🤖 n8n-nodes-telegram-multi

n8n community node for multiple Telegram bots support

This node solves the main limitation of the standard n8n Telegram node - supporting only one bot token per node. With Telegram Multi, you can use multiple bots in a single workflow with flexible authentication methods.

✨ Key Features

• 🔒 Multiple Authentication Methods: Encrypted credentials, environment variables, or direct input
• 🤖 Multiple Bot Support: Use different bots for different operations in one workflow
• 🔄 Drop-in Replacement: Compatible with standard Telegram node operations
• 🛡️ Security First: Three levels of security with token validation
• 🚀 Production Ready: Complete error handling, validation, and timeout management

📦 Installation

npm install n8n-nodes-telegram-multi

Or install directly in n8n:

1. Go to Settings → Community Nodes
2. Enter: n8n-nodes-telegram-multi
3. Install and restart n8n

🔐 Authentication Methods

1. 🔒 Encrypted Credentials (Most Secure)

Best for production use with sensitive tokens.

Authentication Method: Encrypted Credentials
Credentials: Select your Telegram Multi API credentials

2. 🔧 Environment Variable (Recommended)

Perfect for multiple bots and dynamic selection.

Authentication Method: Environment Variable
Environment Token: {{$env.BOT_TOKEN_NEWS}}

3. ⚠️ Direct Input (Development Only)

Quick testing only - not recommended for production.

Authentication Method: Direct Input  
Bot Token: 123456789:ABCdef...

🚀 Use Cases & Examples

Example 1: Multiple News Channels

Use different bots for different content categories:

// Function Node - Determine category
const category = $json.title.includes('crypto') ? 'crypto' : 'tech';

return {
  botToken: category === 'crypto' ? $env.BOT_TOKEN_CRYPTO : $env.BOT_TOKEN_TECH,
  chatId: category === 'crypto' ? '@crypto_news' : '@tech_news',
  message: $json.title
};

// Telegram Multi Node
Authentication Method: Environment Variable
Environment Token: {{$json.botToken}}
Resource: Message
Operation: Send  
Chat ID: {{$json.chatId}}
Text: {{$json.message}}

Example 2: Alert Priorities

Route different alert levels to different bots:

// Function Node - Alert routing
const alertBots = {
  'critical': $env.BOT_TOKEN_ALERTS,
  'warning': $env.BOT_TOKEN_WARNINGS, 
  'info': $env.BOT_TOKEN_INFO
};

return {
  botToken: alertBots[$json.severity],
  chatId: $json.severity === 'critical' ? '@critical_alerts' : '@general_alerts'
};

Example 3: Multi-tenant System

Different bots for different customers:

// Function Node - Customer routing
const customerBots = {
  'customer_a': $env.BOT_TOKEN_CUSTOMER_A,
  'customer_b': $env.BOT_TOKEN_CUSTOMER_B,
  'customer_c': $env.BOT_TOKEN_CUSTOMER_C
};

return {
  botToken: customerBots[$json.customer_id],
  chatId: $json.notification_chat
};

📋 Supported Operations

Message Operations

• Send: Send text messages with formatting
• Edit: Edit existing messages
• Delete: Delete messages

Photo Operations

• Send: Send photos with captions

Document Operations

• Send: Send documents with captions

Chat Operations

• Get: Get chat information
• Get Administrators: Get list of chat administrators

⚙️ Configuration Options

Additional Fields

All operations support these additional options:

• Parse Mode: HTML, Markdown, or MarkdownV2
• Caption: For photos and documents
• Disable Web Page Preview: Hide link previews
• Disable Notification: Send silently
• Reply to Message ID: Reply to specific message

Chat ID Formats

The node supports multiple chat ID formats:

• Numeric ID: 123456789 (private chat)
• Negative ID: -123456789 (group)
• Username: @channel_name (public channel/group)

🔧 Environment Variables Setup

Create a .env file or set environment variables:

# Multiple bot tokens for different purposes
BOT_TOKEN_NEWS=1234567890:ABCDEF...
BOT_TOKEN_ALERTS=9876543210:GHIJKL...  
BOT_TOKEN_CRYPTO=5555555555:MNOPQR...
BOT_TOKEN_MINING=7777777777:STUVWX...
BOT_TOKEN_PERSONAL=3333333333:YZABCD...

🛡️ Security & Validation

The node includes comprehensive security features:

• Token Validation: Ensures proper Telegram bot token format
• Chat ID Validation: Validates numeric IDs and usernames
• Input Sanitization: Prevents XSS and API issues
• Error Handling: Network errors, timeouts, API errors
• Rate Limiting: Built-in Telegram API rate limit support

📊 Comparison with Other Solutions

| Approach | Security | Convenience | Flexibility | Recommendation | |----------|----------|-------------|-------------|----------------| | HTTP Request | 🔒🔒 | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | For complex cases | | Standard Telegram | 🔒🔒🔒🔒 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ | For single bot | | Telegram Multi | 🔒🔒🔒🔒 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Best choice |

🚨 Error Handling

The node provides detailed error messages for common issues:

• Invalid bot token format
• Invalid chat ID format
• Network connectivity issues
• Telegram API errors
• Message length limits
• Rate limiting

Enable "Continue on Fail" in node settings to handle errors gracefully.

🔄 Migration from Standard Telegram Node

Migrating is simple:

1. Replace Telegram node with Telegram Multi
2. Set Authentication Method to "Encrypted Credentials"
3. Select your existing Telegram credentials
4. All other settings remain the same

📈 Advanced Examples

Dynamic Bot Selection

// Function Node - Advanced routing logic
const time = new Date().getHours();
const isWeekend = [0, 6].includes(new Date().getDay());
const priority = $json.priority;

let selectedBot;
if (priority === 'urgent') {
  selectedBot = $env.BOT_TOKEN_URGENT;
} else if (isWeekend || time < 8 || time > 18) {
  selectedBot = $env.BOT_TOKEN_AFTER_HOURS;
} else {
  selectedBot = $env.BOT_TOKEN_BUSINESS;
}

return { botToken: selectedBot };

Conditional Formatting

// Function Node - Message formatting
const status = $json.status;
const emoji = status === 'success' ? '✅' : status === 'error' ? '❌' : '⚠️';
const parseMode = $json.includeHtml ? 'HTML' : 'Markdown';

return {
  text: `${emoji} <b>Status:</b> ${status}\n<i>Details:</i> ${$json.details}`,
  parse_mode: parseMode
};

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Invalid bot token format"

• Ensure token follows format: 123456789:ABCdef...
• Check for extra spaces or characters

"Chat not found"

• Verify chat ID format (@username or -123456789)
• Ensure bot has access to the chat

"Environment variable not found"

• Check variable spelling: {{$env.BOT_TOKEN_NAME}}
• Verify environment variable is set

"Request timeout"

• Check network connectivity
• Try reducing message size

💡 Best Practices

1. Use Environment Variables for production deployments
2. Enable Error Handling with "Continue on Fail"
3. Validate Chat IDs before sending messages
4. Monitor Rate Limits for high-volume workflows
5. Test Thoroughly in development environment first

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

🙋‍♂️ Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: n8n Community Forum
• Telegram API: Official Documentation

🎉 Changelog

v0.1.0

• Initial release
• Multiple authentication methods
• All basic Telegram operations
• Comprehensive error handling
• Full documentation and examples

Made with ❤️ for the n8n community