Backup system for Telegram support or sales bots¶
Protect your business from possible failures when communicating with clients — use Hotline CRM as a backup system with parallel connection to your bots.
- Parallel session saves all incoming and outgoing messages in real time without interrupting the operation of the main system in your backend group
- Alternative interface for communication through Telegram topic groups — supports all main message formats and is often more convenient than web cabinets
- You can switch to working through Hotline at any moment if the main system fails
Use the free version of the system for testing right now!¶
Start now with Hotline Free CRM
Why this is critically important¶
Any system can fail at the worst possible moment, and this can lead to serious losses — loss of customers, failed deals, reputational risks. When your main channel of communication with customers is unavailable even for a few minutes, every second counts.
Hotline CRM provides a unique tool for backing up bot communication systems, as it can connect as a parallel session to your bots. You can send the bot token to Hotline, and this will not terminate your bot's existing session through BotAPI — both systems will continue to work simultaneously.
Learn more about parallel bot connection
How parallel bot backup works¶
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Continuous duplication¶
Through parallel connection, Hotline backs up your communication system with users, saving in real time all messages passing through your bot or account in the Telegram backend group.
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Instant switching¶
If the main system fails, the team can instantly switch to working through Hotline without losing the context of conversations. Clients won't even notice that you're working through a backup system.
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Alternative interface¶
Hotline provides an alternative interface for communication through the native topic groups interface. This is often much more convenient than web cabinets, especially when working from mobile devices and for those who want to keep the Telegram context when communicating, not switch to external systems.
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Reliable infrastructure¶
The Hotline system is truly reliable — our infrastructure is one of the best in its class, built on reliable servers in a Google Cloud data center in the Netherlands, which ensures excellent connectivity with Telegram's main European data center in case of regional failures or blocking.
Additional Hotline capabilities¶
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Native Telegram features: search, pins, notifications, scheduled messages, etc. (1)
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Inherits many Telegram features available in forum groups, making work familiar and convenient.
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All Telegram media: photos, videos, files, voice messages, video messages (1)
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Full support for all types of content that can be sent and received in Telegram, including media grouping.
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Connects to your bots and personal accounts (1)
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Bots and accounts in Telegram have their own advantages and disadvantages. Hotline allows you to work with both types and even combine them within a single project.
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Quick replies and message templates (1)
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Create and use templates for frequently used responses to speed up operator work and standardize communication.
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Broadcast messages and mass mailings (1)
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Send messages to multiple contacts or segments simultaneously using the broadcast module.
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Contact segmentation and filtering (1)
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Create dynamic segments based on contact properties, tags and interaction history for targeted communications.
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Unlimited managers, operators and dialogs (1)
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The system has no limits on team size. The number of employees doesn't affect cost at all. Everyone added to the backend group can work with dialogs with assigned roles.
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Quick self-service setup via bot in 5 minutes (1)
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Connection takes no more than 5 minutes through our setup bot. All connection settings are configured directly in the bot.
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Analytics and reporting (1)
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Track key metrics, response times, operator performance and customer satisfaction levels.
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API and webhooks for integrations (1)
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Connect external systems via webhooks and API to automate workflows and integrate with your existing tools.
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Privacy protection and data hiding features (1)
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Built-in tools for hiding sensitive information, controlling access to customer data and restricting information leaks.
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Connection parameters¶
Connection parameters define the necessary system behavior for various cases and are set through the setup bot @hotlinetg_bot after selecting the desired connection.
Main parameters used when setting up Hotline as a backup communication system with users¶
Disabling system greeting:
WELCOME
Welcome message that user receives on first contact and when their request was closed (switched to /close status). Can be completely disabled on paid version. Free version requires Hotline link in welcome message.
Default value: standard welcome message in English.
Disabling error message notifications:
SILENT_MODE
Whether to show clients possible errors when processing their messages.
Default value: show errors.
Disabling auto-close topic timeout:
AUTOCLOSE
Dialog auto-close period after last operator response, specified in hours.
If topic with user was closed, they'll receive welcome message from WELCOME parameter on next contact. Free version has maximum auto-close period of 48 hours.
Default value: 48 hours.
Testing parallel connection¶
You can try the parallel connection principle yourself on the free version of the system before implementing it in production. This functionality is fully described in the system documentation.
If needed, you can order a setup consultation for help configuring a backup system for your processes.
Disabling greeting
For production use, it's important to disable welcome messages so clients don't receive duplicate notifications. This feature is available on paid plans.
Frequently asked questions¶
How to set up a backup bot in Telegram for support or sales?
The easiest way: connect your bot to Hotline via @hotlinetg_bot, disable unnecessary greetings and check that messages are duplicated in the backend group. After this, you already have a working backup circuit.
Who is suitable for a case with a backup bot system?
First of all, for experts, small support departments and small sales teams where there is no IT shift on duty. If the main channel goes down, you can quickly continue working through the Hotline.
What restrictions are important to consider when launching a backup scheme?
It is important to determine in advance: who switches the team to backup mode, which messages are considered priority, and who responds to clients at the time of failure. Then there will be no duplicates and confusion.
Is it possible to integrate the backup loop with CRM or Helpdesk?
Yes. Through webhooks and integrations, you can transfer requests to CRM or helpdesk and maintain a single context for the client even when switching to a backup channel.
How to ensure data security when working through a backup bot?
Use a closed backend group, grant access only to the necessary operators, and set rules for working with message history. This is especially important if the team has few people and roles overlap.
How much does it cost to implement a backup scheme and what does the price depend on?
Usually the basic startup is done quickly: first, connect and check the backup mode, then do additional configuration. The cost depends on the volume of dialogs, required parameters and integrations.
What KPIs show that the backup bot is working effectively?
For small teams, 4 metrics are sufficient: first response time, number of missed calls, failover speed, and the percentage of conversations where the client received a response without delay.
Related cases¶
Learn more about other examples of system applications from other Hotline use cases: