Forwarding messages

What is forwarding?

Junction Bot allows you to forward Telegram messages from various sources to your channel or group. Two types of forwarding are supported: regular Telegram's built-in forwarding and copying (creating a new message that is a clone of an existing one). Only copying is possible in channels with protection of copying and forwarding.

For ease of understanding, in this documentation, when we talk about 'forwarding', or 'a forward', we mean both forwarded and copied messages. Which forwarding method you use depends on the Delivery mode setting. We will clarify terms where necessary.

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Forwarding sources

Using Junction Bot, you can forward messages from open and closed sources:

^{Open sources} are:

public channels and groups
private channels and groups for which you have a working invitation link

^{Protected channels} - Telegram channels where the administration prohibits copying and forwarding of content. When trying to do this, Telegram returns the error "Copying and forwarding is not allowed in this channel".

^{Closed sources} are:

closed private channels and groups (without invitation links)
other bots
personal chats with other users

Open public channels and groups are supported on any tariff.

Open private channels and groups are supported on any tariff except Economy.

Protected open sources are supported on any tariff except Economy.

Closed sources are supported only on Direct or Expert tariffs.

For more details, see our guide on how to choose an account type.

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Open sources

Open sources are public channels and groups and private channels and groups that have an invitation link.

How to create a forward from an open source:

Step 1

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Step 1. Specify the source

Enter _@name or _{channel link} in the search bar and select from the search results.

Step 2

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Step 2. Specify the destination

Do the same for the destination channel.

Step 3

Add our bot @junction_bot to the list of destination channel administrators. You can give the bot any rights

Done! The forwarding has been successfully created and you can proceed to its settings.

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‍The bot can guarantee message delivery only as long as the invitation link works for it. This means that if the bot is banned in the source, it will no longer be able to receive messages from there, and you will need to connect to your account (Direct or Expert tariffs).

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If you want to forward messages not to the channel, but to your own chat with the bot (to read messages without forwarding them further), see the section Forwarding to your feed.

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Searching for channels

If you do not know the exact name of the channel, use inline search.
To do this, type in the chat _{@junction_bot}, then a space and then any word of interest (for example, _{@junction_bot kitty}). The bot will display a list of all channels known to it that contain the word "kitty" in their names, titles, or descriptions.

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Closed sources

_{Direct or Expert tariff}

By connecting to an account, available on the Direct and Expert tariffs, you can copy messages from closed sources: private channels and groups, bots, private chats.

Please note that in this mode, the bot only works with those messages that are available on your account. Thus, if your account is excluded from the source, the bot will no longer be able to copy messages from it.

How to create a forward from a closed source:

Step 1

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Step 1. Specify the source

You will see a list of all the chats you are a member of: channels, groups, chats with other bots, private chats with other users. At the top of the list are 📁 folders - they are convenient to use to group sources. Select one of the channels or a folder.

Step 2

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Step 2. Specify the destination

Do the same for the destination channel.

Done! The forward has been successfully created and you can proceed to its settings.

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‍- If the source you need is not on the list, see Troubleshooting.
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- To copy the history of the channel from which the new forward was created, use the Copy old messages function.

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^New! Forward from topics and to the group topic

Junction Bot supports forwarding messages from topic to group topic:

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Send to topic

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Grouping sources into folders

_{Direct or Expert tariff}

A very convenient feature of the bot is the ability to group sources and keep one set of settings applicable to all sources in the group. Telegram 📁folders are used for this.

Please note that the bot only uses sources that are explicitly specified in the folder. That is, when you see the name of this source in the folder settings, it will be used. If, for example, you specified in the folder settings that it should contain all channels, the bot will ignore this setting.

To use grouping, create a folder in your Telegram account and add the necessary sources there - channels, chats, bots. Next, create a new forwarding and select the desired folder as a source (if the folder is not yet in the list, wait a couple of minutes and refresh the list). Please note that after the folder name, its composition is indicated - the number of channels, groups and personal chats. That's it, done!

