fix: improve telegram configuration safety

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2026.1.11-9
+
+### Fixes
+- Telegram: add `/whoami` + `/id` commands to reveal sender id for allowlists.
+- Telegram/Onboarding: allow `@username` and prefixed ids in `allowFrom` prompts (with stability warning).
+- Control UI: stop auto-writing `telegram.groups["*"]` and warn/confirm before enabling wildcard groups.
+
 ## 2026.1.11-6
 
 ### Fixes

docs/providers/telegram.md

@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ Send in the group:
 
 Forward any message from the group to `@userinfobot` or `@getidsbot` on Telegram to see the chat ID (negative number like `-1001234567890`).
 
-**Tip:** For your own user ID, DM `@userinfobot` with `/start`. Useful for allowlists or debugging access control.
+**Tip:** For your own user ID, DM the bot and it will reply with your user ID (pairing message), or use `/whoami` once commands are enabled.
 
 **Privacy note:** `@userinfobot` is a third-party bot. If you prefer, use gateway logs (`clawdbot logs`) or Telegram developer tools to find user/chat IDs.
 
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ Private topics (DM forum mode) also include `message_thread_id`. Clawdbot:
   - `clawdbot pairing list telegram`
   - `clawdbot pairing approve telegram <CODE>`
 - Pairing is the default token exchange used for Telegram DMs. Details: [Pairing](/start/pairing)
+- `telegram.allowFrom` accepts numeric user IDs (recommended) or `@username` entries.
 
 ### Group access
 

src/auto-reply/commands-registry.ts

@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ export const CHAT_COMMANDS: ChatCommandDefinition[] = (() => {
       description: "Show current status.",
       textAlias: "/status",
     }),
+    defineChatCommand({
+      key: "whoami",
+      nativeName: "whoami",
+      description: "Show your sender id.",
+      textAlias: "/whoami",
+    }),
     defineChatCommand({
       key: "config",
       nativeName: "config",
@@ -247,6 +253,7 @@ export const CHAT_COMMANDS: ChatCommandDefinition[] = (() => {
   ];
 
   registerAlias(commands, "status", "/usage");
+  registerAlias(commands, "whoami", "/id");
   registerAlias(commands, "think", "/thinking", "/t");
   registerAlias(commands, "verbose", "/v");
   registerAlias(commands, "reasoning", "/reason");

src/auto-reply/reply/commands.ts

@@ -643,6 +643,30 @@ export async function handleCommands(params: {
     return { shouldContinue: false, reply };
   }
 
+  const whoamiRequested = command.commandBodyNormalized === "/whoami";
+  if (allowTextCommands && whoamiRequested) {
+    const senderId = ctx.SenderId ?? "";
+    const senderUsername = ctx.SenderUsername ?? "";
+    const lines = ["🧭 Identity", `Provider: ${command.provider}`];
+    if (senderId) lines.push(`User id: ${senderId}`);
+    if (senderUsername) {
+      const handle = senderUsername.startsWith("@")
+        ? senderUsername
+        : `@${senderUsername}`;
+      lines.push(`Username: ${handle}`);
+    }
+    if (ctx.ChatType === "group" && ctx.From) {
+      lines.push(`Chat: ${ctx.From}`);
+    }
+    if (ctx.MessageThreadId != null) {
+      lines.push(`Thread: ${ctx.MessageThreadId}`);
+    }
+    if (senderId) {
+      lines.push(`AllowFrom: ${senderId}`);
+    }
+    return { shouldContinue: false, reply: { text: lines.join("\n") } };
+  }
+
   const configCommand = allowTextCommands
     ? parseConfigCommand(command.commandBodyNormalized)
     : null;

src/commands/onboard-providers.ts

@@ -470,6 +470,61 @@ async function maybeConfigureDmPolicies(params: {
   return cfg;
 }
 
