Bots

What bots are on MRIYU, how to start and stop a bot, buttons under messages and safety.

A bot is a page run by a program. You chat with it in the messenger like with anyone else, but a developer's program replies for it. Bots send notifications, help you book or order things, run polls and open games and Mini Apps — right inside MRIYU, without leaving for other websites.

How to tell a bot

  • A bot has a “bot” label next to its name, and instead of “last seen” it shows “bot · N users”.
  • A bot's address always ends with bot: for example, mriyu.com/weather_bot.
  • You can't add a bot as a friend or call it.
  • Bots checked by the administration have a blue check mark — these are official bots.
  • Instead of "city" and "work", a bot's page shows what it can do, its category, website, commands, how many people use it and who its developer is.

How to start

  1. Open the bot's page (via a link or search) and tap Open bot.
  2. In the empty chat the bot tells you what it can do.
  3. Tap Start at the bottom. The bot gets the signal and replies.

You can also just write to the bot — your first message counts as tapping Start.

A bot can't message you first. Until you tap Start or write to it yourself, no messages from the bot will arrive.

Commands and buttons

  • Commands. Above the message field there's a Commands button — a list of what the bot can do (for example, /help). Tap a command to send it to the bot.
  • Menu button. If the bot has a game or Mini App, a button next to Commands opens it.
  • Buttons under messages. A bot can send a message with buttons:
    • a regular button sends an answer to the bot — it replies with a new message or changes this one;
    • a button with the ↗ icon opens a website in a new tab;
    • a button with the window icon opens a game or Mini App inside MRIYU.

A link like mriyu.com/weather_bot?start=… passes a parameter to the bot when you tap Start — that's how invites and promotions work.

Bots in groups and channels

A bot can be added to a group chat or channel — it can greet newcomers, answer commands, keep order or publish posts.

  • Add: the chat owner or an admin opens Participants → Add bot and enters the bot's address (for example guard_bot).
  • In a channel the bot is added as an admin so it can publish posts.
  • In a group chat the bot is a regular member. To let it delete messages and remove rule-breakers, the owner makes it an admin: Participants → bot → Make admin.
  • What the bot sees. Usually only commands (/rules), messages with its address (@guard_bot) and replies to its messages. The developer can let the bot see all messages in the chat — that's how moderator bots work. Don't add bots you don't trust.
  • Remove a bot: Participants → bot → Remove from chat.

How to stop a bot

  • In the chat with the bot: ⋯ → Stop bot. The bot can't write to you any more until you tap Start or write to it again.
  • ⋯ → Block — as with any page: the bot can't write to you, and you can't write to it.
  • Clear history deletes the conversation on your side.

What a bot knows about you

When you tap Start or write to a bot, its developer gets your name, page address and what you wrote to the bot, plus your button taps. Everything else — friends, photos, chats with other people, phone and email — is not available to the bot.

Never send bots passwords, SMS codes or bank card details. MRIYU never asks for them through bots.

If a bot bothers you

  • Stop or block it (see above).
  • Report it: in the chat with the bot, ⋯ → Report bot. Moderators review reports and block bots that send spam or deceive people.
  • A bot blocked by the administration shows “This bot was blocked by the administration” and no longer replies.

Bots and encryption

Your chat with a bot is stored encrypted, like all conversations on MRIYU. But what you write to a bot is received by its developer — otherwise the bot couldn't reply.

Want to make your own bot?

Open Developers in the left menu (the item is hidden — turn it on in Menu items, see Settings and menu, or open mriyu.com/developers directly) → the Bots tab — it shows you what to do step by step. Details are in the Bot API article.