Now this forwarding will display the selected folder as a source. Any messages received in one of the sources in the folder will be forwarded to the destination. If you change the contents of the folder, this will automatically be reflected in this forward.

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‍If you have one forward from a folder containing source A, and another forward directly from source A, then the message from A will be forwarded only once, and the settings of the second forward (the one where A is explicitly specified as the source) will be used.

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Destinations: feeds, channels, groups, bots

Using Junction Bot, you can forward messages to the following Telegram chats:

to your chat with Junction Bot - to read messages in one feed directly in the chat with the bot
to channels, in which you are the administrator
to groups, in which you or the bot have the right to publish
to other users and bots

Please note that you can only publish messages on behalf of your account (including in private messages to other users or bots) on Direct and Expert tariffs.

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Forwarding to your feed

If you just want to receive messages from open sources in a chat with a bot, thus creating an information feed for your own reading, set up forwarding as follows:

To forward from a public channel or group, send the bot _{@channel/group name}. You don't have to be a member of this channel to do this!
To forward from private channels and groups, send the bot an _{invitation link}.

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‍The bot can only guarantee message delivery while the invitation link works for it. This means that if the bot is banned in the source, it will no longer be able to receive messages from there, and you will need to connect to an account (Direct or Expert tariffs).

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Forwarding to channels and groups

_{Direct or Expert tariff}

Where to find

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Specify source -> Specify destination

On the Direct and Expert tariffs, you will see a list of all the chats you are a member of, and you can choose from this list.

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Please note that you can forward messages to channels and groups either on behalf of Junction Bot or on behalf of your connected account.

^{Forwarding on behalf of Junction Bot} is a forwarding in which messages in the destination channel (group) are published on behalf of the bot.

To do this, the administrators of this channel (group) must include:

Junction Bot
and the user himself, or one of his additional accounts that have a connection to the account.

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To ^{forward on behalf of the user}, neither the bot nor the user himself may be administrators in the destination channel (group). It is only required that the user have the ability to publish messages in this channel or group.

Forwarding to other bots

_{Direct or Expert tariff}

Where to find

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Specify source -> Specify destination

On the Direct and Expert tariffs, you will see a list of all the chats you are a member of, and you will be able to select from this list.
If you don't see the bot you want in the list, go back to the Telegram interface and send any message to the bot you want.
This will make it appear in the list of assignments. Go back to the menu and select it from the list.

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You can use third-party Telegram bots to, for example, process texts or media, and then use them in Junction Bot. How to do this, read here.

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Copying old messages

Using Junction Bot, you can copy already published messages from any source that your connected account is a part of. You can copy all messages as is in two clicks, or use the settings to filter only the necessary ones or make changes to them.

Please note that the copied messages will be dated as of the current moment. Copying the channel history in such a way as to preserve the sending dates of the original messages is technically impossible!

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Copying messages "as is"

To copy all old messages "as is", create a new forwarding and in the "Forwarding type" parameter select Old messages (history).

Where to find

Menu → ➕ Create a forward → Specify source and destination → Basic settings - Forwarding type: Old messages (history)

Options

Interval type

^{All messages} - copy all messages.

^{Message numbers} - specify the interval of message numbers in Telegram. To find out the message number, look at the link to that message. The message number is the last digit in the link. This number is usually different from the message sequence number in the source.

^{Publishing time} - specify the time interval.

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Delivery mode

Defines the publishing method of delivered messages.

If you copy via bot, then your account and bot must be administrators in the destination.
If you copy or forward via a connected account, then it is enough for the connected account to have publishing rights in the destination.
The copy via account, in case of flooding via bot mode can be useful for sending a large flow of messages. If Telegram's flood protection is triggered, the system will automatically switch to sending via a bot instead of an account.

