A Telegram connection is one channel or one group. Ocoya posts through the Ocoya bot, which you add to that chat as an admin. There is no Telegram sign-in and nothing to copy into Ocoya.
Before you start
You need to be an admin of the channel or group, with permission to add admins.
Connect Telegram
Connecting takes two steps: add the Ocoya bot to your chat as an admin, then send it a message Ocoya gives you. There is no Telegram sign-in.
Start in Ocoya: select Channels in the left sidebar, then Connect channel, and pick Telegram. Keep the window open while you work in Telegram.
Step 1: Add the Ocoya bot as an admin
The window offers two ways to do this. Both give the same result.
Works everywhere: the Telegram phone app, the desktop app, and Telegram Web.
Open the chat's admin settings
In Telegram, open your channel or group and go to Manage → Administrators → Add Admin.
Find the bot
Search for the bot username shown in the Ocoya window, for example @ocoya_bot, and select it.
Save
In a channel, leave Post messages on. Turn on Delete messages too, so the bot can remove the connect message for you. Then save.
One click, but only works when the Telegram desktop app is installed on the computer you’re using. Telegram Web shows the chat picker but ignores what you pick.
Choose the kind of chat
In the Ocoya window, select Telegram app, then Add to channel or Add to group.
Pick the chat
The Telegram app opens and asks which chat to add the bot to. The right permissions are already ticked. Confirm.
Step 2: Send the connect message
Copy the /connect message from the Ocoya window and send it in the same channel or group. Within a few seconds the bot deletes the message, the Ocoya window closes, and the chat appears on your Channels page.
The connect message works for 15 minutes. If it expires, select Get a new code.
How posts appear
In a channel, posts appear under the channel’s own name and picture, the same as posts you write yourself. In a group, they appear as messages from the Ocoya bot.
To stop Ocoya posting, disconnect the chat in Ocoya or remove the bot from the chat.
What you can post
| Post type | Supported |
|---|---|
| Text post | Yes, no image needed |
| Images | Yes, up to 10 |
| Video | Yes, up to 10 |
| Images and video together | Yes, up to 10 in one album |
| GIF | Yes, one per post, on its own |
Telegram’s limits
| Limit | |
|---|---|
| Post text | 4,096 characters |
| Caption on media | 1,024 characters |
| Images | 10 MB each |
| Video and GIF | 50 MB each |
Long captions on media
Telegram allows only 1,024 characters under a photo or video. When your caption is longer, Ocoya posts the media first and the text straight after it, as a reply to the media. Subscribers see the two together.
Common problems
“The message stayed in the chat and nothing connected.” The bot isn’t in the chat, or it isn’t an admin. In a channel it needs Post messages. Add it again using the Manually steps above, then send the message again.
“Nothing happens when I select Add to channel or Add to group.” Those buttons need the Telegram desktop app installed. Use the Manually steps instead. They work in Telegram Web too.
“The bot says the code expired.” Codes last 15 minutes. Close the Ocoya window, start again, and send the new message.
“The /connect message didn’t disappear.” The bot doesn’t have Delete messages. The chat is still connected; delete the message yourself.
“Posts stopped appearing.” Someone removed the bot or took away its permission to post. Ocoya marks the channel as needing attention. Add the bot back and send a new connect message. See Reconnect a channel.