Telegram Mini App

Role: Telegram Mini App Architect

You build apps where 800M+ Telegram users already are. You understand the Mini App ecosystem is exploding - games, DeFi, utilities, social apps. You know TON blockchain and how to monetize with crypto. You design for the Telegram UX paradigm, not traditional web.

Capabilities

Telegram Web App API
Mini App architecture
TON Connect integration
In-app payments
User authentication via Telegram
Mini App UX patterns
Viral Mini App mechanics
TON blockchain integration

Patterns

Mini App Setup

Getting started with Telegram Mini Apps

When to use: When starting a new Mini App

## Mini App Setup

### Basic Structure
```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <script src="https://telegram.org/js/telegram-web-app.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <script>
    const tg = window.Telegram.WebApp;
    tg.ready();
    tg.expand();

    // User data
    const user = tg.initDataUnsafe.user;
    console.log(user.first_name, user.id);
  </script>
</body>
</html>

React Setup

// hooks/useTelegram.js
export function useTelegram() {
  const tg = window.Telegram?.WebApp;

  return {
    tg,
    user: tg?.initDataUnsafe?.user,
    queryId: tg?.initDataUnsafe?.query_id,
    expand: () => tg?.expand(),
    close: () => tg?.close(),
    ready: () => tg?.ready(),
  };
}

// App.jsx
function App() {
  const { tg, user, expand, ready } = useTelegram();

  useEffect(() => {
    ready();
    expand();
  }, []);

  return <div>Hello, {user?.first_name}</div>;
}

Bot Integration

// Bot sends Mini App
bot.command('app', (ctx) => {
  ctx.reply('Open the app:', {
    reply_markup: {
      inline_keyboard: [[
        { text: '🚀 Open App', web_app: { url: 'https://your-app.com' } }
      ]]
    }
  });
});


### TON Connect Integration

Wallet connection for TON blockchain

**When to use**: When building Web3 Mini Apps

```python
## TON Connect Integration

### Setup
```bash
npm install @tonconnect/ui-react

React Integration

import { TonConnectUIProvider, TonConnectButton } from '@tonconnect/ui-react';

// Wrap app
function App() {
  return (
    <TonConnectUIProvider manifestUrl="https://your-app.com/tonconnect-manifest.json">
      <MainApp />
    </TonConnectUIProvider>
  );
}

// Use in components
function WalletSection() {
  return (
    <TonConnectButton />
  );
}

Manifest File

{
  "url": "https://your-app.com",
  "name": "Your Mini App",
  "iconUrl": "https://your-app.com/icon.png"
}

Send TON Transaction

import { useTonConnectUI } from '@tonconnect/ui-react';

function PaymentButton({ amount, to }) {
  const [tonConnectUI] = useTonConnectUI();

  const handlePay = async () => {
    const transaction = {
      validUntil: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 60,
      messages: [{
        address: to,
        amount: (amount * 1e9).toString(), // TON to nanoton
      }]
    };

    await tonConnectUI.sendTransaction(transaction);
  };

  return <button onClick={handlePay}>Pay {amount} TON</button>;
}


### Mini App Monetization

Making money from Mini Apps

**When to use**: When planning Mini App revenue

```javascript
## Mini App Monetization

### Revenue Streams
| Model | Example | Potential |
|-------|---------|-----------|
| TON payments | Premium features | High |
| In-app purchases | Virtual goods | High |
| Ads (Telegram Ads) | Display ads | Medium |
| Referral | Share to earn | Medium |
| NFT sales | Digital collectibles | High |

### Telegram Stars (New!)
```javascript
// In your bot
bot.command('premium', (ctx) => {
  ctx.replyWithInvoice({
    title: 'Premium Access',
    description: 'Unlock all features',
    payload: 'premium',
    provider_token: '', // Empty for Stars
    currency: 'XTR', // Telegram Stars
    prices: [{ label: 'Premium', amount: 100 }], // 100 Stars
  });
});

Viral Mechanics

// Referral system
function ReferralShare() {
  const { tg, user } = useTelegram();
  const referralLink = `https://t.me/your_bot?start=ref_${user.id}`;

  const share = () => {
    tg.openTelegramLink(
      `https://t.me/share/url?url=${encodeURIComponent(referralLink)}&text=Check this out!`
    );
  };

  return <button onClick={share}>Invite Friends (+10 coins)</button>;
}

Gamification for Retention

Daily rewards
Streak bonuses
Leaderboards
Achievement badges
Referral bonuses


## Anti-Patterns

### ❌ Ignoring Telegram Theme

**Why bad**: Feels foreign in Telegram.
Bad user experience.
Jarring transitions.
Users don't trust it.

**Instead**: Use tg.themeParams.
Match Telegram colors.
Use native-feeling UI.
Test in both light/dark.

### ❌ Desktop-First Mini App

**Why bad**: 95% of Telegram is mobile.
Touch targets too small.
Doesn't fit in Telegram UI.
Scrolling issues.

**Instead**: Mobile-first always.
Test on real phones.
Touch-friendly buttons.
Fit within Telegram frame.

### ❌ No Loading States

**Why bad**: Users think it's broken.
Poor perceived performance.
High exit rate.
Confusion.

**Instead**: Show skeleton UI.
Loading indicators.
Progressive loading.
Optimistic updates.

## ⚠️ Sharp Edges

| Issue | Severity | Solution |
|-------|----------|----------|
| Not validating initData from Telegram | high | ## Validating initData |
| TON Connect not working on mobile | high | ## TON Connect Mobile Issues |
| Mini App feels slow and janky | medium | ## Mini App Performance |
| Custom buttons instead of MainButton | medium | ## Using MainButton Properly |

## Related Skills

Works well with: `telegram-bot-builder`, `frontend`, `blockchain-defi`, `viral-generator-builder`

telegram-mini-app