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Copying messages using settings

If you want to copy the history of a Telegram channel using additional settings, then first you need to create a forwarding from the desired source to the desired destination, apply the necessary settings and then start copying messages:

Step 1

First, create a forwarding from the desired source to the desired destination.

Step 2

Apply the settings you need to the created forwarding. These settings include filters or replacements, forwarding buttons or polls, and more.

Step 3

Start copying history:

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Copy history

The settings you set will be automatically applied to the copied messages.

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Viewing the list of forwards

In the bot menu interface, your forwards are grouped by source. Once you select a source, you will be able to see a list of all the destination chats for which forwards have been created.

Where to find

Menu → My forwards

Here you will see a list of all the chats that are sources of the forwards you have already created.

To see a list of destinations for a specific source, select the source chat.

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Deleting or disabling forwards

You can temporarily disable your forwards or delete them completely as follows:

Disable

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → New messages

To temporarily disable forwarding while keeping all settings, click the _Disable

Delete

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Delete

To completely delete, click the _Delete button. Attention! When you delete a forward, all its settings are lost

Please be careful: deleted forwards, as well as the settings and filters applied to them, cannot be restored!

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Propagation of edited and deleted messages

What if the message was edited or deleted after Junction Bot forwarded it? You can manage the operation of such messages in the following settings.

Propagation of edited messages

_{Direct and Expert tariffs}

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → General → Sync edits

Options

^edit - send the change to the destination channel

^new - send the change in a new message

^ignore - ignore the change

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Please note, that if you set a delivery delay, and the edit to the original message occurred before the message was published in the destination, the edit will not be applied.

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Propagation of deleted messages

_{Direct and Expert tariffs}

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → General → Sync deletions

Options

^yes - delete transferred messages when deleting in the source

^no - do not delete

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Please note that Telegram does not allow bots to delete messages older than 48 hours. If you need old messages to be deleted, use forwarding mode on behalf of your account.

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Forwarding media

By default, Junction Bot forwards all types of media: images, videos, audio, voice messages, stickers, etc.

You can work with media by adding watermarks to photos and videos, and also control which media to skip (see filtering by media type) and how to transfer captions.

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Forwarding captions to media

You can choose how to transfer captions to pictures and multimedia (images, videos, etc.).

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Content → Media caption

Options

^separate - picture and signature as 2 separate messages (convenient for publishing long signatures via a bot).

‍^caption_name - picture and signature will come as 1 message, the signature will contain the channel name and a link to the original message (if the permissible length is exceeded, the signature text will be shortened).

‍^text_only - transmit only the signature, without the picture.

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Forwarding buttons

Below we describe forwarding of the buttons that make part of the source post. If you need to add new buttons, please read here.

Copying original buttons

This setting allows you to choose which buttons from the original message you want to keep. Remember that due to the way Telegram is designed, this setting will only work for link buttons.

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Content → Copy buttons

Options

^none - do not copy buttons

^url - only link buttons

^special - all except link buttons

^all - copy all buttons

Remember that buttons are not supported when sending on behalf of your account.

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Copying "Hidden continuation" buttons

_{Direct and Expert tariffs}

With this setting, you can copy buttons that show a pop-up with text when clicked. Simply duplicating a post does not transmit Telegram's reaction to this button (a message without a button will be transmitted). For this case, our bot has a more in-depth copying mechanism. Please note that buttons are not supported when sending on behalf of your account.

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Source data → Click the button

Options

Which buttons to transmit

^none - do not transmit notification buttons

^.* - transmit all notification buttons

_{arbitrary value} - transmit buttons whose text matches the regular expression

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Button click speed (range in seconds)

Use the "Custom value" field: as the first argument, enter either _.* (pass buttons with any text), or a regular expression to define the text on the button. As the second argument (separated by a space), enter the range in seconds.

Example: _{.* 15-300} - will pass all notification buttons with a random delay from 15 to 300 seconds.

