Docs · Guide
Telegram intake
Connect @Tickhatchbot once, then text it like you’d text a teammate. Every message becomes a ticket on your board — typed, prioritized, and filed — and the bot replies with the ticket ID so you know it landed.
Before you start
You need a Tickhatch account with at least one board you own or can edit, and Telegram on your phone or desktop. That’s it — there’s nothing to install or configure on the Telegram side.
Connect your account
- 1
Open Settings → Connect Telegram
In Tickhatch, open Settings (from the dashboard header) and find the Connect Telegram section.
- 2
Pick a default board
Choose the board where your messages should land when you don’t name one. You can always target a different board per message with a key prefix like MOB: — the default just saves you typing it.
- 3
Tap the connect button
It opens @Tickhatchbot in Telegram with a one-time code attached. Press Start and the bot replies ✓ Connected!
Heads upThe connect link is a one-time code and expires. If Telegram says the link is invalid, generate a fresh one from Settings — don’t reuse an old message. - 4
Send a test message
Text the bot something like login button is broken on iOS. It replies with the new ticket:
✓ WEB-12 added (bug · medium): login button is broken on iOS
How messages become tickets
The first line of your message becomes the ticket’s title; any lines after it become the description. Tickhatch then reads the text and sets the type and priority from plain-English cues:
Type — first match wins
- bug“bug”, “broken”, “crash”, “error”, “doesn’t work”, “regression”
- idea“idea”, “feature”, “could we”, “what if”, “would be nice”
- chore“chore”, “cleanup”, “refactor”, “upgrade”, “deps”, “maintenance”
- taskeverything else (the default)
Priority — first match wins
- urgent“urgent”, “asap”, “critical”, “p0”, “drop everything”
- high“important”, “high priority”, “p1”, “blocker”, “blocking”
- low“whenever”, “low priority”, “minor”, “someday”, “no rush”
- mediumeverything else (the default)
So urgent: checkout is broken files as a bug at urgent priority, while what if boards had a dark mode? no rush files as an idea at low. Nothing is lost either way — your full message stays on the ticket, and you can retype or reprioritize it on the board like any other ticket.
Routing to a specific board
Start a message with a board key and a colon to send it somewhere other than your default board:
MOB: crash when rotating the phone on the ticket screen
- The key is the short code in ticket IDs — MOB in MOB-142. Case doesn’t matter: mob: works from a phone keyboard.
- It only routes to boards you own or can edit. A prefix that doesn’t match one of your boards is treated as part of the message, and the ticket lands on your default board.
Troubleshooting
The bot replies “You’re not connected yet.”
That Telegram account isn’t linked to a Tickhatch user. Open Tickhatch → Settings → Connect Telegram and tap the connect button — the link opens Telegram and finishes the handshake for you. Each teammate connects their own Telegram account from their own settings.
The bot replies “No default board set.”
Your link exists but points at no board you can edit (for example, the board was deleted or your access changed). Disconnect and reconnect from Settings to pick a new default board — or start each message with a board key like “MOB:” to route it explicitly.
The bot replies “That link is expired or invalid.”
Connect links are one-time codes and expire. Go back to Tickhatch → Settings → Connect Telegram and generate a fresh one.
I started my message with “BUG:” but it went to my default board.
A leading “SOMETHING:” prefix only routes when it matches the key of a board you can edit. “BUG:” isn’t a board key, so Tickhatch keeps your full message — prefix included — and files it on your default board. (It’ll still be typed as a bug: the word “bug” triggers the type rules.)
How do I change my default board?
Disconnect in Settings → Connect Telegram, then reconnect and pick a different board. Messages with an explicit board key are unaffected.
Can my whole team use one bot connection?
No — each person links their own Telegram account, and their messages can only create tickets on boards they own or can edit. That’s what keeps a message from ever landing on a board the sender shouldn’t touch.