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DocsBot & IntegrationsInline Search

Inline Search

Inline Search lets customers find and share your products directly in any Telegram chat — no need to visit your store.

Inline Search Demo

Inline Search is a Telegram feature that allows users to search within a bot’s content and get results back instantly.

How It Works

  1. Customer types @your_bot search query
  2. Your bot returns matching products
  3. Customer taps a product link
  4. Product opens in your store
  5. Customer can view and purchase directly

Where It Works

Inline search works in:

  • Private messages
  • Closed groups
  • Open channels
  • Bot conversations
  • Any Telegram chat

Requirement

Your shop must have a bot connected to use inline search.

Enable Inline Mode via BotFather

You must enable inline mode for your bot in Telegram:

  1. Open @BotFather  in Telegram
  2. Select your bot from the list
  3. Go to Bot Settings → Inline Mode
  4. Select Turn inline mode on

Optional: Custom Placeholder

You can set a custom placeholder — a phrase that appears after the bot’s name during search (e.g., “I’m looking for…”, “I want to order…”).

To set it:

  1. In BotFather, go to Bot Settings → Inline Mode → Inline placeholder
  2. Enter your custom placeholder text

Automatic Enable

Inline search is automatically enabled when:

  1. A bot is connected to your store
  2. Products exist in your catalog
  3. Inline mode is turned on in BotFather

Manual Verification

To confirm inline search is working:

  1. Open any Telegram chat
  2. Type @your_bot search (replace your_bot with your bot’s username)
  3. Enter a keyword from your products
  4. Verify results appear

Customer Experience

Customers love inline search because:

  • ⚡ Fast — Results appear instantly
  • 🎯 Convenient — No need to leave the chat
  • 🔗 Direct access — Links go straight to products
  • 📱 Mobile-friendly — Works on all Telegram apps

Search Examples

@your_bot search red dress
@your_bot search wireless headphones
@your_bot search shoes size 42
@your_bot search under $50

Search Tips

  • Use specific keywords — Better results
  • Include product attributes — Size, color, model
  • Check spelling — Mistyped searches miss products

Inline Buttons

What Are They?

Telegram shows inline buttons below each search result with:

  • Product name
  • Price
  • Short description
  • Thumbnail image

How They Appear

Buttons display in the search results list:

  • “Buy Now” — Direct to product
  • “Add to Cart” — For multi-item orders
  • “View Details” — See full product information

Analytics

Track Inline Search Usage

Monitor how customers find your products:

  • Popular search terms — What customers look for
  • Click-through rates — Which products get attention
  • Conversion — Search-to-purchase percentage

Best Practices

Product Names

Make products easy to find:

  • Clear, descriptive names — “Men’s Cotton T-Shirt” vs “MTS001”
  • Include relevant keywords — Think how customers search
  • Avoid abbreviations — Unless commonly known

Images

  • Show thumbnails — Help products stand out
  • Use consistent sizing — Uniform appearance
  • Include in search — Better visual recognition

Troubleshooting

”No Results Found”

  1. Check if inline search is enabled
  2. Verify bot is running and connected
  3. Confirm products exist in your catalog
  4. Try broader search terms
  1. Verify bot is running (try starting a conversation)
  2. Check bot username is correct
  3. Ensure bot has inline mode enabled
  4. Contact support if issues persist

Results Not Showing Product Info

  • Check product names are set correctly
  • Verify images are added
  • Ensure products are published (not draft)

Next Steps

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