Is creating a bot in BotFather free?

Yes. Creating a bot and getting its token costs nothing, and by default bots message their users at no cost.

Can I change the bot's username later?

No. The name people see can be changed any time, but the username (the part ending in “bot”) can't, so choose it carefully.

Where do I find the token again?

In BotFather: send /mybots, choose the bot and open API Token.

How do I get a chat ID?

You need a chat ID only when you write code that sends messages: it arrives with every message your bot receives (message.chat.id). With a builder like GramForge you don't need it.

BotFather is Telegram's official bot for creating and managing bots. In it you create a bot, get its token and change its name, picture and commands. It doesn't give the bot any behaviour: for that you need code or a builder like GramForge.

How to create a Telegram bot with BotFather and get its token

Updated November 2, 2026

Short answer: open @BotFather in Telegram, send /newbot, enter a display name and a username that ends in “bot”. BotFather replies with your bot's link and its token, a long code like 110201543:AAHdqTc…. That's the bot account. It does nothing until you connect logic to it: your own code, or a builder where you paste the token. Creating a bot is free.

Step by step

In Telegram, search for @BotFather and open the official account with the blue check mark. Tap Start.
Send /newbot.
Enter the bot's name, the one people see in chats, for example “Anna's Nails”. You can change it any time.
Enter a username: 5–32 Latin letters, digits or underscores, ending in “bot”, for example annas_nails_bot. It must be unique and can't be changed later.
BotFather sends the link t.me/annas_nails_bot and the token. Copy the token.

Keep the token safe

The token gives full control of the bot. Don't post it or send it to anyone except the service that runs your bot.
If it leaks, open BotFather, send /mybots, choose the bot, then API Token → Revoke current token. The old token stops working at once.
After a revoke, update the token wherever the bot runs, or the bot stops answering.

Useful BotFather settings

/setdescription: the text people see before they press Start, up to 512 characters.
/setabouttext: the short bio on the bot's profile, up to 120 characters.
/setuserpic: the bot's profile picture.
/setcommands: the command menu, such as /book or /prices.
Payments (in /mybots → Bot Settings): connect a card payment provider if the bot will take card payments.

Next: give the bot something to do

A new bot stays silent. To book clients, take orders or answer questions, it needs logic and a server that runs it 24/7. With code, that's a library such as python-telegram-bot plus your own hosting. Without code, you paste the token into a builder.

On gramforge.io you describe your business in plain words and the bot is built in about a minute. Then tap once, and GramForge creates the bot on your own Telegram account: no BotFather, no token to copy. If you'd rather use a bot you already made in BotFather, open the ready bot in your dashboard, paste its token and press Connect. Either way, press “Become the owner” and tap Start in the bot, so bookings and questions come to you. The bot's description and commands are filled in from what you wrote.

Questions and answers

Is creating a bot in BotFather free?: Yes. Creating a bot and getting its token costs nothing, and by default bots message their users at no cost.
Can I change the bot's username later?: No. The name people see can be changed any time, but the username (the part ending in “bot”) can't, so choose it carefully.
Where do I find the token again?: In BotFather: send /mybots, choose the bot and open API Token.
How do I get a chat ID?: You need a chat ID only when you write code that sends messages: it arrives with every message your bot receives (message.chat.id). With a builder like GramForge you don't need it.
What is BotFather?: BotFather is Telegram's official bot for creating and managing bots. In it you create a bot, get its token and change its name, picture and commands. It doesn't give the bot any behaviour: for that you need code or a builder like GramForge.

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