Zate

Te Zate Ree~ ​

Cak Zate fanning sate skewers at the Zate cart while the smoke flies off as Telegram paper planes

In Indonesia, sate vendors push their grills through the neighborhood at night, calling out to customers as they go. Tonight the call sounds a little different: Te Zate Ree~ That's a free Telegram API for developers rolling past your door. 😎

Zate is the younger sibling of Zawa. Zawa takes care of WhatsApp, Zate takes care of Telegram. The API is deliberately the same shape: same headers, same endpoints, same error format. If you've used Zawa before, you only need to change the base URL.

The difference from a regular Telegram bot: Zate logs in with your own Telegram account, not a bot. So you can message people first, post stories, read the groups and channels you follow, and receive incoming messages through a webhook. All over HTTP, without touching MTProto.

Think of the sate vendor: you just place the order, and Zate takes care of fanning the charcoal.

No fees. No drama. Just bring a sense of exploration and a serving of sate (optional, but recommended 🍢).

Why Zate? ​

  • Free. Actually free. No fine print, no trial that suddenly runs out.
  • A real account, not a bot. Bots can only reply to people who pressed /start first. Zate uses your account, so you can say hi first.
  • Just scan a QR code. No api_hash or session strings to manage. Create a session, scan the QR from Telegram, done.
  • Zawa's sibling. Same headers, endpoints, and error format. Moving from WhatsApp to Telegram is just a new base URL.

What Can Zate Do? ​

  • Send messages Text, images, videos, audio, documents, locations, and contacts to usernames, users, groups, or channels.
  • Receive messages New, edited, deleted, and read messages are posted to your webhook.
  • Post stories Create text, image, or video stories straight from your code.
  • Typing indicator Show "typing..." or "recording audio..." before a message goes out.
  • Channels See the channels you follow and their message history, with public media links.
  • Groups See the groups you're in, their details, and their members.

How Does It Work? ​

Zate logs in to Telegram as a linked device, just like logging in to Telegram Desktop with a QR code. The difference is that Zate's server is the one "opening" it, and you control it over HTTP.

  1. Create a session You create a session through the API, and Zate prepares a QR code.
  2. Scan the QR from Telegram Open Telegram → Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device, then scan the QR. If your account uses two-step verification, send the password through the API.
  3. Use it over the API Done! Your account can now be used through the API with the id and session-id from that session.

Where to Start? ​

Don't worry, we won't throw you straight at the endpoints. Here's a suggested reading order:

  • Before You Start A few ground rules, so your account stays safe and we all get along.
  • Quick Start Send your first Telegram message in 5 minutes.
  • Core Concepts Sessions, receivers, text formatting, media, and the response format.
  • API Reference Every endpoint, complete with examples.

If you need help, the cart is always open... unless the vendor is asleep. 😴