+function parseTelegramAllowFromEntries(raw: string): {
+  entries: string[];
+  hasUsernames: boolean;
+  error?: string;
+} {
+  const parts = raw
+    .split(/[\n,;]+/g)
+    .map((part) => part.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean);
+  if (parts.length === 0) {
+    return { entries: [], hasUsernames: false, error: "Required" };
+  }
+  const entries: string[] = [];
+  let hasUsernames = false;
+  for (const part of parts) {
+    if (part === "*") {
+      entries.push(part);
+      continue;
+    }
+    const match = part.match(/^(telegram|tg):(.+)$/i);
+    const value = match ? match[2]?.trim() : part;
+    if (!value) {
+      return { entries: [], hasUsernames: false, error: `Invalid entry: ${part}` };
+    }
+    if (/^\d+$/.test(value)) {
+      entries.push(part);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (value.startsWith("@")) {
+      const username = value.slice(1);
+      if (!/^[a-z0-9_]{5,32}$/i.test(username)) {
+        return {
+          entries: [],
+          hasUsernames: false,
+          error: `Invalid username: ${part}`,
+        };
+      }
+      hasUsernames = true;
+      entries.push(part);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (/^[a-z0-9_]{5,32}$/i.test(value)) {
+      hasUsernames = true;
+      entries.push(`@${value}`);
+      continue;
+    }
+    return {
+      entries: [],
+      hasUsernames: false,
+      error: `Invalid entry: ${part}`,
+    };
+  }
+  return { entries, hasUsernames };
+}
+
 async function promptTelegramAllowFrom(params: {
   cfg: ClawdbotConfig;
   prompter: WizardPrompter;
@@ -479,22 +534,30 @@ async function promptTelegramAllowFrom(params: {
   const resolved = resolveTelegramAccount({ cfg, accountId });
   const existingAllowFrom = resolved.config.allowFrom ?? [];
   const entry = await prompter.text({
-    message: "Telegram allowFrom (user id)",
-    placeholder: "123456789",
+    message: "Telegram allowFrom (user id or @username)",
+    placeholder: "123456789, @myhandle",
     initialValue: existingAllowFrom[0]
       ? String(existingAllowFrom[0])
       : undefined,
     validate: (value) => {
       const raw = String(value ?? "").trim();
-      if (!raw) return "Required";
-      if (!/^\d+$/.test(raw)) return "Use a numeric Telegram user id";
-      return undefined;
+      const parsed = parseTelegramAllowFromEntries(raw);
+      return parsed.error;
     },
   });
-  const normalized = String(entry).trim();
+  const parsed = parseTelegramAllowFromEntries(String(entry).trim());
+  if (parsed.hasUsernames) {
+    await prompter.note(
+      [
+        "Usernames can change; numeric user IDs are more stable.",
+        "Tip: DM the bot and it will reply with your user ID (pairing message).",
+      ].join("\n"),
+      "Telegram allowFrom",
+    );
+  }
   const merged = [
     ...existingAllowFrom.map((item) => String(item).trim()).filter(Boolean),
-    normalized,
+    ...parsed.entries,
   ];
   const unique = [...new Set(merged)];
 

ui/src/ui/app.ts

@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ export class ClawdbotApp extends LitElement {
   @state() telegramForm: TelegramForm = {
     token: "",
     requireMention: true,
+    groupsWildcardEnabled: false,
     allowFrom: "",
     proxy: "",
     webhookUrl: "",

ui/src/ui/controllers/config.test.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
 const baseTelegramForm: TelegramForm = {
   token: "",
   requireMention: true,
+  groupsWildcardEnabled: false,
   allowFrom: "",
   proxy: "",
   webhookUrl: "",

ui/src/ui/controllers/config.ts

@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ export function applyConfigSnapshot(state: ConfigState, snapshot: ConfigSnapshot
     telegramGroups["*"] && typeof telegramGroups["*"] === "object"
       ? (telegramGroups["*"] as Record<string, unknown>)
       : {};
+  const telegramHasWildcard = Boolean(telegramGroups["*"]);
   const allowFrom = Array.isArray(telegram.allowFrom)
     ? toList(telegram.allowFrom)
     : typeof telegram.allowFrom === "string"
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ export function applyConfigSnapshot(state: ConfigState, snapshot: ConfigSnapshot
       typeof telegramDefaultGroup.requireMention === "boolean"
         ? telegramDefaultGroup.requireMention
         : true,
+    groupsWildcardEnabled: telegramHasWildcard,
     allowFrom,
     proxy: typeof telegram.proxy === "string" ? telegram.proxy : "",
     webhookUrl: typeof telegram.webhookUrl === "string" ? telegram.webhookUrl : "",

