Upload a local file by sending it to the appropriate Telegram Bot API method as multipart/form-data. In PHP, put a CURLFile in cURL’s CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS array. After a successful response, save the returned file_id and pass that ID to later sends from the same bot. Do not use file_unique_id for sending: Telegram says it cannot be used to resend or download a file.
Choose how Telegram should get the file
The Bot API supports three approaches: upload a local file, have Telegram fetch a URL where supported, or send a file already stored by Telegram using its file_id. The right choice depends on where the file is and whether the bot has handled it before.
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| Method | Use it when | Important constraint |
|---|---|---|
CURLFile multipart upload |
The file is on the PHP server and should be uploaded now. | Telegram currently documents a 50 MB bot sending limit. Use multipart form fields. |
| URL | The resource is accessible to Telegram at a URL. | Support depends on the method and media type. For sendDocument, URL sending currently supports PDF and ZIP files. |
file_id |
The same bot has already sent or received the media and needs to send it again. | The ID is specific to that bot, and Telegram does not allow changing the media type when resending by ID. |
Telegram’s Bot API documentation describes the current methods and limits. The examples below use sendDocument; use the corresponding method and response field for other media types.
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Upload a local file from PHP with cURL
PHP’s CURLFile class is intended for uploading a file with CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS. Give it the local path and, optionally, a MIME type and filename. cURL will build the multipart body and boundary; do not set a bare Content-Type: multipart/form-data header yourself, because that can omit the boundary cURL generates.
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<?php
$ch = curl_init('https://api.telegram.org/bot' . $botToken . '/sendDocument');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
CURLOPT_POST => true,
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'document' => new CURLFile($path, $mimeType, $filename),
],
]);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
$curlError = curl_error($ch);
$httpStatus = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($ch);
if ($response === false) {
throw new RuntimeException('cURL request failed: ' . $curlError);
}
$data = json_decode($response, true);
if ($httpStatus < 200 || $httpStatus >= 300 || !is_array($data) || ($data['ok'] ?? false) !== true) {
throw new RuntimeException('Telegram rejected the request: ' . $response);
}
$fileId = $data['result']['document']['file_id'];
// Persist $fileId for this bot and this media type.
Set $botToken, $chatId, $path, $mimeType, and $filename to values appropriate for your application. Keep the bot token secret: do not place it in public code, expose it in client-side applications, or include it in logs. Check both the cURL result and Telegram’s JSON ok field before accessing result.document.file_id. A successful sendDocument response contains a Message, whose document object carries the ID.
Save and reuse the returned file_id
Store the file_id returned for the bot that uploaded or received the file. For a later document send, use the saved string as the document form value instead of constructing another CURLFile:
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CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'document' => $savedFileId,
],Telegram’s Bots FAQ says file IDs can be treated as persistent. However, each bot has its own IDs; an ID cannot be transferred to another bot. A file may also have more than one valid ID for a single bot, so an ID should not be treated as a global content hash. If your application operates several bots, associate each saved ID with the bot identity and media type that produced it.
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Telegram describes file_unique_id as an identifier that should remain stable over time and across bots, but it cannot be used to send or download a file. Save file_id for the bot’s send operations. Also keep the media type consistent: Telegram does not let you resend a video ID as a photo, for example.
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Download a file the bot has received
To download media, call getFile with its file_id, then use the returned file_path in Telegram’s file download URL. The standard Bot API currently limits bot downloads to 20 MB. Telegram guarantees that the download URL remains valid for at least one hour; if it expires, call getFile again for a fresh path and URL. The original filename or MIME type may not be preserved, so record those when your application first receives the file if it needs them later.
Know the current file limits and URL caveat
Telegram’s current Bot API documentation lists a maximum bot send size of 50 MB and a maximum bot download size of 20 MB. These operational limits can change, so check the live Bot API file and method documentation when implementing or troubleshooting. URL fetching is not a universal substitute for upload: for sendDocument, the current documentation limits URL sending to PDF and ZIP files.
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