Zate

Before You Start ​

Please read this all the way through so you don't get lost. It's nothing complicated, just a few notes to keep your account safe and make sure nobody gets hurt.

Please Don't Misuse It ​

Zate exists to help fellow developers. It's free, open, and built with good intentions. So please:

Don't

  • Use it for spam, especially to people who don't know you.
  • Spread hoaxes, scams, or content that would make your parents shake their heads.
  • Brute force it, or hammer the API with a 100-thread bot while sipping coffee like you own the place.

Go right ahead

  • Bots and notifications for your own app's users.
  • OTPs and verification codes.
  • Auto-replies and customer service through the webhook.
  • Experimenting, learning, or just tinkering for fun.

If you abuse the system, well... your access might get shut off without warning. Sad, right? We'd be sad too. So let's not.

Look After Your Account Too ​

Zate logs in as a linked device, so every message is sent as your own Telegram account. Telegram's rules still apply, and Telegram is fairly strict about spam:

  • Messaging lots of people who don't know you in a short time can get your account limited: you can only message your own contacts until the limit is lifted. You can check your account's status with @SpamBot.
  • Brand-new accounts are usually limited more strictly. If you can, use an account that has been active for a while.
  • Leave a gap between messages, especially when messaging many people.
  • If you're just experimenting, use a spare account, not your main one.

Make it feel human

Call Send Typing a few seconds before Send Message. The recipient sees "typing..." first, just like with a real person.

Keep Your Session Keys Safe ​

id and session-id are the keys to your cart. Anyone who has both can send messages from your account, read your groups and channels, and even change your webhook URL so your incoming messages end up on their server. So:

  • Keep them on your server (env vars or a secret manager), never in frontend code or a mobile app.
  • Don't commit them to a public Git repo.
  • If they leak, call Delete Session right away and create a new session. You can also remove the Zate device from Settings → Devices in Telegram.

What Data Is Stored? ​

To be transparent, here's what Zate keeps while your session exists, and what it doesn't:

Not stored

  • Message contents, whether you sent or received them. Incoming messages are only forwarded to your webhook.
  • Media from URLs. Files are downloaded temporarily to be sent, then deleted right away.

Stored while the session exists

  • Session info: Telegram user ID, name, username, phone number, small profile photo, and connection status.
  • The Telegram login key, so you don't have to scan the QR again every time the server restarts.
  • The webhook URL and token, plus the last update position so missed messages can be caught up.
  • Chunks of media opened through a media link, for at most 1 hour after they were last opened.

When you delete the session, all of the data above is deleted too, and the Zate device is logged out of your Telegram automatically.

We're All Human ​

Zate isn't an enterprise service with 24/7 support and a soothing call-center voice. But behind it all, there's a human who wants to help however they can.

So if you find a bug, hit an error, or get confused, send a friendly message to [email protected]. You'll get help as best as possible.

If all of this sounds good, head over to the Quick Start, guilt-free and with no surprise throttling. 🚀