Telegram once again makes a big move! The official Bot API will be officially released in version 9.5 on March 1, 2026, one of the most significant changes being the full release of the sendMessageDraft method to all bots. Previously, this feature was limited to specific scenarios (such as private chats with topics), but now all types of Telegram chatbots (including regular private chats, groups, and topics) can natively implement streaming, allowing AI responses to be displayed as they are generated, like ChatGPT, greatly improving the user experience. The open-source AI proxy framework OpenClaw has already completed adaptation and has become the first publicly reported robot solution that fully supports this new API.
Key Update Insights
The Telegram Bot API 9.5 clearly adds and expands the sendMessageDraft method, allowing bot developers to push partial message content to the user interface in real time while generating replies, creating a "typing" bubble and dynamically updating the text. This change completely breaks the previous restrictions on regular private chat bots, and now all types of Telegram chatbots can seamlessly use streaming without additional hacks or message editing workarounds.
OpenClaw's Leading Adaptation
As the current most popular self-hosted AI proxy platform, OpenClaw has natively integrated this feature through its Telegram channel plugin. According to the official documentation and community feedback:
- In private chats (DM): directly use sendMessageDraft to update the draft bubble, achieving zero-latency native streaming display without sending additional preview messages.
- In groups/topics: combine sendMessage + editMessageText to achieve real-time editing of preview messages, ensuring a consistent experience across scenarios.
OpenClaw supports multiple streaming mode configurations (partial / block / progress, etc.), and enabling the default partial mode allows you to enjoy Telegram's latest native streaming capabilities. Developers just need to refer to the sendMessageDraft method in the API documentation to easily integrate and optimize their own AI bots.
Significance for the AI Bot Ecosystem
This update marks Telegram's official alignment with mainstream chat AI platforms in terms of AI interaction experience. In the past, many self-built bots relied on the "send an empty message first and then constantly edit" approach to simulate streaming, which could trigger frequency limits or appear unrefined; now, with the official sendMessageDraft, all bot developers can gain more natural and efficient real-time reply effects. Especially for platforms like OpenClaw, which act as multi-platform AI gateways, the experience of the Telegram channel has been significantly improved, allowing users to enjoy a smooth "think and speak" feeling similar to Claude or GPT on their mobile devices.
