# Telegram Bot API commands: setMyCommands and the command menu

The command format, the menu through BotFather and setMyCommands, scopes, languages and the start parameter.

https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/bot-commands

Updated 2026-10-02 · 7 min read

A bot command is a word that starts with a slash, such as `/start`: the bot receives it as an ordinary message and decides what to do. For commands to show up as suggestions and in the menu next to the input field, you have to set the list yourself. There are two ways: the `/setcommands` command in [@BotFather](https://t.me/botfather), or the Bot API method `setMyCommands`. The list only hints to people what they can type; your bot's program handles the commands.

## What a command looks like

According to Telegram's documentation, a command always starts with `/` and has up to 32 characters: Latin letters, numbers and underscores. Simple lowercase words such as `/next` or `/cancel` are recommended. Be specific: `/newrule` is clearer than a `/new` that has to ask «new what?».

Telegram apps do three things with commands:

- highlight a command in messages, and tapping it sends the command again;
- show a list of suggestions with descriptions when a user types `/`;
- show a menu button next to the input field with all or some of the bot's commands.

Telegram asks every bot to support three global commands: `/start` (begins the interaction; a parameter from a link also arrives here), `/help` (a help message) and `/settings` (the user's settings, if there are any).

## How to set the command list in BotFather

1. Open a chat with [@BotFather](https://t.me/botfather) and send `/setcommands`.
2. Choose your bot.
3. Send the list, one command per line, in the form `command - description`.

An example of three lines: `start - Start the bot`, `help - Help`, `settings - Settings`.

BotFather's other commands and the `/mybots` settings menu are covered in [how to create a Telegram bot](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/create-telegram-bot).

## setMyCommands: setting the list from code

The `setMyCommands` method changes the list of the bot's commands. Its parameters:

- `commands` — required. A list of `BotCommand` objects, at most 100. Each has a `command` (1–32 characters: lowercase Latin letters, digits and underscores, without the slash) and a `description` (1–256 characters).
- `scope` — who the list is for. The default is `BotCommandScopeDefault`, which means everyone.
- `language_code` — a two-letter ISO 639-1 language code. If it is empty, the list applies to all users in that scope whose language has no list of its own.

An example request:

`curl "https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/setMyCommands" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"commands":[{"command":"start","description":"Start the bot"},{"command":"help","description":"Help"}]}'`

On success the response has `"result": true`. The method sets the whole list, so send all the commands at once. `getMyCommands` reads the current list and `deleteMyCommands` removes it: after a deletion, the affected users are shown the commands of a wider scope.

## Scopes and languages: different commands for different people

You can show different commands to different users. Seven scopes are supported:

| Scope | Who it covers |
| --- | --- |
| `default` | everyone who has no narrower list |
| `all_private_chats` | every private chat with the bot |
| `all_group_chats` | all groups and supergroups |
| `all_chat_administrators` | the administrators of all groups |
| `chat` | one specific chat (needs `chat_id`) |
| `chat_administrators` | the administrators of one group (needs `chat_id`) |
| `chat_member` | one member of a group (needs `chat_id` and `user_id`) |

Telegram works out which list a person sees by going through the scopes in order and returning the first list that is set. In a private chat with the bot it checks `chat`, then `all_private_chats`, then `default`. In groups it checks `chat_member`, `chat_administrators` (administrators only), `chat`, `all_chat_administrators` (administrators only), `all_group_chats` and `default`. At each step it looks first for a list with the user's `language_code` and then for one without a language.

In practice this means a list for `all_private_chats` overrides `default` in private chats, and if you set a list for one language, people with that language see it instead of the general one.

## How a bot receives a command

A command arrives in an ordinary `message` update: `text` holds `/start`, and `entities` contains an entity of the type `bot_command`. In groups a command is addressed to a particular bot with an `@`: `/command@bot_username`. If the bot has privacy mode on, in a group it sees only the commands meant for it, and general commands such as `/start` when it was the last bot to write in that group.

> **Important:** The list of commands you set verifies nothing. An update carries no information about the scope of a command, and it can even contain a command your bot doesn't have. Telegram advises always checking on your side that the command exists and that the person may use it.

## The /start command with a parameter

A bot's link opens a chat with it: `https://t.me/<bot_username>`. You can add a `start` parameter, and the bot receives it together with the command:

- the link `https://t.me/your_bot?start=airplane` sends the bot `/start airplane`;
- the allowed characters are `A-Z`, `a-z`, `0-9`, `_` and `-`, up to 64 characters; Telegram recommends encoding binary and other content with base64url;
- a link with the `startgroup` parameter asks the user to choose a group to add the bot to, and the bot receives `/start@your_bot spaceship`.

Bots' referral links are built on the `start` parameter too: see [referral links in Telegram](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/referral-links).

## Why the commands don't show in the menu

- **The list isn't set.** Until you call `setMyCommands` or `/setcommands`, there are no suggestions.
- **A narrower scope overrides it.** A list for `all_private_chats`, or one for the user's language, takes priority over the general one. Call `getMyCommands` with the `scope` and `language_code` you care about and see what is set.
- **The command breaks the format.** Only lowercase Latin letters, digits and underscores, up to 32 characters.

If a command shows but the bot stays silent, the problem is in the code: the list is only a hint, and the handler is written separately. How a bot receives events is explained in [getUpdates vs webhook](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/bot-api-updates), and you answer with the [sendMessage](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/bot-api-curl) method.

## What next

Commands are handy when a bot has something to do, such as taking payments. How to accept Stars is in [accepting Stars in your bot](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/stars-payments-in-bot). The API of the Shiba Bank bot is described in the [API documentation](https://shiba-bank.com/api/docs).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I set commands for a Telegram bot?
Send [@BotFather](https://t.me/botfather) the `/setcommands` command, choose the bot and send a list of lines in the form `command - description`. From code, the `setMyCommands` method does the same.

### How do I add commands to a bot's menu with BotFather?
Use `/setcommands`, choose the bot and send the list. People then see the commands as suggestions when they type `/`, and in the menu button next to the input field.

### How many commands can a bot have?
`setMyCommands` takes at most 100 commands per scope. A command name is 1–32 characters and a description is 1–256.

### Can I show different commands to different people?
Yes. `setMyCommands` has the `scope` parameter (all private chats, groups, administrators, one chat or one member) and `language_code` (a language).

### What are the Telegram bot API commands?
They are the Bot API methods for the list of commands: `setMyCommands`, `getMyCommands` and `deleteMyCommands`. They are described in the [Bot API documentation](https://core.telegram.org/bots/api).

### Do I still have to handle a command that is in the list?
Yes. The list only suggests what to type. The bot receives the command as an ordinary message, and your program has to answer it.