setMyCommands

Returns: TrueOfficial docs ↗

Use this method to change the list of the bot's commands. See this manual for more details about bot commands. Returns True on success.

Parameters

commandsBotCommand[]Required

A JSON-serialized list of bot commands to be set as the list of the bot's commands. At most 100 commands can be specified.

scopeBotCommandScopeOptional

A JSON-serialized object, describing scope of users for which the commands are relevant. Defaults to BotCommandScopeDefault.

language_codeStringOptional

A two-letter ISO 639-1 language code. If empty, commands will be applied to all users from the given scope, for whose language there are no dedicated commands.

Returns

On success, True is returned.

GramIO Usage

// Register global commands visible to all users
await bot.api.setMyCommands({
  commands: [
    { command: "start", description: "Start the bot" },
    { command: "help", description: "Show help message" },
    { command: "settings", description: "Open settings" },
  ],
});

// Register language-specific commands for Russian users
await bot.api.setMyCommands({
  commands: [
    { command: "start", description: "Запустить бота" },
    { command: "help", description: "Помощь" },
    { command: "settings", description: "Настройки" },
  ],
  language_code: "ru",
});

// Register admin-only commands visible only in a specific chat
await bot.api.setMyCommands({
  commands: [
    { command: "ban", description: "Ban a user" },
    { command: "kick", description: "Kick a user" },
    { command: "mute", description: "Mute a user" },
  ],
  scope: {
    type: "chat_administrators",
    chat_id: -1001234567890,
  },
});

// Register private-chat-only commands (hidden in groups)
await bot.api.setMyCommands({
  commands: [
    { command: "subscribe", description: "Subscribe to updates" },
    { command: "unsubscribe", description: "Unsubscribe" },
  ],
  scope: { type: "all_private_chats" },
});

// Register commands on bot startup — call once during initialization
bot.onStart(async ({ info }) => {
  await bot.api.setMyCommands({
    commands: [
      { command: "start", description: "Start the bot" },
      { command: "help", description: "Get help" },
    ],
  });
  console.log(`Bot @${info.username} commands registered`);
});

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	Bad Request: commands list must be non-empty	Passing an empty commands array — use deleteMyCommands instead
400	Bad Request: Too many commands	More than 100 commands specified — reduce to ≤ 100
400	Bad Request: command is too long	A command name exceeds 32 characters or a description exceeds 256 characters
400	Bad Request: command must start with a letter	Command names must begin with a lowercase letter and contain only a-z, 0-9, _
400	Bad Request: language_code must be a 2-letter ISO 639-1 code	Invalid language_code format — use exactly 2 lowercase letters (e.g. "en", "ru")
400	Bad Request: chat not found	The scope.chat_id in a chat-specific scope is invalid or the bot isn't in the chat
429	Too Many Requests: retry after N	Rate limit hit — check retry_after

Tips & Gotchas

• Commands are scoped and layered. Telegram uses the most specific scope for each user: BotCommandScopeChatMember overrides BotCommandScopeChatAdministrators, which overrides BotCommandScopeChat, which overrides language-specific defaults. Plan your scope hierarchy accordingly.
• language_code: "" (or omitting it) is the fallback for all users. Language-specific commands only show for users whose client language matches. Always register a fallback set without language_code first.
• Max 100 commands per scope+language combination. Each unique {scope, language_code} pair has its own 100-command limit — you can have 100 commands in default scope, plus another 100 for Russian, etc.
• Command names are case-sensitive and restricted. Names must be 1–32 characters, start with a letter, and contain only a-z, 0-9, and _. Use deleteMyCommands with the same scope+language to remove them.
• Call setMyCommands during bot startup. Register commands in the onStart hook so they are always up-to-date when the bot starts. Telegram clients cache the command list — updates appear quickly but may take a few seconds.
• Verify with getMyCommands. After setting commands you can retrieve them with the same scope+language_code to confirm the update was applied.

See Also

• getMyCommands — retrieve the current command list for a scope
• deleteMyCommands — remove commands for a specific scope and language
• BotCommand — command object with command and description fields
• BotCommandScope — scope union type for targeting specific users/chats