Connect Telegram
Create a Telegram bot for your agency with @BotFather, paste its token into Flyby, and your AI agent starts replying within a minute.
After the public chat link, Telegram is the easiest channel to connect: no Meta app, no review, no business verification. You create a bot with your agency's name, paste its token into Flyby, and you're done. Available on Growth and Pro, and during the free trial.
Before you start
- A regular Telegram account (phone or desktop).
- You're the owner or a manager of the agency in Flyby.
1. Create the bot with @BotFather
Open @BotFather
In Telegram, search for @BotFather (it has the blue verified tick) and press Start.
Send /newbot
It asks for a name: what customers see at the top of the chat, e.g. "Nile Tours".
Pick a username
English letters, ending in bot, e.g. NileToursBot. It becomes your bot link: t.me/NileToursBot.
Copy the token
BotFather replies with a token that looks like this:
123456789:AAH4kZ...Treat the token like a password
Anyone with the token can control the bot. Don't share or post it. Flyby stores it encrypted and never shows it again.
2. Connect it in Flyby
Open Channels
Go to Settings → Channels and turn on Telegram.
Paste the token and press Connect
Flyby checks the token with Telegram and sets up the webhook for you. There's nothing to copy anywhere else.
Test it
Your Bot link appears. Open it on your phone, press Start and send a message. The conversation shows up in Conversations and the AI agent replies.
Share the bot with customers
The customer always starts the chat: they open the bot and press Start. A bot can't message anyone who hasn't messaged it first, so put the link where customers see it:
- In your Instagram, TikTok and Facebook bio.
- In your ads, or as a QR code in the office and on brochures.
- On your public page, in your social links.
Make the bot look like your agency
In @BotFather, set the bot's photo with /setuserpic and the description customers see before pressing Start with /setdescription.
How Telegram differs from WhatsApp
| Telegram | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Paste one token | Meta app, verification, webhook |
| Cost | Free | Meta charges per conversation |
| Reply window | None: reply or follow up any time | 24 hours, then templates only |
| Who starts | Only the customer (presses Start) | The agency can start with templates |
| Customer's phone | Only if they share it | Always known |
| Account | A bot ("bot" shows next to its name) | Your business number |
The AI agent asks for the customer's phone number as part of qualification, so it's saved on the contact once they type it.