telegram-auto-topic

Telegram Auto-Topic

Add /topic to the start of any message in a Telegram forum group → a new topic is created from it. The title is figured out from your message automatically — no need to think of one yourself.

Example

1. You send a message starting with /topic:

/topic @your_bot I need to look into renewing my passport before March

2. A new forum topic "Passport Renewal Before March" is created with your message quoted inside it. You get a reply linking directly to the new topic.

Prerequisites

• The group must be configured in OpenClaw (channels.telegram.groups.<CHAT_ID>) — this is how OpenClaw knows to process messages from it.
• The group must have forum/topics enabled.
• Your bot must be an admin in the group with Manage Topics permission.

Handling /topic

When a message starts with /topic:

1. Generate a concise 3-7 word title summarising the message.
2. Run the script — replace placeholders with actual values from the message context:

   scripts/telegram-auto-topic.sh <chat_id> <message_id> "<sender name>" "<title>" "<text after /topic>"
   

   Pass an empty string for the text arg if there's no text (e.g. media-only). Use the path relative to this skill's directory.
3. The script returns JSON with topic_id, title, and link.
4. Reply to the original message with: Topic created → [<title>](<link>)
5. Then send a response to the actual message content in the NEW topic (use message tool with threadId from the returned topic_id). Respond naturally as you would to any message.
6. After both replies are sent, respond with NO_REPLY.

How It Works

1. You send a message starting with /topic
2. A new forum topic is created — titled from your message automatically
3. Your message is quoted in the new topic with your name
4. You get a reply with a clickable link to the new topic
5. The bot responds to your message in the new topic

Works with media too — photos, videos, or documents with /topic in the caption get forwarded into the new topic.

Script Reference

scripts/telegram-auto-topic.sh <chat_id> <message_id> <sender> [title] [text]

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
chat_id	arg	yes	Supergroup chat ID (negative number)
message_id	arg	yes	Original message to quote
sender	arg	yes	Display name of original sender
title	arg	no	Topic title. Falls back to first ~50 chars of text if omitted
text	arg	no	Message body after /topic. If empty, forwards as media

Returns JSON: {"topic_id": 123, "title": "Used title", "link": "https://t.me/c/..."}

Optional configuration

Skip the @bot mention — by default, the bot only responds when mentioned. To use /topic without mentioning the bot:

"channels.telegram.groups.<CHAT_ID>": {
  "requireMention": false
}

Telegram autocomplete — to get /topic in Telegram's command menu, add under channels.telegram:

{
  "customCommands": [
    {
      "command": "topic",
      "description": "Create a new forum topic from a message"
    }
  ]
}

Limitations

• Attribution: Quoted messages appear as sent by the bot (Telegram API limitation). Sender name is included as attribution text below the quote.
• Media: Forwarded media shows a "Forwarded from" header — best available but not native.
• Forum groups only: Won't work in regular groups or DMs.
• Permissions: Bot needs admin with Manage Topics.
• Title length: Telegram caps topic names at 128 characters.