Forum topics

A feed, phrase or follow automation can route its messages into a forum topic of its group, instead of General.

The three kinds

Topic kinds

A kind left unset routes to the group's General.

How the bot knows a topic

The bot learns a topic's name when it sees the topic created, renamed, or posted in. To check an id it hasn't seen, it posts a message into that topic and deletes it right away; if Telegram refuses, the topic doesn't exist. Topic id 1 is General.

The Topics popup lists every topic the bot has seen for the group ("tap one to use it"), or you can type a topic id and let the popup check it.

The popup also says whether topics are turned on in the group. Routing only works when they are.

When a topic is missing

No fallback to General

A topic that no longer exists — deleted, or never valid — does not fall back to General. The message fails and nothing reaches the group.

Nothing tells the owner; the post is not retried.

Re-point the automation at a valid topic, or clear it back to General, in the Topics popup.

Setting a topic

The Topics button — a speech-bubble icon, next to Edit — on each automation's card opens the popup for that automation: the group's title, whether topics are on, a dropdown of the kinds the automation offers, the current topic for each kind with a clear control, and the topics already seen.

Set a topic for one automation

1. Open the automation's card and click the Topics button.
2. Pick a kind from the dropdown — the kinds offered depend on the automation's type.
3. Tap a topic from "Topics the bot has seen", or type its id.
4. Repeat for any other kind.
5. Save.

Set topics for every follow tracker in one group at once

1. Click the gear icon ("Group topic settings") next to the automations list.
2. Pick Follow Tracker — the only type this flow covers.
3. Pick the group, from the forum groups that already contain a follow tracker.
4. Assign kinds as above, or click "Clear topic settings" to reset them all.
5. Save.