Keyboards, Button Styles, Mini Apps & Reply Controls

Inline Keyboards vs. Reply Keyboards

Telegram supports two distinct interactive interface paradigms:

Inline Keyboards (InlineKeyboardMarkup): Attached directly underneath specific message bubbles. Tapping a button triggers a background callback_query, opens an external URL, launches a full-screen Telegram Mini App, copies text to clipboard, or executes seamless OAuth authentication.
Reply Keyboards (ReplyKeyboardMarkup): Replace the user's on-screen virtual keyboard with fixed or persistent command tiles, contact/GPS hardware requests, or native user/chat pickers.

Telegram 8.0 Button Colors (style parameter)
In Telegram Bot API 8.0+, both InlineKeyboardButton and KeyboardButton support the style parameter:

"primary" — Dark Blue color for highlighted actions and primary calls-to-action.
"success" — Emerald Green color for approvals, confirmations, and successful purchases.
"danger" — Crimson Red color for destructive actions, deletions, bans, and cancellations.

1. Complete Telegram 8.0 Styled Inline Keyboard Example

Demonstrating colored buttons (primary, success, danger), custom emoji prefixes (icon_custom_emoji_id), and one-tap clipboard copy:

PHP — Styled Inline Buttons (API 8.0+)

<?php
// ── Botlify Cloud .env — auto-injected, never hardcode secrets ──
$BOT_TOKEN     = getenv('BOT_TOKEN');     // Telegram bot token from @BotFather
$ADMIN_CHAT_ID = getenv('ADMIN_CHAT_ID'); // Your numeric admin Telegram user ID
$BOT_USERNAME  = getenv('BOT_USERNAME');  // Bot username without @

declare(strict_types=1);

function send_styled_action_card(string|int $chatId): void {
    $keyboard = [
        'inline_keyboard' => [
            // Row 1: Positive Confirmation (Green) & Destructive Action (Red)
            [
                [
                    'text'          => '✅ Confirm Payment',
                    'callback_data' => 'order_confirm_492',
                    'style'         => 'success' // Emerald Green button
                ],
                [
                    'text'          => '🗑️ Cancel Order',
                    'callback_data' => 'order_cancel_492',
                    'style'         => 'danger' // Crimson Red button
                ]
            ],
            // Row 2: Primary Call-to-Action (Blue) with Custom Emoji Icon
            [
                [
                    'text'                 => '⚡ Upgrade to Enterprise',
                    'callback_data'        => 'upgrade_enterprise',
                    'style'                => 'primary', // Dark Blue button
                    'icon_custom_emoji_id' => '5368324170671202286' // Verified custom emoji prefix
                ]
            ],
            // Row 3: Telegram Mini App & One-Tap Clipboard Copy
            [
                [
                    'text'    => '🚀 Open Cloud Studio',
                    'web_app' => ['url' => 'https://app.botlify.cloud/studio'],
                    'style'   => 'primary'
                ],
                [
                    'text'      => '📋 Copy API Secret',
                    'copy_text' => ['text' => 'sk_live_botlify_982347102']
                ]
            ],
            // Row 4: External Web Link
            [
                [
                    'text' => '🌐 View Documentation',
                    'url'  => 'https://docs.botlify.cloud'
                ]
            ]
        ]
    ];

    bot('sendMessage', [
        'chat_id'      => $chatId,
        'text'         => "⚡ Botlify Cloud Styled Action Center\n\nChoose an action below using Telegram 8.0 styled buttons:",
        'parse_mode'   => 'HTML',
        'reply_markup' => $keyboard
    ]);
}

Always Answer Callback Queries Promptly!
Whenever a user taps an inline callback button, Telegram displays a spinning loader on the button. You must immediately call bot('answerCallbackQuery', ['callback_query_id' => $cbId]) to dismiss the spinner and provide optional haptic/toast notifications.

2. The 9 Inline Button Types Matrix

Button Type	Key Payload Property	Behavior & Capabilities
Callback Button	`callback_data => 'act_1'`	Dispatches background webhook update (1 to 64 bytes). Supports `style` and `icon_custom_emoji_id`.
URL Button	`url => 'https://...'`	Opens external web link in user's browser or in-app browser.
Mini App Button	`web_app => ['url' => '...']`	Launches Telegram Web App directly inside the messenger with full JavaScript bridge.
Copy Text Button	`copy_text => ['text' => '...']`	Copies specified string directly into device clipboard with single tap (API 7.10+).
Switch Inline Query	`switch_inline_query => 'query'`	Prompts user to select a chat and enters bot's inline query.
Switch Chosen Chat	`switch_inline_query_chosen_chat`	Filters destination chats (e.g. channel-only, group-only, user-only) before forwarding query.
Telegram Web OAuth	`login_url => ['url' => '...']`	One-tap seamless web login passing verified Telegram auth token to your website.
Invoice Pay Button	`pay => true`	Must be the first button in the first row of an invoice message to trigger payment sheet.
HTML5 Game Button	`callback_game => []`	Launches interactive canvas/HTML5 game configured via @BotFather.

