Creating a Telegram bot that can download YouTube videos

Qwerty

2 min readDec 2, 2023

Let’s dive into a thrilling project: creating a Telegram bot that can download YouTube videos.

First things first, creating a Telegram bot requires a few steps, but fear not, I’ll guide you through each one.

Step 1: Set Up Your Environment

Fire up your preferred code editor and ensure you have Node.js installed. It’s the backbone for this project!

Step 2: Telegram Bot Creation

Head to Telegram and chat with the BotFather. Use /newbot to create a new bot. Save your API token; we'll need it soon.

To summon the BotFather, open your Telegram app and start a chat with ‘@BotFather’. It’s like having a conversation with a digital mentor!

Once you’re chatting, use the magic words “/newbot”. This incantation prompts the BotFather to guide you through the creation process. Follow the instructions; give your bot a cool name and a unique username, and voilà! The BotFather blesses you with an API token, a secret key that empowers your bot to communicate with Telegram.

Guard this token like a precious gem — it’s your bot’s key to the kingdom! You’ll need it in your code to authenticate your bot with Telegram’s servers.

Now, armed with your API token, you’re ready to infuse life into your bot with code. It’s a thrilling start to an epic journey of bot creation!

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Let’s grab the necessary packages. Open your terminal and run:

npm install node-telegram-bot-api ytdl-core

Step 4: Write Some Code

Now comes the fun part! Here’s a simplified snippet to get you started:

const TelegramBot = require('node-telegram-bot-api');
const ytdl = require('ytdl-core');

// Replace 'YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN' with your actual token
const bot = new TelegramBot('YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN', { polling: true });

bot.onText(/\/download (.+)/, async (msg, match) => {
  const chatId = msg.chat.id;
  const videoUrl = match[1];

  try {
    const info = await ytdl.getInfo(videoUrl);
    const video = ytdl(videoUrl, { quality: 'highestaudio' });

    bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Downloading...');

    video.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('video.mp4')); // Save the video

    bot.sendDocument(chatId, 'video.mp4');
  } catch (error) {
    bot.sendMessage(chatId, 'Oops! Something went wrong.');
  }
});

Step 5: Caution Ahead!

Remember, downloading YouTube videos might infringe on copyrights. Respect content creators’ rights!

Step 6: Deploy and Test

Run your code and test your bot by sending it a YouTube video link on Telegram. Cross your fingers for a successful download!

Wrapping Up

Creating a Telegram bot to download YouTube videos is an exciting project. However, always be mindful of legal implications and ethical considerations. This tutorial serves an educational purpose; use it responsibly!

Happy coding, and keep exploring the tech wonders out there! ✨🤖🚀