How to Create a Telegram Mini App: A Step-by-Step Guide
Telegram Mini Apps are a powerful feature of the Telegram platform that enable developers to create seamless, interactive web applications that run in the Telegram interface. These apps offer a smooth user experience and can vary from games and productivity tools to e-commerce storefronts and booking systems.
In this information, we’ll walk you through the process of telegram mini app development on your own.
🧠 What Is a Telegram Mini App?
Telegram Mini Apps are lightweight web apps launched inside Telegram chats via inline buttons or through bot commands. They are built using web related technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and connect to Telegram’s Bot API and Web Apps API.
These apps:
Run in Telegram's built-in browser
Can access user data (with permission)
Integrate seamlessly with Telegram bots
Support payment and authorization flows
🛠️ Tools & Prerequisites
Before how to get started, you’ll need:
A Telegram account
A Telegram bot (via BotFather)
Basic web design knowledge (HTML, CSS, JS)
Hosting for the web app (e.g., Vercel, Netlify, or your individual server)
Optional tools:
Node.js (for backend logic)
Web frameworks like React or Vue
📝 Step 1: Create a Telegram Bot
Open @BotFather on Telegram.
Use /newbot to make a new bot.
Choose a name and a username on your bot.
Copy the API token provided — you’ll demand it to communicate with Telegram’s servers.
🌐 Step 2: Build the Web App
You will use plain HTML/CSS/JS or possibly a frontend framework. Here’s a fairly easy example using plain HTML:
html
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Hello from Telegram Mini App!
Send Data
<br/> const tg = window.Telegram.WebApp;<br/> tg.expand(); // Makes the app take full screen<br/> <br/> function sendData() <br/> tg.sendData("Hello Telegram!");<br/> <br/>
Host this file using any static hosting provider.
⚙️ Step 3: Set Up Web App in Bot
Go to BotFather.
Use /setdomain to join up to your web app domain.
Use /setcommands to include a command like /start or /open.
In your bot code, you’ll send a keyboard button having a web_app object:
Example in Node.js (using node-telegram-bot-api):
js
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const TelegramBot = require('node-telegram-bot-api');
const token = 'YOUR_BOT_TOKEN';
const bot = new TelegramBot(token, polling: true );
bot.onText(/\/start/, (msg) =>
bot.sendMessage(msg.chat.id, "Open the mini app:",
reply_markup:
keyboard: [[ text: "Open App", web_app: url: "//yourdomain.com/app" ]],
resize_keyboard: true,
one_time_keyboard: true,
);
);
✅ Optional: Get User Data
In your frontend, you have access to Telegram user info via Telegram.WebApp.initDataUnsafe.
js
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console.log(Telegram.WebApp.initDataUnsafe.user);
Make guaranteed to validate this data on the backend using Telegram’s Web App Authorization.
💳 Bonus: Accept Payments
Telegram Mini Apps support payments via Telegram’s payment system.
Set up a payment provider via BotFather (/setpaymentoptions).
Use the Bot API’s sendInvoice solution to create payment flows.
Payments are processed securely via Telegram with support for services like Stripe.
🧪 Testing Your Mini App
Use Telegram on mobile or desktop (not the internet app).
Make sure your domain uses Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure.
Ensure your bot has access to web app features and commands.
🧩 Use Cases
Telegram Mini Apps can be used:
E-commerce (stores, carts, checkouts)
Booking and reservations
Games and entertainment
Form submissions
Personal dashboards
Telegram Mini Apps bridge the gap between messaging and fully interactive applications. By combining the reach of Telegram bots with the flexibility of web technologies, developers can build powerful experiences within the chat interface.