setMessageReaction

Returns: TrueOfficial docs ↗

Use this method to change the chosen reactions on a message. Service messages of some types can't be reacted to. Automatically forwarded messages from a channel to its discussion group have the same available reactions as messages in the channel. Bots can't use paid reactions. Returns True on success.

Parameters

chat_idIntegerStringRequired

Unique identifier for the target chat or username of the target channel (in the format @channelusername)

message_idIntegerRequired

Identifier of the target message. If the message belongs to a media group, the reaction is set to the first non-deleted message in the group instead.

reactionReactionType[]Optional

A JSON-serialized list of reaction types to set on the message. Currently, as non-premium users, bots can set up to one reaction per message. A custom emoji reaction can be used if it is either already present on the message or explicitly allowed by chat administrators. Paid reactions can't be used by bots.

is_bigBooleanOptional

Pass True to set the reaction with a big animation

Returns

On success, True is returned.

GramIO Usage

// React to the incoming message with a single emoji
bot.on("message", (ctx) => ctx.react("👍"));

// Set multiple reactions (requires bot to have elevated rights or pre-existing reactions)
bot.on("message", (ctx) =>
  ctx.setReactions(["🔥", "❤️"])
);

// React with big animation for emphasis
bot.on("message", (ctx) =>
  ctx.setReaction("🎉", { is_big: true })
);

// Remove all reactions from the message
bot.on("message", (ctx) => ctx.clearReactions());

// Direct API call — react to a specific message
await bot.api.setMessageReaction({
  chat_id: -1001234567890,
  message_id: 42,
  reaction: [{ type: "emoji", emoji: "👍" }],
  is_big: false,
});

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	`Bad Request: chat not found`	Invalid or inaccessible `chat_id`
400	`Bad Request: message not found`	`message_id` does not exist or was deleted
400	`Bad Request: can't react to this message type`	Service messages (pin, join, etc.) of certain types don't allow reactions
400	`Bad Request: REACTION_INVALID`	Emoji string is not a valid Telegram reaction emoji — use only supported emoji strings
400	`Bad Request: CUSTOM_EMOJI_NOT_ALLOWED`	Custom emoji reaction not permitted — admin must explicitly allow it, or it must already be on the message
400	`Bad Request: TOO_MANY_REACTIONS`	Bots are limited to 1 reaction per message (non-premium) — pass a single-item array
403	`Forbidden: bot was blocked by the user`	User blocked the bot
429	`Too Many Requests: retry after N`	Rate limit hit — check `retry_after`, use auto-retry plugin

TIP

Use GramIO's auto-retry plugin to handle 429 errors automatically.

Tips & Gotchas

GramIO provides four context shorthands. Use ctx.react(emoji) for a single reaction, ctx.setReactions([...]) for multiple, ctx.setReaction(emoji) for an explicit single-item call, and ctx.clearReactions() to remove all reactions.
Bots are limited to 1 reaction per message. Passing more than one item in the reaction array will return a TOO_MANY_REACTIONS error unless the bot has premium capabilities. Use ctx.react() to stay within limits.
To remove all reactions, pass an empty array (or call ctx.clearReactions()). Passing reaction: [] explicitly clears the bot's reactions from the message.
Custom emoji reactions require explicit admin permission. A custom emoji can only be set if it is already present on the message or a chat administrator has allowed it via chat settings.
Paid reactions (ReactionTypePaid) cannot be used by bots. Only regular emoji and permitted custom emoji reactions are supported.
Service messages cannot be reacted to. Join/leave notices, pin notifications, and some other service messages are excluded.
Media group reactions apply to the first non-deleted message. If message_id points to a media group, the reaction is set on the first remaining message in the group.

setMessageReaction ​

Parameters ​

Returns ​

GramIO Usage ​

Errors ​

Tips & Gotchas ​

See Also ​