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Getting started with a Bot: commands and chat buttons

Find a bot, send commands, and troubleshoot when a bot does not reply after you tap Start or when you have blocked it.

⚡ Quick summary (TL;DR)

  • Get started: tapping Start sends /start automatically. A reply depends on how the bot is set up.

  • Left menu button: may open the command list, or a web page / MiniApp — depending on how the developer set it up.

  • Bottom shortcut keyboard: a tap sends the button text, or opens a MiniApp.

📖 Overview

A bot can reply automatically, offer commands, and open MiniApps. This article covers where to find one, what happens when you start it, and how menus, keyboards, and commands behave — for everyday users, not developers.

📍 Where to find a bot

  • Open a shared chat or link to enter the conversation with the bot.

  • Open the bot’s profile card to read its intro, then start chatting.

  • Browse or search bots you have already used under the Contacts Bots entry.

▶️ Tap Start and /start

The first time you open a private chat, you usually see a Start button. Tapping it sends /start automatically to the bot. If you see no reply in chat, follow the checks below.

  • Type /start to send it again. You can also tap it if your client shows it as a clickable command.

  • You can later type or tap other slash commands (such as /help); which ones exist depends on the bot.

💬 What if I tap Start and get no reply?

  1. Check the private chat for your /start message. If you can still send messages, try a command listed in the bot’s menu.

  2. If you blocked the bot, unblock it and try again. New private messages can come through after you unblock it. Messages blocked earlier are not resent automatically.

  3. If the app shows the bot is deactivated or you cannot continue the chat, see what happens after a bot is deactivated. If only this bot is unresponsive, contact its provider.

👋 Where the welcome message appears

If the chat shows a bot introduction or welcome message, use it to see what the bot offers before choosing a command.

◀️ Left menu button

To the left of the input field there may be a menu button (appearance varies by client). The developer chooses what it does; common behaviours:

  • Open this bot’s command list so you can pick a command to send.

  • Open a web page or MiniApp (the button usually shows a short label).

  • If the developer did not customise it, you may only see the default behaviour — follow what your App shows.

ℹ️ Separate from the bottom keyboard

The left menu button and the bottom shortcut keyboard under the input are independent: changing one does not change the other.

⌨️ Bottom shortcut keyboard

Some bots show a row of shortcut buttons under the input (the bottom shortcut keyboard). Developers send these as persistent or one-time shortcuts via chat messages.

  • Tap once: in most cases the button text is sent as a message.

  • If the button opens a MiniApp, a tap launches the app instead of (or without) sending text.

  • The keyboard may stay, hide after one use, or be removed by the bot — follow what the chat currently shows.

👥 Send commands in a group with several bots

Check which bot offers the command before sending it. If several bots use the same command or you cannot tell who will receive it, try it in the intended bot’s private chat.

🔗 Tapping @username in chat

  • If it is a real user, you open that person’s profile (guest) page.

  • If no matching user is found, you see a notice such as “User not found”, then return to the current chat.

💬 Still have questions?

Reach us through in-app customer support in the MPChat App. Support will never ask for your password, verification code, or passkey.

This article is help-centre reference. Labels and entry points follow what the App shows.

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