What Are Keyword Replies?
Keyword replies are automated chatbot responses that are sent when a customer types a predefined word or phrase. They help businesses answer common questions instantly, welcome new users, share product details, and guide conversations without manual assistance.
In BotSailor, each keyword can activate a visual chatbot flow containing text, images, buttons, or other actions. This makes customer communication faster, more consistent, and available even when no human agent is online.
This guide also shows how to build Telegram chatbot automation with Telegram keyword replies. The same Telegram chatbot setup can deliver Telegram automated replies whenever a customer sends a matching word or phrase.
A keyword based Telegram Chatbot works as the starting point of an automated conversation. When a user sends a specific keyword, the bot identifies the matching phrase and launches the connected chatbot flow automatically.
In this guide, we will create a simple keyword reply for a Telegram bot named Semibot . When a customer types a configured keyword such as “hi,” the bot will automatically send a welcome message.
This process is useful for creating a keyword based Telegram Chatbot that can handle customer questions, provide instant responses, and improve engagement. Businesses can also use the same setup to build a telegram search bot that helps users find information, products, services, or support options quickly.
And Telegram Chatbot is widely used due to it's no cost in messaging like WhatsApp.
Trigger keyword → Start Bot Flow → Automated text reply
Step 1: Open the BotSailor Dashboard
Log in to your BotSailor account and open the main dashboard. From the left-side navigation menu, go to Chatbot Manager .
This section allows you to view, select, and manage the messaging bots connected to your BotSailor account.
Before creating a keyword based Telegram Chatbot , make sure your Telegram account is properly connected with BotSailor. The connected bot will receive user messages and respond according to the automation rules you create.
Step 2: Select Your Connected Bot
Inside the Chatbot Manager, you will see your connected bots and accounts. Select the bot for which you want to create the keyword reply.
For this example, select the previously created Telegram bot named Semibot .
After selecting the bot, its available management options will appear on the right side of the dashboard.
Image caption: Selecting the Semibot account from the BotSailor Chatbot Manager.
A connected Telegram bot can be customized with multiple keyword-based automations. Each keyword based Telegram Chatbot can activate a different flow depending on what users type.
Step 3: Open the Automation Section
Click the Automation tab from the top menu of the selected bot.
Select Keyword Replies . This is where you can create and manage automated responses triggered by specific customer messages.
These settings are the foundation of a reliable Telegram chatbot setup: configure each trigger carefully, then connect it to the message you want the bot to send.
BotSailor uses keyword-triggered replies to start predefined chatbot flows when a subscriber sends a matching word or phrase.
This feature helps you create a powerful keyword based Telegram Chatbot where different keywords can perform different actions, such as showing product information, answering FAQs, collecting customer details, or sending notifications.
Image caption: Opening the Keyword Replies section inside BotSailor.
A properly configured keyword based Telegram Chatbot ensures that your automation starts only when users send the correct keyword or matching phrase.
Step 4: Create a New Keyword Reply
On the Keyword Replies page, click the purple + Create button located on the right side of the screen.
BotSailor will then open the visual Flow Builder, where you can configure the trigger and design the automated conversation.
Image caption: Clicking the Create button to open a new BotSailor Flow Builder.
The Flow Builder makes it simple to build a telegram chatbot auto reply system without writing any code. You can connect messages, images, buttons, and actions to create complete customer communication journeys.
When users search for information about how to create a telegram chatbot , keyword automation is one of the most useful features because it allows bots to respond instantly based on user input.
Step 5: Configure the Start Bot Flow
The new Flow Builder will initially display a Start Bot Flow block. Click or double-click this block to open the Configure Reference panel.
Complete the following settings:
Trigger Keywords
Enter the words that customers may use to activate the reply. For example:
- hello
- hi
- start
These keywords tell BotSailor when it should begin the automated flow.
Keyword Matching Type
Title
A telegram bot keyword trigger works by detecting these predefined words and connecting the user's message with the correct automation sequence. This allows businesses to create a fast and reliable response system without manually replying to every customer.
Choose one of the available matching options:
Exact keyword match:
The bot activates when the customer’s message matches one of the configured keywords.
String match:
The bot may activate when the keyword appears within a longer customer message.
For this example, select Exact keyword match .
Choosing the correct matching type is important because it determines how your telegram bot keyword trigger identifies user messages and starts the automated workflow.
Enter a clear internal title for the flow, such as:
Sanos Ice Cream Shop
The title helps you identify and manage the flow from your Keyword Replies list.
BotSailor’s official guidance similarly recommends configuring the trigger keyword, matching type, and bot title from the Start Bot Flow block.
Click Save Changes after completing the configuration.
Image caption: Adding trigger keywords, selecting the matching type, and entering a flow title.
Step 6: Add a Text Message
After saving the Start Bot Flow settings, click the connector beside Compose Next Message .
A menu containing the available Flow Builder components will appear. These may include:
- Text
- Image
- Video
- Audio
- File
- AI Reply
- User Input Flow
- HTTP API
- Condition
- Other automation components
Select Text to create a simple automated reply.
BotSailor’s visual Flow Builder allows different message components to be connected without writing code.
This makes it easier to create a telegram bot auto reply system where every customer receives an instant response after entering a specific keyword.
Image caption: Selecting the Text component from the Compose Next Message menu.
Step 7: Write the Customer Reply Message
Step 8: Save the Complete Bot Flow
Review the connection between the Start Bot Flow block and the Text block.
The flow should follow this structure:
Trigger keyword → Start Bot Flow → Automated text reply
When everything is configured correctly, click the main Save button in the upper-right corner of the Flow Builder.
This final save is important because it stores the complete keyword reply flow in your BotSailor account.
Image caption: Saving the completed keyword reply flow from the upper-right corner.
After saving, your Telegram automation is ready to work as a keyword based Telegram Chatbot. Users can send specific keywords, and the bot will automatically respond according to the flow you created.
Step 9: Test the Keyword Reply in Telegram
Final Result
You have successfully created a keyword reply in the BotSailor Flow Builder.
Whenever a customer sends one of the configured trigger keywords, Semibot will automatically deliver the prepared response.
You can follow the same process to create separate replies for keywords such as:
- Price
- Menu
- Order
- Delivery
- Location
- Support
A well-structured keyword based Telegram Chatbot can help businesses automate repetitive conversations, improve customer response time, and provide 24/7 assistance.
You can create multiple automation flows to build a complete telegram bot auto reply system for customer service, sales, marketing, and support.
Use a unique trigger and a relevant response for each flow to prevent multiple automations from responding to the same customer message.
Relevant Link: How to Connect Telegram Chatbot to BotSailor: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
