# A Telegram bot in n8n: inline buttons, menus and a Mini App button

> In n8n a bot is built from a Telegram Trigger, a branch by event type and a send node. Inline button presses arrive as callback_query and need an answer. A button that opens a Mini App is easiest to send through HTTP Request, and a bot can have only one webhook.

Date: 2026-10-30 · Source: https://oneswitch.ru/en/blog/telegram-bot-n8n-knopki-menu-mini-app/

In n8n you can build a bot without separate code: receiving messages, a menu, buttons and replies. Here is the workflow layout, button handling and a button that opens a Mini App.

## What a bot in n8n consists of

1. **Telegram Trigger**: receives updates (messages and button presses).
2. **A branch (Switch or IF)**: decides what arrived: a command, text or a button press.
3. **Processing nodes:** database queries, APIs, calculations.
4. **A Telegram send node** or **HTTP Request**: sends the reply to the user.

For the trigger to work permanently the workflow must be **activated**: test mode is only for checking, and the production webhook is registered on activation. n8n needs a public HTTPS address for that.

## Commands and menu

Commands like `/start` arrive as ordinary messages, so check the beginning of the text in your branch. Command hints in the Telegram interface are set in **@BotFather** (the `/setcommands` command): that is just a list for the user, your workflow handles the logic.

## Inline buttons

Inline buttons are sent in the message node through the keyboard setting (Reply Markup, Inline Keyboard). Each button has text and either `callback_data` or a link.

When a user presses a button with `callback_data`, Telegram sends a **callback_query** update, not a message. It contains the button data and a query identifier.

Important rules:
- **Answer the press.** You must call the answer to the callback query (in the Telegram node this is the Answer Query operation), otherwise the user sees a loading spinner on the button.
- **Parse `callback_data`** with a branch: for example `catalog:next`, `sub:on`, `sub:off`. Keep the values short: Telegram limits their length.
- **Edit the original message** instead of sending a new one when it is a page or state switch. That keeps the chat clean.

## A button that opens a Mini App

The easiest way to send a button that opens a Mini App is the **HTTP Request** node, calling the Bot API directly. The address is `https://api.telegram.org/bot<token>/sendMessage`, with a JSON body:

```json
{
  "chat_id": "{{ $json.message.chat.id }}",
  "text": "Open the catalog",
  "reply_markup": {
    "inline_keyboard": [[
      { "text": "Catalog", "web_app": { "url": "https://example.com/app" } }
    ]]
  }
}
```

The Mini App address must be reachable over HTTPS. Keep the bot token in n8n credentials, not in the node text.

## Pitfalls

- **One webhook per bot.** A bot can have only one active webhook. If you run a Telegram Trigger in n8n and also poll `getUpdates` from code or register another webhook, you get conflicts and lost messages.
- **Test and production addresses.** In test mode the webhook has a different address. Do not leave a test URL on the bot.
- **Repeated messages.** Telegram retries delivery if it did not get a quick reply. Avoid long operations before replying and protect critical actions from repeats (remember the `update_id`).
- **Sending limits.** Do not send many messages in a row: use pauses and a queue.
- **User-facing errors.** If a database query fails, send a clear message instead of leaving the bot silent.

## Where this is used

n8n runs, for example, the HotTrip AI consultant: n8n receives messages, calls tools and APIs, and replies arrive in Telegram. In projects with a Mini App the bot's buttons lead into the app. Details are in the [HotTrip](/raboty/hottrip/) and [Da Nang House](/raboty/danang-house/) projects and in [Telegram bots and Mini Apps](/uslugi/telegram-boty-i-mini-app/) and [Process automation](/uslugi/avtomatizaciya-processov/).

## FAQ

### Do I need code to build a bot in n8n?

For a typical bot, no: the menu, buttons, replies and API requests are built from nodes. You need code for non-standard logic or features the Telegram node does not have.

### Why does a button “hang” after a press?

The answer to the callback query was not sent. Add the answer operation to your workflow.

### Can I build a bot and a Mini App together?

Yes. The bot sends a button with `web_app`, the Mini App opens inside Telegram and calls your API. User data must be verified by the `initData` signature.

### What if the bot stopped receiving messages?

Check that the workflow is activated, that the bot has the right webhook set and that no other process uses the same token.