Host a Telegram Bot 24/7 on Your Free VPS

Telegram bots need a machine that is always online. Your Opus Host VPS is exactly that. This guide covers deploying a bot in Python or Node.js and keeping it alive after crashes and reboots.

1. Create a bot and get a token

Open Telegram and message @BotFather.
Send /newbot and follow the prompts.
Save the token BotFather gives you. You will need it below.

2. Install your language

Python
Node.js

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip python3-venv git

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs git

3. Get your bot code onto the VPS

Clone from Git or upload via the File Manager:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mybot.git ~/mybot
cd ~/mybot

4. A minimal example bot

Python
Node.js

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install python-telegram-bot

Create bot.py:

import os
from telegram.ext import ApplicationBuilder, CommandHandler

async def start(update, context):
    await update.message.reply_text("Hello from Opus Host!")

app = ApplicationBuilder().token(os.environ["BOT_TOKEN"]).build()
app.add_handler(CommandHandler("start", start))
app.run_polling()

Test it:

BOT_TOKEN=your-token python3 bot.py

npm init -y
npm install node-telegram-bot-api

Create index.js:

const TelegramBot = require("node-telegram-bot-api");
const bot = new TelegramBot(process.env.BOT_TOKEN, { polling: true });

bot.onText(/\/start/, (msg) => {
  bot.sendMessage(msg.chat.id, "Hello from Opus Host!");
});

Test it:

BOT_TOKEN=your-token node index.js

Message your bot on Telegram and send /start. If it responds, you are ready to run it as a service.

5. Keep it running with systemd

Create /etc/systemd/system/mybot.service:

[Unit]
Description=My Telegram Bot
After=network.target

[Service]
User=root
WorkingDirectory=/root/mybot
Environment=BOT_TOKEN=your-telegram-token
ExecStart=/root/mybot/venv/bin/python3 /root/mybot/bot.py
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

For Node.js, use ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /root/mybot/index.js. Enable and start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now mybot
sudo systemctl status mybot

See systemd Services for the full reference.

Store the token in a .env file loaded by python-dotenv or the dotenv npm package instead of pasting it into the service file. Easier to rotate, easier to keep out of Git.

Never commit your bot token to a public repository. If it leaks, revoke it immediately from BotFather with /revoke and generate a new one.

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Host a Telegram Bot 24/7 on Your Free VPS

1. Create a bot and get a token

2. Install your language

3. Get your bot code onto the VPS

4. A minimal example bot

5. Keep it running with systemd

​1. Create a bot and get a token

​2. Install your language

​3. Get your bot code onto the VPS

​4. A minimal example bot

​5. Keep it running with systemd

1. Create a bot and get a token

2. Install your language

3. Get your bot code onto the VPS

4. A minimal example bot

5. Keep it running with systemd