Telegram
Telegram is the quickest channel to set up, and you can do all of it yourself.
Create the bot
- Open Telegram and start a chat with @BotFather.
- Send /newbot.
- It asks for a display name — what customers see, for example your shop's
name.
- Then a username, which must end in bot (for example
yangonmobilebot).
- BotFather replies with a long token. Copy it.
Connect it
In Parrot go to Channels → Telegram → Connect and paste the token. Parrot does the rest of the setup for you, and tells you if anything failed.
Test it
Open t.me/your_bot_username and send it /start. Your message appears in the Inbox — replying to it there is the real test.
A bot cannot message someone first. Telegram only delivers a bot's messages
to people who have messaged that bot before, so nothing can be sent until a
customer writes in. This is Telegram's rule, not a limitation of Parrot.
Put your t.me link on your Facebook page, your website and your printed materials — customers have to start the conversation.
When nothing arrives
Use Check connection on the Channels page. It asks Telegram directly and reports:
| What it shows | What it means |
|---|---|
| Credentials accepted | The token works and Telegram recognises your bot |
| Delivering to … | Where Telegram is actually sending messages. If this is not Parrot, they are going somewhere else |
| Provider's last delivery error | Telegram's own explanation — usually the fastest answer |
"Updates waiting because delivery is failing" means Telegram is holding messages it could not hand over. They arrive once delivery works again.
Buttons you add in a Flow appear as tappable inline keyboards.