# sendGift

> Sends a gift to the given user or channel chat

**Category:** Telegram Bot API — Methods (A-Z)  
**URL:** https://docs.botlify.cloud/sendgift  
**Platform:** Botlify Cloud (https://botlify.cloud)  

---

Sends a gift to the given user or channel chat. The gift can't be converted to Telegram Stars by the receiver. Returns *True* on success.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| user_id | Integer | Optional | Required if chat_id is not specified. Unique identifier of the target user who will receive the gift. |
| chat_id | Integer or String | Optional | Required if user_id is not specified. Unique identifier for the chat or username of the channel (in the format @username) that will receive the gift. |
| gift_id | String | Yes | Identifier of the gift; limited gifts can't be sent to channel chats |
| pay_for_upgrade | Boolean | Optional | Pass True to pay for the gift upgrade from the bot's balance, thereby making the upgrade free for the receiver |
| text | String | Optional | Text that will be shown along with the gift; 0-128 characters |
| text_parse_mode | String | Optional | Mode for parsing entities in the text. See formatting options for more details. Entities other than "bold", "italic", "underline", "strikethrough", "spoiler", "custom_emoji", and "date_time" are ignored. |
| text_entities | Array of MessageEntity | Optional | A JSON-serialized list of special entities that appear in the gift text. It can be specified instead of text_parse_mode. Entities other than "bold", "italic", "underline", "strikethrough", "spoiler", "custom_emoji", and "date_time" are ignored. |

## Example

```php

```

> [!TIP]
> **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.