Explanation: As soon as a message with a button appears in the source, the bot will immediately click this button to read the notification. It is clear that a person will not click the button instantly. In order to make the bot's behavior closer to human, you can set a random delay before clicking. You probably don't want to make the lower border too small, so that it does not look unnatural. But you won't want to make it too big, because messages to the destination will arrive with this very delay.

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Transmit message text immediately

Use the "Custom value" field, and as the first argument enter either _.* (pass buttons with any text) or a regular expression to define the text on the button. As the second argument (separated by a space), enter the range in seconds. As the third argument (separated by a space), enter the _body parameter.

Example:_{.* 15-300 body} - transmit the notification text in the message body, without the button

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Please note:

- The replacement rules will apply to both the text on the button and the content of the notification.

- Also note that all subscribers to your destination channel will see the notification that you personally see if you click on the button in the source. Sending individual notifications (so that pressing the button in the destination shows what your subscriber would see, and not what you would see if you pressed the button in the source) is technically impossible.

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Forwarding polls

Junction Bot can forward Telegram polls.

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Content → Polls

Options

^none - surveys will not be forwarded

^copy - copy surveys (a separate survey with the same text will be created)

_{arbitrary value} - a link to the original survey will be placed under this line.

Example: _{take the survey}

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Forwarding stories

_{Direct and Expert tariffs}

Using this setting, you can select the transfer method of stories.

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Content → Stories

Options

^message - copy, sending story as a regular message

^ignore - ignore stories

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Forwarding comments

_{Direct and Expert Tariffs}

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If you want to set up forwarding comments, please read this article carefully!

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Telegram channels support the discussion function, or, as they are also called, comments. This function is implemented by attaching a discussion group in a special way to a channel. All comments are technically in the group, but are displayed as comments to specific posts in the channel.

To set up copying comments, it is important to be able to find a group with comments, and not just look at the comments in the context of the channel. To find a group, enter the channel and click on the ellipsis in the upper right corner of the screen, next to the channel name. In the pop-up menu, select "View Discussion". You will be taken to the group.

Please notethat you need to join the group with a connected account and stay in it to be able to set up copying of comments.

Junction Bot supports two ways of copying comments: as individual posts and as comments.

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Copying comments - publishing as individual posts

To set up copying of comments as individual posts, create a forward from the discussion group to the destination. To do this, simply select the discussion group from the source selection list. Please note that it will only appear there if you have previously joined it with a connected account.

Please note that you do not need to have a forward from the channel itself for this method.

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Copying comments - posting as comments

To set up copying comments as comments, you will need two forwards.

The first forward must be from the source channel to the destination channel. No special settings are required for this forward.
The second forward must be from the source discussion group to the destination discussion group. To do this, simply select the appropriate discussion groups from the source and destination selection lists. Please note that these groups will only appear there if you have previously joined them with a connected account. Also check in advance that the bot is an admin in the destination discussion group.

When both forwards are created, go to the second forward (from group to group) setting called "Channel Comments":

Where to find

Menu → My forwards → Select source and destination → Content → Comments

Options

_{Custom value} - in this field you need to enter the source channel number. Not the discussion group, but the main source channel. It looks like 2015095027, for example.

That's it, you're done!

Please note that since the comments are technically in the group, in order for the copied comment to come from the group (as is usually the case when comments are published by the channel administrator), you need to enable publishing on behalf of the account.

It is also important to remember that correct copying of comments will only work for posts published after the setup.

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Forwarding Telegram Premium content

Premium account holders can use premium emoji's and long captions for media files in messages. Regular bots are not allowed to use either. Therefore, the only way to forward such messages as is is to enable sending on behalf of your account. To do this, this account must be connected via the Direct or Expert tariff and have an active Telegram Premium.

Also, the bot can send captions as a separate message, so for a picture with a caption in the source, two messages will come to the destination: a picture and text. Then the caption will also come in full.

In order to add premium emoji's to a message, you need to use the tag corresponding to a specific emoji. In order to find out this tag for a specific message, look at its delivery report.

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