Running a Telegram group takes real work. New members join every day, spam bots slip through, and manually warning or banning rule-breakers gets old fast. A moderation bot fixes all of that - but most group admins stop the moment they see "requires Node.js" or "edit the config file."
BotForge removes that barrier entirely.
What BotForge generates for you
BotForge is a no-code wizard that builds a complete, production-ready Telegram bot project and downloads it as a zip. You fill in a form, pick the features you want, click Generate, and you get a self-hosted TypeScript bot that you own forever.
No monthly SaaS fee. No shared database. Your code, your server, your group data.
Step 1 - Create your bot on Telegram
Open Telegram, search for @BotFather (look for the blue checkmark), and send:
/newbotBotFather will ask for a display name and then a username ending in `bot`. Once you confirm, it sends you a token that looks like:
1234567890:ABCDefghIJKLmnoPQRstUVwxyz-1234567Copy that token - you will paste it into BotForge in a moment.
Step 2 - Fill the BotForge wizard
Go to tgbotforge.com and click Start Building. The wizard has five steps:
- **Bot Setup** - paste your token, enter your bot name and username
- **Groups** - paste the chat ID of your Telegram group (send `/id` to your group to get it)
- **Admins** - enter your Telegram user ID (send `/id` to any bot to get yours)
- **Features** - toggle everything you want: welcome messages, CAPTCHA, word filter, anti-spam, mute, ban, warn system, and more
- **Generate** - review the summary and click Generate My Bot
The generator runs entirely in your browser. Your bot token never touches any server.
Step 3 - Install Node.js
If you do not have Node.js installed, download the LTS version from nodejs.org and run the installer. Accept every default and restart your computer.
Step 4 - Run your bot
Unzip the downloaded file. Open the folder for your operating system (Windows or Mac-Linux). Double-click:
- **Windows:** `Step 2 - Start Your Bot.bat`
- **Mac/Linux:** `Step 2 - Start Your Bot.command`
A terminal window opens, installs dependencies automatically, and starts your bot. When you see `OK @yourbotname is running!` your bot is live.
Step 5 - Register commands (optional but recommended)
Double-click `Step 3 - Register Commands` for your platform. This sends your command list to Telegram so users see the `/` suggestion menu when they type in your group.
Step 6 - Add the bot to your group
- Open your Telegram group
- Tap the group name at the top → Add Members → search for your bot username
- Go to group settings → Administrators → promote your bot
- Enable: Delete Messages and Ban Users
- Message @BotFather → `/setprivacy` → select your bot → **Disable** (so the bot can read all messages for moderation)
That is it. Your bot is live and moderating your group.
What features make the biggest difference?
For most group admins, these three deliver immediate value:
- **CAPTCHA** - new members must answer a math or text question before they can speak. Kills most bot raids instantly.
- **Word Filter** - define a list of banned words. The bot deletes messages and warns the sender automatically.
- **Warn System** - `/warn @user reason` tracks strikes. At the configured limit (default 3), the bot mutes or bans automatically.
You can add all of them - and 11 more starter features - for $0.99 with a one-time Starter key.
Keep it running 24/7
If you close the terminal window, your bot stops. To keep it running in the background:
- **Windows:** when the launcher finishes, press `B` to install it as a background service via pm2
- **Linux VPS (recommended for always-on):** Railway, Render, and Fly.io all have free tiers that are enough to run a grammY bot. The included `Advanced - Hosting Guide.md` walks through each one step by step.
BotForge handles the code so you can focus on your community. Questions? Reach out at support@tgbotforge.com.