> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.botdistrikt.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.botdistrikt.com/messaging-channels/telegram/telegram-commands.md).
# Telegram Commands
Telegram Bots have a special version of a [persistent menu](broken://pages/-MjJWNqbgKRgZrxTFuZn#persistent-menu) called commands. Commands allow your users to trigger specific stories from your bot.
## /start command
When a user clicks into the your bot on Telegram for the first time, they are presented with the bot's description and a **START** button.
Clicking the **START** button is equivalent to typing `/start` to your bot. Therefore, when your user clicks the Start button, the first message they will see that got sent to the bot was the `/start` command itself like this
The START button
becomes the "/start" command
Therefore, `/start` is a default command in every BotDistrikt bot. When the TELEGRAM group of rules is created after linking your bot to Telegram, you will also see a rule automatically generated like this
This rule just checks if a sent a User sent a message with the text `/start` to the bot, and if so, triggers the bot's default **greeting** story.
## Custom commands
Telegram bots are known well to work with slash commands like `/start`. On BotDistrikt, you may add your own commands and descriptions. Here is an example of how it can be used
The platform then identifies the Linked Story, based on which rule is selected as the Passing Rule for each command.
A good practice is to create a New Rule for each command in the generated TELEGRAM group, and the story you want to trigger for it like this
From the example above, we create a new rule for each of the **/about**, **/settings**, and **/feedback** commands.