Telegram bot welcome message: 6 templates to copy
Your Telegram bot welcome message is the first thing someone reads after tapping Start, and it decides whether the conversation continues. This article gives you six templates to copy and adapt, the structure behind them, and how this message differs from the native welcome messages in groups and channels.
A disclosure: this blog belongs to Flow4You, a tool for building these conversations. The templates work on any platform.
Telegram bot welcome message vs. group or channel welcome
Searches for “Telegram welcome message” mix two things. In August 2026, Telegram announced native welcome messages for groups and channels: an admin sets the text from the group or channel profile, no bot needed, and only new members see it. In the Bot API changelog, version 10.3 added the matching administrator right, can_send_welcome_messages. That’s different from your bot’s first message after /start, which happens in a private chat with one person. This article is about that second one, because that’s where you can ask, sort and guide.
It’s worth using both. The group version can share the rules and point to the bot. The bot version starts the real conversation.
One rule explains why this matters: bots can’t start conversations, so someone who joined your channel gets nothing from your bot until they message it.
What a good first message needs
Four parts cover almost every case:
- Confirmation. The person knows they’re in the right place. “Hi {{lead.first_name}}! This is the Course X bot.”
- Delivery or promise. What they came for, in this message or the next one.
- One question or choice. Something easy to answer with a single tap.
- A next step in a button. Two inline buttons, rarely more than three.
What to leave out: your life story, a list of benefits, a purchase link, and a request to join three places at once.
6 templates to copy
Replace the text in square brackets with your own details. The buttons are listed at the end of each template.
Template 1: lead magnet delivery
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! Here’s the [checklist] I promised.
It takes about 10 minutes to apply. Tell me how it went when you’re done.
Buttons: Open the checklist · Got it, what’s next?
Use this when someone came for a free resource. The first button opens a link. The second continues the flow.
Template 2: qualifying question
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! Before I send the material, one quick question so I don’t send you things you already know:
Do you already [sell on Telegram]?
Buttons: I already sell · Not yet
Each button leads to an Action block that applies a tag. From there, the two groups can get different conversations.
Template 3: ad with a specific promise
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! You came from the ad about [topic].
In [3] short messages I’ll show you [what they’ll learn]. Is now a good time?
Buttons: Send it · Later, please
This only works if the ad’s link opens its own flow. Anyone who taps “Later, please” can go through a Smart Delay before the next message.
Template 4: launch with a date
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! You’re on the list for [launch name].
Enrollment opens on [date]. I’ll tell you here, before anyone else.
Want the warm-up lesson in the meantime?
Buttons: Send the lesson · Just tell me when it opens
The tag is what pays off here: on opening day, a broadcast goes to everyone with the launch tag.
Template 5: support first
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! This is [company] support.
What can I help you with?
Buttons: I want to buy · I’m already a customer · Talk to someone
“Talk to someone” goes to an operator in live chat. The guide to Telegram bot live chat shows how to set up that handover.
Template 6: referred by a partner
Hi {{lead.first_name}}! [Partner name] told me about you.
I set aside something for people who came through them: [benefit]. Want to see it?
Buttons: Show me · Tell me more first
Promise only what you agreed with the partner. With one link per partner, each one opens its own version of the flow. The Telegram bot deep link guide explains how.
Example flow: a welcome with a question, and a path for silence
Here’s Template 2 in the editor, including the path for people who don’t tap anything:
In Flow4You, message buttons have a timeout exit. Without one, someone who doesn’t tap just sits there. With one, you decide what happens next: another question, delivering the material without the question, or ending the conversation with a tag.
How to build it in Flow4You
The app’s interface is in Portuguese today, so we include the on-screen labels where they help.
- Create a flow under “Flows” (“Fluxos”). In Flow4You, a bot’s message sequence is called a flow, and the “When…” (“Quando…”) block is where it starts.
- Decide how people get in. The trigger shows the flow’s link. To also answer a plain
/start, turn on the “Also start with /start” toggle (“Iniciar também com /start”). Only one flow per bot can have it on. With none on, a plain/startopens nothing. - Add a Send Message block. Text with bold or italics, emoji and
{{variables}}. It can include an image, video or audio. - Add the buttons. Each one continues to a block or opens a link.
- Test it in the simulator, then in your own Telegram.
- Publish. Only published flows open for leads.
A small tip: the “typing…” indicator inside the message makes the second of two messages feel more natural. Use it lightly, because someone who just arrived wants their delivery fast.
Common first-message mistakes
- A silent bot on
/start. Anyone who finds your bot through Telegram search and taps Start gets nothing if no flow is set for a plain/start. Always have one. - Text that fills the screen. On a phone, the person has to scroll to reach the button, and many won’t. Cut until it fits.
- Three requests in one message. Join the channel, follow on Instagram and answer the question. Pick one.
- An offer in the first message. Someone who just arrived hasn’t received what they came for.
- A promise that changes. The ad says free lesson, and the bot opens with “Check out our plans.” People feel the switch right away.
- No exit for people who don’t tap. Without a timeout, the conversation dies quietly.
What comes after the welcome
The first message is only the door. Retention comes next, and that applies even to people who already paid. If you sell access to a VIP channel, the first days of conversation carry weight, and Track4you has a guide on how to reduce Telegram VIP churn using data on who stays and who leaves.
If you want to sell, the next step is your Telegram sales funnel. If you haven’t created the bot yet, start with how to create a Telegram bot.
To try these templates in a visual editor, Flow4You starts from R$ 99 per month. Pick one template, adapt it in ten minutes and publish. The next version comes from real conversations, not from your head.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set a welcome message on a Telegram bot?
It depends on how the bot was built. In code, you reply to the /start command. In a visual editor like Flow4You, the first message is a Send Message block right after the flow's trigger, and the flow must be published.
Can a welcome message include an image or video?
Yes. The Send Message block accepts images, video and audio as well as formatted text. Use media when it helps deliver your promise, like a short intro video, and keep the next step in a button.
Can I show a different welcome message per traffic source?
Yes. Each Flow4You flow has its own link, so your bio link can open one message and a partner's link can open another. The bot's plain /start opens only the flow marked for it.
Why doesn't my bot reply when someone taps Start?
In Flow4You, the two most common causes are that no flow has the start-with-/start option turned on, or that the flow hasn't been published yet. Check those two things before looking for anything else.
CEO - Flow4You & Track4you
Digital business strategist specialized in automation and paid traffic across many niches. Leads Flow4You (Telegram bots and flows) and Track4you (conversion tracking). Works behind the scenes of several of Brazil's largest iGaming, binary options and infoproduct operations.