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Forward Message

Forwards a message from one Telegram chat to another. The forwarded message will show as "Forwarded from" in Telegram.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Input​

  • Client Id - (Optional) The unique identifier for the bot client connection obtained from the Connect node. If not provided, you can use Bot Token instead.
  • From Chat Id - The source chat identifier where the message to be forwarded is located. Can be:
    • A user's Telegram ID
    • A group chat ID
    • A channel ID
  • To Chat Id - The target chat identifier where the message will be forwarded to. Can be:
    • A user's Telegram ID
    • A group chat ID
    • A channel ID
  • Message Id - The ID of the message to forward. Must be greater than 0.

Options​

  • Bot Token - (Optional) The Telegram bot token credential. This is an alternative to using Client Id - provide either Client Id OR Bot Token.
  • Disable Notification - Send the message silently without triggering a notification. Default: false.
  • Protect Content - Protect the forwarded message from being forwarded again and from being saved. Default: false.

Output​

  • n/a - No output

How It Works​

The Forward Message node copies a message from one chat to another while preserving the original sender information. When executed, the node:

  1. Either uses the provided Client Id or creates a temporary connection using Bot Token
  2. Validates the From Chat Id, To Chat Id, and Message Id
  3. Retrieves the message from the source chat
  4. Forwards it to the destination chat
  5. Applies the Disable Notification and Protect Content options
  6. Returns success or error based on the API response

In the destination chat, the message will appear with a "Forwarded from" header showing the original source.

Requirements​

  • Either a valid Client Id from a Connect node OR a valid Bot Token credential
  • The bot must have access to read messages in the source chat
  • The bot must have permission to send messages in the destination chat
  • The message ID must exist in the source chat
  • For channels: The bot must be an administrator with appropriate permissions

Error Handling​

The node will return errors in the following cases:

  • Empty or invalid From Chat Id
  • Empty or invalid To Chat Id
  • Message Id less than or equal to 0
  • Message not found in source chat
  • Bot doesn't have permission to read from source chat
  • Bot doesn't have permission to send to destination chat
  • Message cannot be forwarded (some message types have restrictions)
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Telegram API errors

Usage Examples​

Forward from User to Channel:

Receive Message
  → Forward Message (
      From Chat Id: message.chat.id,
      To Chat Id: -1001234567890,
      Message Id: message.message_id
    )

Forward Important Messages:

Receive Message
  → If (message.text contains "urgent")
    → Forward Message (to admin chat)

Distribute Content:

Receive Message (from content channel)
  → For Each (channel in distributionList)
    → Forward Message (to channel)

Silent Forward:

Forward Message:
  From Chat Id: source_chat
  To Chat Id: destination_chat
  Message Id: 123
  Disable Notification: true

Use Cases​

Content Distribution:

  • Forward posts from a main channel to multiple sub-channels
  • Distribute announcements to various groups
  • Share news across different communities

Message Archiving:

  • Forward important messages to an archive channel
  • Backup conversations to a private channel
  • Store customer inquiries in a support channel

Admin Notifications:

  • Forward user reports to admin chat
  • Send flagged content to moderators
  • Alert admins about specific keywords

Cross-Channel Communication:

  • Bridge messages between different groups
  • Forward questions from users to expert channels
  • Share content between related communities

Best Practices​

  • Verify permissions - Ensure the bot can read from source and write to destination
  • Validate message IDs - Check that the message ID exists before forwarding
  • Use Disable Notification - For bulk forwarding, enable silent mode to avoid spam
  • Protect sensitive content - Use Protect Content for confidential information
  • Handle errors - Some message types (like service messages) cannot be forwarded
  • Rate limiting - Telegram has limits on message frequency, especially for forwarding
  • Preserve context - Consider if forwarding preserves enough context or if you should use Send Message instead

Common Patterns​

Auto-Forward from User:

Receive Message
  → If (message.from.id == specific_user)
    → Forward Message (to monitoring channel)

Forward with Confirmation:

Receive Message
  → Forward Message (to destination)
  → Send Message (Chat Id: message.chat.id, Message: "Forwarded!")

Selective Forwarding:

Receive Message
  → If (message.photo OR message.document)
    → Forward Message (to media archive)
  → Else If (message.text contains "report")
    → Forward Message (to reports channel)

Bulk Distribution:

let channels = [-1001111111, -1002222222, -1003333333];
for (let channelId of channels) {
  // Forward Message to each channel
  // Add delay to avoid rate limits
}

Forward vs. Send Message​

Use Forward Message when:

  • You want to preserve the original sender information
  • The original formatting and media should remain intact
  • You want to show the message came from another source
  • You're archiving or distributing existing content

Use Send Message when:

  • You want to send as the bot, not show the original sender
  • You need to modify the content before sending
  • You want to add a caption or additional context
  • The destination doesn't need to know the source

Telegram Forward Behavior​

What Gets Forwarded:

  • Text content
  • Media (photos, videos, documents, etc.)
  • Polls
  • Original sender information
  • Original timestamp

What Doesn't Get Forwarded:

  • Service messages (e.g., "User joined group")
  • Some bot messages with special formatting
  • Messages from users who disabled forwarding in privacy settings

Forward Attribution:

Forwarded from: [Channel Name]
or
Forwarded from: [User Name]

[Original message content]

Protect Content Feature​

When Protect Content is enabled:

  • The forwarded message cannot be forwarded again
  • Users cannot save the message content
  • Screenshots are discouraged (some clients prevent them)
  • Useful for confidential or copyright-protected content

Troubleshooting​

Message Cannot Be Forwarded:

  • Some users disable forwarding in their privacy settings
  • Service messages cannot be forwarded
  • Check if the message type supports forwarding

Permission Denied:

  • Verify bot is a member of both source and destination chats
  • Check bot has necessary admin rights in channels
  • Ensure the bot hasn't been restricted

Message Not Found:

  • Verify the Message Id exists in the From Chat Id
  • Check that the message hasn't been deleted
  • Ensure the From Chat Id is correct

Tips​

  • You can forward messages from private chats, groups, and channels
  • The Message Id is unique per chat, not globally
  • Forwarding preserves all media and formatting
  • Use Disable Notification for batch forwarding to avoid disturbing users
  • Some channels disable forwarding - you'll get an error if this is the case
  • For anonymous admin messages in channels, the forward will show the channel name
  • You can forward your own messages or messages from other users (if allowed)
  • The forwarded message gets a new Message Id in the destination chat