Ryan Meyer
Business Problem:
Telegram introduced Business Mode for bots in 2024 (Bot API 7.2), which allows bots to receive and reply to messages sent directly to a business's personal Telegram account — without customers needing to find or message a separate bot account.
Currently, respond.io only supports bots created via BotFather using the standard Bot API. With Business Mode support, businesses would appear as themselves in conversations rather than as a bot identity, reducing the friction customers face when trying to locate and save bot accounts as contacts.
Use Case:
A business managing customer conversations on Telegram receives frequent complaints from clients who struggle to find the bot account and are put off when they realise they are not messaging the company directly. Because bot accounts cannot be saved to a contact list, the discovery friction alone causes drop-off.
Expected Outcome:
Support for Telegram Business Mode connections in respond.io, so messages sent to a business's personal Telegram account can be received and managed within the platform