Telegram Business without Premium: how to connect a chatbot to your account
Short answer: since May 7, 2026, any Telegram user can connect a bot to their profile so that it answers messages on their behalf. In Telegram, open Settings, then Profile, then Chat automation, enter the bot's username and choose which chats it may access. According to Telegram, connecting a business bot no longer requires Premium. The bot needs Business Mode switched on in @BotFather. With Mavibot, you connect the bot by its token, enable Business Mode, and add the bot in Chat automation. You can step into any conversation yourself at any time.
Several popular guides to Telegram Business still describe it as a Premium feature. That was true when Telegram launched Business in March 2024, when its features were available to Premium subscribers. Below are the steps for connecting a bot, in the order Telegram's own documentation requires.
What changed on May 7, 2026
Telegram's announcement of May 7 says that every user can connect a bot to their profile and let it respond to messages on their behalf. When you connect it, you choose which chats it can access, for example excluding all chats with your contacts, or answering only new chats. The setting is called Chat automation. You may know the same feature as Telegram Business, its older name, so a bot on a "Telegram Business account" means the same thing.
The technical documentation agrees about Premium. Telegram's page for developers states that connecting a business bot does not require Telegram Premium. The other Telegram Business tools may be priced differently: in 2024 they were part of Premium.
Where Chat automation is and what you can set
In Telegram, go to Settings, then Profile. Chat automation sits there with a "NEW" label and shows Off until you connect a bot.
Inside, you enter the bot's link or username and decide where it may answer:
- All private chats except... The bot answers everywhere except the chats or whole chat categories you exclude.
- Only selected chats. The bot answers only in the chats you pick.
If you want a bot that never touches your friends and family, exclude them here before you switch anything else on.
What the bot does, and the 24-hour window
The bot answers incoming messages from your account and handles routine requests such as product consultations and frequently asked questions. You can take over at any moment without turning the bot off, so a client who needs a person gets one.
Mavibot's documentation adds one rule to remember: Telegram gives the bot a 24-hour window. Once a person sends a first message, the bot can answer and continue the conversation. The window restarts every time the person replies. If they don't reply within 24 hours, the window closes, and the bot can't send anything else until they write again.
Three ways to automate Telegram for business
| Regular bot | Chat automation (business bot) | Personal account connection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who the client talks to | The bot, under its own username | Your account, answered by the bot | Your account, as a regular person |
| What you connect in Mavibot | The bot token from @BotFather | The same bot, with Business Mode on | Phone number, API ID and API hash from my.telegram.org |
| Main limit or risk | The client has to find and open the bot | The 24-hour window | Telegram limits: 40 messages to different chats per day, 200 contacts, then at most 15 added by hand per day. Going over can mean a temporary block or a permanent ban |
| Where we'd use it | Funnels, broadcasts, payments | Clients who already write to your personal account | Rarely, and not for mailings |
Mavibot's own connection screen for a personal account says the same about the risk: it recommends using a bot for mailings and keeping the account for live conversations.
How to connect a bot to Chat automation with Mavibot
- Connect the bot to Mavibot. Open the Messengers section, then Channels, and paste the token you got from @BotFather. The window asks for the token only.
![Mavibot's Connect Telegram window asking for the bot token from BotFather](IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER: the user's screenshot of Mavibot's "Connect Telegram" window with the Token field and the "Where to get the token" panel)
- Switch on Business Mode in @BotFather. Open the bot's settings and press "Business Mode". Telegram won't let you connect a bot that isn't in business mode.
- Add the bot in Telegram. Go to Settings, Profile, Chat automation. Enter the bot's link or username (Mavibot's documentation prefers the link), choose the chats it can access and, if Telegram shows a permission to reply to messages, switch it on.
- Refresh the bot in Mavibot. If the bot was already connected, open its settings in Channels and click Done. The channel settings then show the Business ID and the name of the account owner.
To turn it off, open the bot's settings in Channels and click "Disable Business Account". The bot keeps working in its normal mode.
Mavibot's documentation lists the steps in a different order, with BotFather last. We put Business Mode first because Telegram's developer documentation says it refuses to connect a bot that doesn't have it. Test with a second account before you let the bot answer real clients.
Which option we'd choose
We'd keep a regular bot for funnels, broadcasts and payments, where the client comes to the bot on purpose. Chat automation fits the opposite case: people already write to your personal account, and you want a bot to cover the repetitive questions without moving them anywhere. The personal account connection is the one we'd avoid unless you have a specific reason. A permanent ban is a high price for a mailing.
If you're deciding how to build the bot itself, see what a Telegram bot for business does and how to build one and our comparison of no-code Telegram bot builders.
Try it with your own bot
Start free if you don't have a Mavibot project yet, connect your bot with its token, and follow the steps above. For other channels, look at Mavibot's chatbot builder.
Frequently asked questions
What is Telegram Business?
Telegram Business is a set of tools for personal accounts to handle customer chats, including connecting a bot that answers messages on your behalf. The bot feature is now called Chat automation.
Does Telegram Business need Premium to connect a chatbot?
No, according to Telegram. Since May 7, 2026, any user can connect a bot to their profile, and Telegram's developer documentation states that connecting a business bot does not require Premium. Other Telegram Business tools may be priced differently.
Where is Chat automation in Telegram?
Open Settings, then Profile, then Chat automation. It shows Off until you enter the username or link of a bot.
Can the bot answer all my Telegram chats?
You choose. It can answer all private chats except the ones you exclude, or only the chats you select. You can also exclude entire chat categories.
Can I take over a conversation from the bot?
Yes. You can switch back to manual communication at any time without turning the bot off.
What is the 24-hour window in Telegram Business?
After a person sends a first message, the bot has 24 hours to reply and continue the conversation. The window restarts each time the person replies. If they don't reply within 24 hours, the bot can't send more messages until they write again.
Do I need to enable Business Mode in BotFather?
Yes. A bot has to be in business mode to be connected to an account, and Telegram refuses to connect a bot that isn't. In @BotFather, open the bot's settings and press Business Mode.
What is the difference between a Telegram bot and a personal account connection?
A bot answers under its own username. A personal account connection lets you message clients as a regular person, but Telegram limits it to 40 messages to different chats per day, and going over the limits can lead to a temporary block or a permanent ban of the account.
How do I turn the business bot off in Mavibot?
Open the bot's settings in Channels and click "Disable Business Account". The bot continues to work in its normal mode.