getChatMenuButton

Returns: MenuButtonOfficial docs ↗

Use this method to get the current value of the bot's menu button in a private chat, or the default menu button. Returns MenuButton on success.

Parameters

chat_idIntegerOptional

Unique identifier for the target private chat. If not specified, default bot's menu button will be returned

Returns

On success, the MenuButton object is returned.

GramIO Usage

// Get the default menu button (no chat_id = global default)
const defaultButton = await bot.api.getChatMenuButton({});
console.log(`Default menu button type: ${defaultButton.type}`);

// Read the menu button configured for a specific private chat
bot.command("menuinfo", async (ctx) => {
    const button = await bot.api.getChatMenuButton({
        chat_id: ctx.chat.id,
    });
    if (button.type === "web_app") {
        await ctx.send(`Menu opens Web App: ${button.web_app.url}`);
    } else if (button.type === "commands") {
        await ctx.send("Menu shows the bot command list.");
    } else {
        await ctx.send("Using Telegram's default menu button.");
    }
});

// Audit whether a private chat has a custom menu button vs the global default
async function hasCustomMenuButton(chatId: number) {
    const [chatButton, defaultButton] = await Promise.all([
        bot.api.getChatMenuButton({ chat_id: chatId }),
        bot.api.getChatMenuButton({}),
    ]);
    return chatButton.type !== defaultButton.type;
}

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	Bad Request: chat not found	Invalid chat_id — must be an existing private chat the bot has had contact with
400	Bad Request: method is available for private chats only	chat_id points to a group or channel — only private chats are supported
429	Too Many Requests: retry after N	Rate limit hit — check retry_after, use the auto-retry plugin

Tips & Gotchas

• Only works for private chats. Passing a group or channel chat_id returns an error. The menu button concept applies only to the bot's 1-on-1 chats with users.
• Omit chat_id entirely to read the global default. When no chat_id is provided, the method returns the default menu button shown to all private-chat users who don't have a per-chat override.
• Three possible button types. The result will be MenuButtonCommands (shows the /commands list), MenuButtonWebApp (opens a Web App URL), or MenuButtonDefault (Telegram's own default behaviour).
• Pair with setChatMenuButton for read-modify-write flows. Read the current button with getChatMenuButton, modify as needed, then write back with setChatMenuButton.
• Per-chat overrides take precedence over the global default. A chat-specific button is shown instead of the default; if no override exists, the default is used.

See Also

• setChatMenuButton — set the menu button for a chat or the default
• MenuButton — the returned union type (MenuButtonCommands, MenuButtonWebApp, MenuButtonDefault)