ui/src/ui/controllers/connections.ts

@@ -181,6 +181,15 @@ export async function saveTelegramConfig(state: ConnectionsState) {
   state.telegramSaving = true;
   state.telegramConfigStatus = null;
   try {
+    if (state.telegramForm.groupsWildcardEnabled) {
+      const confirmed = window.confirm(
+        'Telegram groups wildcard "*" allows all groups. Continue?',
+      );
+      if (!confirmed) {
+        state.telegramConfigStatus = "Save cancelled.";
+        return;
+      }
+    }
     const base = state.configSnapshot?.config ?? {};
     const config = { ...base } as Record<string, unknown>;
     const telegram = { ...(config.telegram ?? {}) } as Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -196,6 +205,7 @@ export async function saveTelegramConfig(state: ConnectionsState) {
             unknown
           >)
         : {};
+    if (state.telegramForm.groupsWildcardEnabled) {
       const defaultGroup =
         groups["*"] && typeof groups["*"] === "object"
           ? ({ ...(groups["*"] as Record<string, unknown>) } as Record<
@@ -206,6 +216,11 @@ export async function saveTelegramConfig(state: ConnectionsState) {
       defaultGroup.requireMention = state.telegramForm.requireMention;
       groups["*"] = defaultGroup;
       telegram.groups = groups;
+    } else if (groups["*"]) {
+      delete groups["*"];
+      if (Object.keys(groups).length > 0) telegram.groups = groups;
+      else delete telegram.groups;
+    }
     delete telegram.requireMention;
     const allowFrom = parseList(state.telegramForm.allowFrom);
     if (allowFrom.length > 0) telegram.allowFrom = allowFrom;

ui/src/ui/ui-types.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export type TelegramForm = {
   token: string;
   requireMention: boolean;
+  groupsWildcardEnabled: boolean;
   allowFrom: string;
   proxy: string;
   webhookUrl: string;

ui/src/ui/views/connections.ts

@@ -356,10 +356,25 @@ function renderProvider(
                   })}
               />
             </label>
+            <label class="field">
+              <span>Apply default group rules</span>
+              <select
+                .value=${props.telegramForm.groupsWildcardEnabled ? "yes" : "no"}
+                @change=${(e: Event) =>
+                  props.onTelegramChange({
+                    groupsWildcardEnabled:
+                      (e.target as HTMLSelectElement).value === "yes",
+                  })}
+              >
+                <option value="no">No</option>
+                <option value="yes">Yes (allow all groups)</option>
+              </select>
+            </label>
             <label class="field">
               <span>Require mention in groups</span>
               <select
                 .value=${props.telegramForm.requireMention ? "yes" : "no"}
+                ?disabled=${!props.telegramForm.groupsWildcardEnabled}
                 @change=${(e: Event) =>
                   props.onTelegramChange({
                     requireMention: (e.target as HTMLSelectElement).value === "yes",
@@ -377,7 +392,7 @@ function renderProvider(
                   props.onTelegramChange({
                     allowFrom: (e.target as HTMLInputElement).value,
                   })}
-                placeholder="123456789, @team"
+                placeholder="123456789, @team, tg:123"
               />
             </label>
             <label class="field">
@@ -426,12 +441,33 @@ function renderProvider(
             </label>
           </div>
 
+          <div class="callout" style="margin-top: 12px;">
+            Allow from supports numeric user IDs (recommended) or @usernames. DM the bot
+            to get your ID, or run /whoami.
+          </div>
+
           ${props.telegramTokenLocked
             ? html`<div class="callout" style="margin-top: 12px;">
                 TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is set in the environment. Config edits will not override it.
               </div>`
             : nothing}
 
+          ${props.telegramForm.groupsWildcardEnabled
+            ? html`<div class="callout danger" style="margin-top: 12px;">
+                This writes telegram.groups["*"] and allows all groups. Remove it
+                if you only want specific groups.
+                <div class="row" style="margin-top: 8px;">
+                  <button
+                    class="btn"
+                    @click=${() =>
+                      props.onTelegramChange({ groupsWildcardEnabled: false })}
+                  >
+                    Remove wildcard
+                  </button>
+                </div>
+              </div>`
+            : nothing}
+
           ${props.telegramStatus
             ? html`<div class="callout" style="margin-top: 12px;">
                 ${props.telegramStatus}