Comparing Bots and Accounts¶
For receiving requests and communicating in chats with Telegram users in the Hotline system, you can connect both bots and user accounts.
The general principle of the system remains the same for both bots and accounts, but each connection type has its own features and capabilities.
Different connections can be combined
Often an optimal solution may be using both connection types simultaneously in a project. For example, an account for receiving and processing requests by the team, as well as outgoing correspondence, and a bot for notification broadcasts and automated scenarios.
Features When Connecting Bots¶
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Easy to create and connect new bots
A new bot is easily created in a few clicks through the Telegram bot @BotFather, where its name, description, image are set and a token for connection is obtained. You can easily make any number of bots for any purpose. -
✅ Can make mass notifications in any quantity
Bots are not blocked for sending identical messages, so they can safely send any number of messages. -
✅ Can expand functionality with parallel connections or through webapp
Bots can be connected in parallel to constructors like n8n or your own scripts, so in the bot welcome you can show buttons and use additional handlers for the message flow (parse for forbidden phrases, recognize images, use AI assistants, etc.). You can connect ready-made external modules like stores, and use any other bot capabilities. -
❌ Cannot write first to users
A bot cannot start a dialogue with a user who has never interacted with it. If you need to write to a person first — connect a user account to Hotline and use it. -
❌ Cannot show stories to users
Bots can only broadcast messages to their users, but they cannot keep users' attention with stories. -
✅ Saving communication in case of failures
User communication systems through bots may require function backup. With Hotline, messages will not be lost in case of your bot failures. And due to the possibility of parallel connection, our system can act not only as the main tool for communicating through bots, but also as a backup.
Features When Connecting Accounts¶
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Registering a new account requires a separate phone number
Obtaining an additional phone number is not always a simple task, but for a number of cases adding personal accounts to communication methods can give significant advantages. -
Highly undesirable to use accounts for mass broadcasts
Even if several users complain about your messages, Telegram may temporarily block the account (usually for 24 hours), and with repeated violations — increase the term.Warning, BAN possible!
With regular spam complaints or serious violations, you can get a permanent ban and lose your Telegram account forever.
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✅ Can write first to other users and even bots, monitor groups and channels
When connecting an account, the new dialogue creation function with a user or bot becomes available, and chat work capabilities are expanded. -
✅ Can show stories to users
All users who have ever interacted with the connected account can be shown stories, which can significantly increase their engagement level, help additionally keep the audience's attention on the project (to show stories you'll need to purchase a Telegram Premium subscription). -
✅ Can use webapp links with additional functionality
Unlike bots, when using accounts there's currently no ability to easily extend their functionality with buttons yourself (only within custom development), but you can use prominent webapp links. -
✅ Can accept voice calls
Simultaneously with connecting an account to Hotline, you can connect a Telegram gateway for voice calls to it — accept calls from anywhere in the world. -
✅ Can use API with actions for accounts
For example, our API allows programmatically managing groups in Telegram, creating, deleting and managing their participants. -
Operators can continue work without using backend group
Sometimes it's convenient for operators to continue work with clients without using the backend group, but management prefers to control their work through the backend group. -
Using extensions through Telegram Bot API
In this mode of relaying messages to the backend group, any bot added to the group will be able to see all incoming messages from users. This mode is convenient for implementing custom extension bots, AI assistants on the working group side through the standard Telegram Bot API.