To receive Telegram alerts for eBay listings with TruffleHunt, connect Telegram in Settings → Alerts, start the bot through the generated link, enable Telegram delivery, and create a hunt from an eBay search URL. The monitor checks the search; Telegram delivers the resulting messages.
You do not need to create a bot with BotFather or copy a bot token or chat ID. TruffleHunt uses a shared bot and links your private Telegram chat through the connection flow.
Check which plan includes Telegram
For ongoing monitoring, Telegram is available on Hunter and Hunter Pro. Permanent free Forager provides email alerts, up to three active hunts, and checks as often as every 30 minutes.
Hunter supports checks as often as every five minutes; Hunter Pro as often as every minute. Both support email, Telegram, and Discord. Choose based on the checking schedule and channels you need, using the current plan comparison.
Registration may offer a separate free 48-hour onboarding hunt without API keys or a card. Check the offer and channel availability shown in your account. That temporary hunt is separate from Forager, and continuing it afterward requires your own eBay developer connection.
If you only need email notifications for matching new items, eBay saved searches provide a native alternative. Their help page does not promise a fixed notification interval.
Connect your Telegram chat
- Sign in to TruffleHunt and open Settings → Alerts.
- Find Telegram delivery and select Connect Telegram. An upgrade message means Telegram is not available for the current account state.
- Open the generated Telegram link, or scan the displayed QR code on your phone. Use this account-specific link rather than finding the bot through a separate search.
- Tap Start in Telegram. Return to TruffleHunt and wait for the connection status to show Connected.
- Turn on the Telegram alerts switch. A connected chat and enabled alert delivery are separate settings.
- Select Send test. Confirm that the test message reaches the intended chat.
Keep the connection link and QR code private. If the linking screen expires, generate a fresh link from Settings. You never need to send a bot token, eBay API key, or login password in a Telegram message to complete this flow.
A successful test confirms the messaging route. It does not prove that a hunt is running or that a new matching listing has appeared.
Create a hunt and enable the right events
Build a filtered eBay search for a specific model, condition, and buying format. Copy its results-page URL into New hunt → eBay search URL. Check the detected filters and any warning that a filter could not be applied.
Give the hunt a clear label, choose a polling cadence, confirm its marketplace and connected eBay account, and review the estimated API usage. Enable Price drops if you want eligible fixed-price changes as well as new listings, then select Create hunt. Auction bid changes are not fixed-price drop alerts.
In Settings → Alerts, use the Notification channels controls to enable Telegram for the events you want. Check both the hunt's event settings and these account-wide channel settings. The search automation guide covers the full URL-to-hunt workflow.
Choose a message you can evaluate quickly
The Telegram delivery card offers Compact and Rich message styles. Compact messages summarize listings; rich messages include more pricing and seller context when those details are available. Messages distinguish new listings from price drops and link back to the hunt.
Illustrative simplified alert, not an actual listing or an exact message template:
Hunt: Used camera bodies
New listing: Example camera body
Item price: $180
Available shipping quote: $20
Price plus quoted shipping: $200
Open the listing to review the item and final checkout cost.
That $200 excludes tax, import charges, repairs, and resale fees. Missing shipping data is not proof of free shipping. Confirm the quote for your address on eBay. A price-drop message compares costs the monitor has observed, not the item's entire history or its resale value.
Understand alert timing and reduce noise
Switching to Telegram changes the delivery channel, not the hunt's checking interval. A one-minute cadence is not a guaranteed one-minute notification: eBay/API availability, quota limits, scheduling, message delivery, and your phone's notification settings all affect when you see an alert.
Narrow broad searches before adding more. Use exact models and conditions, and add unwanted title words to the hunt's negative keywords. The extra keyword filter does not inspect photos or establish authenticity.
Review Quiet hours in Settings → Alerts if you do not want ordinary hunt pings during a particular period. Check the separate critical-alert bypass setting as well; do not assume every notification follows the same rule.
If no alerts arrive
- No test message: confirm the chat is connected, the bot is not blocked, and Telegram and your phone allow notifications. Reconnect through Settings if needed.
- Test arrives, hunt is silent: check the hunt's running state, connected account, recent check, quota, and selected event/channel settings. A working search can be quiet when nothing eligible changes.
- Wrong items arrive: review the monitored results and dropped-filter warnings, then tighten the search or title exclusions.
Open the current eBay listing before buying. An alert does not reserve inventory, verify the seller, or place a purchase or bid for you.
Create an account to set up your eBay alerts. Check the onboarding route shown at registration and the Telegram eligibility in Settings before choosing a plan.