If you’re planning to use N8N with Telegram—or already are—this story might save you from losing your account like I did. I built a private automation workflow using a Telegram bot, and despite it being for personal use only, my number ended up permanently banned.
Here’s exactly what happened and what you should watch out for.
Discovering N8N Automation
A few months ago, I came across a video from Network Chuck about N8N, the no-code/low-code workflow automation platform. As a solo content creator, I’m always looking for tools that streamline my work, and N8N immediately grabbed my interest.
After installing it, I jumped onto YouTube to find workflows I could copy, test, and tweak. One of the examples used Telegram as the user interface, and that’s where things began.
Using a Telegram Bot with N8N
Telegram has a tool called BotFather that lets you create bots and interact with them through API keys. With this setup, N8N can send and receive messages to and from a Telegram bot—perfect for testing workflows.
One of the workflows I found was a virtual accountant: you send a message to the bot with a purchase value, and it categorises it as personal or business. I got it running quickly, then decided to expand the idea for my own use case.
Building an Amazon Affiliate Automation
Since many creators start earning through affiliate marketing, I built a workflow that connected:
N8N
Amazon Affiliate API
Telegram bot
Here’s how it worked:
I sent a keyword like “3D printing filament” to the bot.
N8N pulled product results for brands I actually use.
It highlighted items that were new or discounted.
I could request more details about any specific product.
I manually reviewed content before posting to my website or YouTube community posts.
This was always meant to be a private, closed-loop bot—just me interacting with it. No group access, no users, no spam.
Then Telegram Banned My Account
After testing this workflow for a while, I got a message inside Telegram:
My account was frozen.
The notification said I’d been reported for violating the terms of service, and an admin had validated it.
That shocked me because the only “user” interacting with the bot was me through N8N.
Appealing the Telegram Ban
I appealed through Telegram’s automated bot system and explained everything:
I was new to N8N
It was for private testing
No public users were involved
Eventually, they replied—the ban was upheld.
I asked for clarification about which rule I broke. No response.
I tried appealing multiple times… nothing.
Now, when I try to register a new account with my phone number, Telegram blocks it immediately. As far as I can tell, it’s a permanent ban.
Did I Read the Telegram Terms? Honestly—No.
I’ll admit it: I didn’t read the entire Telegram terms of service. So it’s possible I violated something without realising.
Here are my best guesses:
Automated messages triggered spam systems
Message rate limiting violations
Affiliate-related content flagged as advertising
Content classified as commercial or promotional
Even though I was only messaging myself, it may have been enough for Telegram to consider it spammy behaviour.
What’s frustrating is that Telegram provided zero information about what triggered the ban.
My Workaround: Node-RED and Discord
To keep the automation alive, I rebuilt the bot using:
Node-RED
Discord
MQTT broker
It works, but it’s far more convoluted than using the Telegram API. The integration with BotFather would have been simpler and cleaner—but it’s no longer an option for me.
What You Should Do Before Using N8N with Telegram
If you’re using Telegram bots for automation—especially with N8N—here’s my advice:
✅ 1. Read the full Telegram Terms of Service
Even if you’re only using a bot privately, automation can still trigger enforcement.
✅ 2. Avoid anything that looks like bulk messaging
Even to yourself.
✅ 3. Be cautious with affiliate, promotional, or API-generated content
Telegram may classify it as advertising or spam.
✅ 4. Expect zero support if you’re banned
Telegram does not provide explanations, and appeals are hit-and-miss.
Could This Happen to You?
Until today, I still don’t know:
What exactly caused the ban
Who “reported” me
Which rule I violated
Whether reactivation is even possible
If you’ve had a similar experience with N8N and Telegram, or you think you know what triggered my ban, let me know. I’d love to hear other stories—or theories.
Thinking of using N8N with Telegram bots?
Tread carefully—and don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Until next time, I’ll see you in the next post.