How to get incoming messages in a bot via Telegram API on php, WordPress

To receive incoming messages in a Telegram bot using the Telegram API with PHP in WordPress, follow these steps:

1. Create a Telegram Bot

1. Find the @BotFather bot in Telegram.
2. Use the /newbot command to create a new bot.
3. Follow the instructions and get the access token for your bot.

2. Set Up Webhook for the Bot

Telegram sends messages to your bot through a Webhook. Set up a URL where updates will be sent:

• Write a PHP script to handle the Webhook:

<?php
// Get the incoming data
$content = file_get_contents("php://input");
$update = json_decode($content, true);

// Check if the data contains a message
if (isset($update['message'])) {
    $chat_id = $update['message']['chat']['id'];
    $text = $update['message']['text'];

    // Example of responding to the user
    $response = [
        'chat_id' => $chat_id,
        'text' => "You sent: " . $text
    ];

    // Send the response via the Telegram API
    file_get_contents("https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/sendMessage?" . http_build_query($response));
}
?>

• Place this script on your WordPress server (e.g., in the wp-content/uploads folder).
• Set up the Webhook via a request to the Telegram API: Replace <YOUR_BOT_TOKEN> and <YOUR_DOMAIN> with the appropriate values.

https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/setWebhook?url=https://<YOUR_DOMAIN>/path/to/your/script.php

3. Add Processing in WordPress

If you want to integrate message processing directly into WordPress, you can use hooks and create a REST API handler.

Example plugin for handling Telegram Webhook:

• Create a plugin file, for example, telegram-webhook.php:

<?php
/*
Plugin Name: Telegram Webhook Handler
Description: Handle incoming Telegram messages via Webhook
Version: 1.0
Author: Your Name
*/

add_action('rest_api_init', function () {
    register_rest_route('telegram/v1', '/webhook', [
        'methods' => 'POST',
        'callback' => 'telegram_webhook_handler',
    ]);
});

function telegram_webhook_handler($request) {
    $update = $request->get_json_params();

    if (isset($update['message'])) {
        $chat_id = $update['message']['chat']['id'];
        $text = $update['message']['text'];

        // Send a message back to the user
        $response = [
            'chat_id' => $chat_id,
            'text' => "You sent: " . $text
        ];

        $token = 'YOUR_TOKEN';
        wp_remote_get("https://api.telegram.org/bot{$token}/sendMessage?" . http_build_query($response));
    }

    return rest_ensure_response(['status' => 'ok']);
}

• Activate the plugin in WordPress.
• Set the Webhook to the new URL:

https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/setWebhook?url=https://<YOUR_DOMAIN>/wp-json/telegram/v1/webhook

4. Testing

1. Send a message to your bot on Telegram.
2. Check if the bot responds correctly.
3. If errors occur, check your server logs or use debugging tools (such as Postman).