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BotFather guide: about, description, description picture, and username rules

Configure about, description, short description, and description picture via BotFather plus setMyDescription / getMyDescription APIs; username and /start.

In short

Configure profile copy in BotFather and/or via API: setMyDescription / getMyDescription, setMyShortDescription / getMyShortDescription. In product terms: about is the short blurb; description is the welcome text (chat header + Start screen). Description Picture is BotFather-only in this guide.


Overview

BotFather is the operator console for bots. API description methods mirror the default (non-localized) profile — see core.mp.net/bots.

Where to open BotFather

  • Contacts → under Saved groups / the Robots entry, or

  • Search for BotFather in MPChat and open the chat.

about vs description (semantics)

Field

Meaning

about / short description

Bot blurb shown in profile-style surfaces (API: short description, ≤120).

description

Welcome text: centered at the top of the chat and on the Start screen (API description, ≤512 including line breaks).

Set description (BotFather + API)

  • BotFather chat: follow the Description prompts for the selected bot.

  • API: setMyDescription with description (omit/empty clears). Read back with getMyDescription.

  • Short blurb: setMyShortDescription / getMyShortDescription (short_description ≤120).

  • Localized language_code profiles are not supported; non-empty language codes return 400.

  • Plain text, URLs, and emoji are fine. If unset, both UI surfaces stay empty.

  • BotFather may reject over-length input with: Sorry the description you provided is invalid. A description may not exceed 512 characters (line breaks included).

POST https://call.mp.net/bot/bot<token>/setMyDescription
{
"description": "A helpful MPChat bot."
}

Description Picture (BotFather)

  • Shown under the description. States: has a description GIF / has a description photo / no description picture.

  • Use Edit Description Picture to upload or change media; /empty clears it in the BotFather flow.

  • Success toast example: Success! Description media updated. You will be able to see the changes within a few minutes.

  • Photo: 640×360. GIF: 320×180 / 640×360 / 960×540. Wrong size is rejected with BotFather error text.

  • When present, picture and welcome text share one bubble (image above text); long text can scroll.

Username rules

  • Invalid names surface as Bot_Username_Invalid / Sorry, this username is invalid. (keep separate from other policy errors).

  • After a bot is deleted, its username stays locked for 30 days before release.

Reserved /start

/start is a platform-reserved command. It highlights even if you never list it in setMyCommands.

Related

Source of truth

Description APIs and limits: core.mp.net/bots.

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