How to set up a Telegram bot start menu
Customers open your bot and choose to contact support, view a promo code or visit your website. Configure buttons and content directly in @GramDeskBot.
Open the menu settings
In @GramDeskBot, open My bots → your bot → All settings → 🧭 Start menu. Or open the setup wizard and choose 🧭 Set up start menu at step 3/6. First connect your support group.
Configure the contact button
The required contact button is already there and cannot be deleted. Open it to change the title and invitation text. Pressing it shows only that text, without home or another contact button. The click itself does not create a support request: the customer’s next message goes to your team.
/menu → 🏠 Main menuAdd a link or message section
Press ➕ Add button, choose 🔗 Link or 🗂 Messages — up to 30 and send a title of up to 64 characters. For a link, enter an https:// or http:// address and save changes. For messages, confirm the title with ➡️ Next: add messages.
Send your content in order
Send 1 to 30 messages to @GramDeskBot: text, photos with captions and links, videos, documents, audio or voice messages. GramDesk saves copies in your order without a forwarded label. Each album item counts as one message. Photos: up to 10 MB; other files: up to 20 MB.
Save the entire collection
Press ✅ Save messages on the keyboard below the input field. It stays at the bottom even after many messages. Wait for confirmation. 🔄 Send again clears the current draft; ✖️ Cancel collection cancels the replacement. Customers keep seeing the previous version until the new one is saved successfully.
Change button order and content
Open any button to rename it, change its link or text, or replace its message collection. ⬆️ Move up and ⬇️ Move down change the order. You can have 10 additional buttons plus one required contact button. Deleting an additional button requires confirmation.
Enable and test the menu
Press ▶️ Enable menu, open your customer-facing bot and send /start. The menu appears below the welcome message. Test the link, the full message collection and a support question.
Return from a conversation
Send /menu to open the main menu at any time. After a message section, the bot also shows 🏠 Main menu and the contact button. /start opens the menu too. The contact button shows an invitation; the customer then simply types a question.
Details worth checking
Why did AVIF arrive as a file?
GramDesk preserves the source message type. AVIF sent as a document remains an attachment. For an image in the chat, prepare a JPG or PNG and send it as a photo in Telegram. AVIF is not converted automatically.
What happens to message 31?
It is not added and the bot shows a warning. If an album exceeds the remaining capacity, the entire album is rejected. Previously accepted messages remain in the draft.
Can I remove one offer?
Currently you replace the section as a whole: edit its messages and send the remaining offers again. You can also delete the entire button after confirmation. Previously delivered messages remain in customer chats.
Are my texts translated automatically?
No. Management controls are available in English, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. You write button names, greetings and content in the language you need; GramDesk does not translate them.
Saving is still in progress — what now?
Wait for the ready notification or press 🔎 Check saving status. You can return to the menu buttons while saving continues. If saving is incomplete, the bot offers to send again; the previous version remains available.