PHP — Advanced Inline Button Types Implementation

<?php
// ── Botlify Cloud .env — auto-injected, never hardcode secrets ──
$BOT_TOKEN     = getenv('BOT_TOKEN');     // Telegram bot token from @BotFather
$ADMIN_CHAT_ID = getenv('ADMIN_CHAT_ID'); // Your numeric admin Telegram user ID
$BOT_USERNAME  = getenv('BOT_USERNAME');  // Bot username without @

declare(strict_types=1);

$advancedInlineKeyboard = [
    'inline_keyboard' => [
        // 1. Target Channel Sharing Only
        [
            [
                'text'                             => '📢 Post Announcement to Channel',
                'switch_inline_query_chosen_chat' => [
                    'query'               => 'flash_sale_active',
                    'allow_channel_chats' => true,
                    'allow_group_chats'   => false,
                    'allow_user_chats'    => false
                ]
            ]
        ],
        // 2. Seamless Telegram Web OAuth Login
        [
            [
                'text'      => '🔐 Login to Botlify Cloud Web Dashboard',
                'login_url' => [
                    'url'                => 'https://botlify.cloud/auth/telegram_callback.php',
                    'request_write_access'=> true
                ]
            ]
        ]
    ]
];

3. Reply Keyboards with Button Styles & Data Pickers

Reply keyboards also support modern button styles (primary, danger, success), hardware data sharing, and native Telegram pickers for selecting specific users or channels:

PHP — Styled Reply Keyboards & Advanced Pickers

<?php
// ── Botlify Cloud .env — auto-injected, never hardcode secrets ──
$BOT_TOKEN     = getenv('BOT_TOKEN');     // Telegram bot token from @BotFather
$ADMIN_CHAT_ID = getenv('ADMIN_CHAT_ID'); // Your numeric admin Telegram user ID
$BOT_USERNAME  = getenv('BOT_USERNAME');  // Bot username without @

declare(strict_types=1);

function send_styled_reply_picker_menu(string|int $chatId): void {
    $keyboard = [
        'keyboard' => [
            // Row 1: Hardware Access Requests
            [
                [
                    'text'            => '📱 Share Verified Phone',
                    'request_contact' => true
                ],
                [
                    'text'             => '📍 Share GPS Location',
                    'request_location' => true
                ]
            ],
            // Row 2: Modern User & Chat Pickers with Filters (API 6.5+)
            [
                [
                    'text'          => '👤 Pick Premium User',
                    'request_users' => [
                        'request_id'       => 201,
                        'user_is_bot'      => false,
                        'user_is_premium'  => true, // Filter Premium users only
                        'max_quantity'     => 1,
                        'request_name'     => true,
                        'request_username' => true
                    ]
                ],
                [
                    'text'         => '📢 Pick Channel with Admin Rights',
                    'request_chat' => [
                        'request_id'                => 202,
                        'chat_is_channel'           => true,
                        'bot_is_member'             => true,
                        'bot_administrator_rights'  => [
                            'can_post_messages' => true
                        ]
                    ]
                ]
            ],
            // Row 3: Styled Reply Action Tiles (Telegram 8.0+)
            [
                [
                    'text'  => '🟢 Start Cloud Sync',
                    'style' => 'success' // Green Reply Button
                ],
                [
                    'text'  => '🔴 Emergency Stop',
                    'style' => 'danger' // Red Reply Button
                ]
            ],
            // Row 4: Primary Hub Action
            [
                [
                    'text'  => '🔵 Open Admin Console',
                    'style' => 'primary' // Blue Reply Button
                ]
            ]
        ],
        'resize_keyboard'          => true,  // Dynamic compact sizing
        'one_time_keyboard'        => false, // Remains visible
        'is_persistent'            => true,  // Visible even when device keyboard toggles
        'input_field_placeholder'  => 'Select an action or pick a user/channel...'
    ];

    bot('sendMessage', [
        'chat_id'      => $chatId,
        'text'         => 'Please select an option or pick data from the control board below:',
        'reply_markup' => $keyboard
    ]);
}

4. Keyboard Dismissal & Force Reply Controls

PHP — ReplyKeyboardRemove & ForceReply

<?php
// ── Botlify Cloud .env — auto-injected, never hardcode secrets ──
$BOT_TOKEN     = getenv('BOT_TOKEN');     // Telegram bot token from @BotFather
$ADMIN_CHAT_ID = getenv('ADMIN_CHAT_ID'); // Your numeric admin Telegram user ID
$BOT_USERNAME  = getenv('BOT_USERNAME');  // Bot username without @

declare(strict_types=1);

// 1. Remove Custom Reply Keyboard (Restores standard system keyboard)
bot('sendMessage', [
    'chat_id'      => $chatId,
    'text'         => 'Custom keyboard closed.',
    'reply_markup' => ['remove_keyboard' => true]
]);

// 2. Force Reply (Opens user keyboard and auto-quotes this prompt)
bot('sendMessage', [
    'chat_id'      => $chatId,
    'text'         => '📝 Please enter your Database Backup Password:',
    'parse_mode'   => 'HTML',
    'reply_markup' => [
        'force_reply'             => true,
        'input_field_placeholder' => 'Enter password...'
    ]
]);

Botlify Cloud Runtime
Credentials are auto-injected in .env — always load them with getenv(): BOT_TOKEN, ADMIN_CHAT_ID, BOT_USERNAME. Main database: database.db (SQLite, WAL mode). Runtime errors: error.log. Quick test: send to $ADMIN_CHAT_ID. Full details: Runtime Reference.