Inline mode

In inline mode users type @yourbot query in any chat and pick one of your results, which is then sent into that chat. easytg turns pages into such results, buttons included: pressing them later updates the sent message in place, like any menu.

Turn inline mode on for your bot in @BotFather (/setinline) first.

const product = page<{ id: string }>('product').render(({ params, nav }) => ({
  text: `**${name(params.id)}**`,
  keyboard: [[nav.self('🔄 Refresh')]],
}));

bot.on('inline_query', async (ctx) => {
  const found = search(ctx.inlineQuery.query);
  const results = await Promise.all(
    found.map((p) => app.inlineResult(ctx, product, { params: { id: p.id }, title: p.name, description: `$${p.price}` })),
  );
  await ctx.answerInlineQuery(results, { cache_time: 0 });
});

• A text page becomes an article; a page with a photo (file id or URL) becomes a photo with its text as the caption. Other content can't be an inline result.
• title, description and thumbnailUrl describe the result in the list. id defaults to one derived from the page and params.
• Middlewares run and redirects are followed, like for any render.
• The message ends up in someone else's chat, so its buttons can be pressed by anyone there: they are never bound to a user. Keep what they do safe for that, and use buttons: { params: 'stored' } or 'signed' if the params matter.
• There is no chat to talk in, so these pages can't start dialogues (a render returning nav.startDialogue throws), and text that doesn't fit one message is cut (with a warning in the log).

Try it

Type @demo_bot tea in the message field, pick a result, then press its button.

examples/inline.ts is a small catalog shared inline.