully** if it works, or **Test failed** if not.
7. Select **Save & test**, or **Skip test and save** if you'd rather save without testing.

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> [!TIP]
> Not sure how to find your Chat ID? Select **How to get your Chat ID** for step-by-step help.

## Connect your own bot
Use this option if you'd rather send alerts from your own branded bot.

1. In Telegram, message **@BotFather** and create a bot. Copy the **Telegram bot token** it gives you (it looks like **123456789:ABCdef...**).
2. Add your new bot to the chat or group where you want alerts to appear.
3. Get that chat's **Chat ID** (for example, **-1001234567890**) — you can message the InfraNest bot from the same chat to have it reply with the ID.
4. In InfraNest, go to **Alert Channels**, select **Add channel**, and choose **Telegram (Custom Bot)** (this is listed as **Use your own Telegram bot**).
5. Enter your **Telegram bot token** and **Chat ID**.
6. Give the channel a name in **Channel name**, if prompted.
7. Select **Send test** to confirm the bot can post — look for **Test sent successfully**.
8. Select **Save & test**, or **Skip test and save**.

## Send alerts to Telegram
Once your channel is saved, choose it when deciding which alerts go where.

1. Go to **Alert Channels** and find your Telegram channel in the list.
2. Select **Edit channel** (or **Edit alert channel**) to open its settings.
3. Under **Event subscriptions**, choose **All events** or **Critical only**, or pick specific alerts such as **Monitor down**, **SSL expiry critical**, or **Domain expiry warning**.
4. Select **Save changes**.

## Tips
- A bot must be a member of the chat or group it posts to — if messages aren't arriving, check the bot is still in that chat.
- Use **Critical events only** for a channel if you only want to be notified about the most urgent issues, and **All events** for a channel you check less urgently.

## Troubleshooting
- **Test failed**: Double-check your **Chat ID** and, for custom bots, your **Telegram bot token**. Make sure the bot has been added to the chat or group.
- **No messages arriving**: Confirm the channel has the right events selected under **Event subscriptions**, and that it isn't set to **Disabled**.

> [!NOTE]
> Your bot token is stored securely and never shown again after saving, so keep a copy somewhere safe if you'll need it later.