Telegram bot links: how to know which ad started your bot

How a bot start link works

A link like t.me/yourbot?start=spring_ig opens your bot's chat with a Start button. When the person taps Start, Telegram sends your bot the message /start spring_ig. Your bot reads the part after /start and knows which link was used.

What fits in the parameter

Up to 64 characters, using only letters, digits, the underscore and the hyphen. That rules out spaces, accents and full UTM strings.

The usual answer is a short code that points to a record you keep: the code goes in the link, while the campaign, the ad and the click ID stay on your side. If you have to pack data into the parameter itself, encode it in base64url.

From the ad click to the bot start

1. The ad points to your tracking link, which saves the click ID and creates a short code for that click.
2. The link sends the visitor on to t.me/yourbot?start=CODE.
3. The visitor taps Start, and your bot receives /start CODE.
4. The code is matched to the click, and the bot start goes to Meta, Google Ads or a postback as a conversion.

Why bot starts are worth tracking

A bot start is worth more than a join. The person opened a private conversation, so your bot can write to them from now on: a welcome, a question, a follow up the next day. Joining a channel never gives you that.

It also lets you count what happens next in the same conversation, such as a shared phone number or a booked call, and send those steps as conversions too.

Pitfalls

• Parameters that are too long or use other characters don't reach the bot.
• Repeat starts. Someone who already started your bot can start it again from a new link. Count unique people, not raw starts.
• Personal data in the link. Anyone who sees the link sees the parameter, so keep emails, names and phone numbers out of it.

With TrackJoin

TrackJoin creates the codes, keeps the click IDs, and counts each bot start for the link that brought it. Bot starts go to Meta, Google Ads or a postback, just like channel joins.