# Telegram notifications

> Send deployment, uptime and storage alerts to a Telegram chat or group by connecting it in two taps, with no bot token to create or copy.

Telegram is one of the notification channels you can add to your team, alongside Slack, Discord, email and custom webhooks. Once connected, deployment results, uptime checks and storage warnings arrive in the chat or group you choose.

Unlike most Telegram integrations, there is no bot to create and no token to copy. Ploi Cloud runs the bot, and connecting a chat takes two taps.

## Connecting a chat

1. Go to your team settings and open the **Notifications** tab.
2. Press **Add channel** and choose **Telegram** as the channel type.
3. Give the channel a name, something like "Deploy alerts", so you can tell it apart later.
4. You will see a QR code and two buttons:
   - **Open in Telegram** sends the notifications to you personally.
   - **Add to a group** lets you pick a group so your whole team sees them.
5. Telegram opens. Press **Start**, or confirm adding the bot to your group.
6. The page detects the connection by itself and shows the name of the connected chat. Press **Create channel** to finish.

If you are on a desktop and want the notifications on your phone, scan the QR code with your phone camera instead of pressing the buttons.

## Sending a test message

Once the channel exists, use the **Test** action on the channel to send yourself a sample notification. If the chat is no longer reachable, for example because the bot was removed from the group, the test tells you straight away instead of failing quietly.

## What the bot can and cannot see

The bot only receives commands addressed to it. Ordinary conversation in your group is never delivered to Ploi Cloud, and the bot cannot read your message history. It also cannot start a conversation with anyone: someone has to press Start or add it to a group first.

## Sending alerts to a different chat

Open the channel, press **Edit**, and choose **Relink chat**. You will get a fresh connection link, and the channel switches to the new chat once you connect it. Everything else about the channel, including its name, stays as it is.

## Turning notifications off

There are two ways, and both work immediately:

- Disable or delete the channel in your team notification settings.
- Remove the bot from the chat or group in Telegram. The channel is disabled automatically the moment it happens.

## Troubleshooting

**The connection link expired.** Links are valid for 15 minutes. Close the dialog and open it again for a new one.

**Nothing happened after I pressed Start.** The page checks every couple of seconds, so give it a moment. If it still does not connect, generate a new link and try again.

**The alerts stopped arriving.** Check whether the channel is still enabled. If the bot was removed from the chat, or the person who connected it blocked the bot, the channel is disabled automatically and needs reconnecting.

**I cannot add the bot to my group.** Only group members with permission to add members can do this. Ask a group admin to connect the chat instead.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to create my own Telegram bot?

No. Ploi Cloud runs the @PloiCloudBot bot for you. You press a button, Telegram opens, and the chat is connected. There is no token to create or paste.

### Can the bot read the messages in my group?

No. Privacy mode is switched on, so the bot only receives commands addressed directly to it. Normal conversation in your group is never sent to us.

### Can I send notifications to a group instead of a direct message?

Yes. Choose "Add to a group" when connecting and pick the group. Everyone in that group will see the alerts.

### How do I stop notifications?

Disable or delete the channel in your team notification settings, or simply remove the bot from the chat. Removing the bot disables the channel automatically.

### My connection link stopped working, what happened?

Connection links expire after 15 minutes for security. Close the dialog, open it again, and a fresh link is generated.