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telegram-mini-app skill

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This skill helps you design, build, and monetize Telegram Mini Apps using Web App API, TON Connect, and viral UX patterns.

npx playbooks add skill xfstudio/skills --skill telegram-mini-app

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SKILL.md

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---
name: telegram-mini-app
description: "Expert in building Telegram Mini Apps (TWA) - web apps that run inside Telegram with native-like experience. Covers the TON ecosystem, Telegram Web App API, payments, user authentication, and building viral mini apps that monetize. Use when: telegram mini app, TWA, telegram web app, TON app, mini app."
source: vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)
---

# 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

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

### Send TON Transaction
```jsx
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
```jsx
// 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`

Overview

This skill is an expert guide for building Telegram Mini Apps (TWA) that feel native inside Telegram and monetize on TON and Telegram platforms. It focuses on Telegram Web App API, TON Connect, in-app payments, authentication, and viral mechanics to drive growth. Use it to design mobile-first experiences that respect Telegram UX and scale to millions of users.

How this skill works

The skill explains how to bootstrap a Mini App, integrate the Telegram Web App API, and wire TON Connect for wallet and transactions. It covers patterns for authentication, payments (TON and Telegram Stars), bot-to-web app flows, and UX patterns like MainButton, theme matching, and loading states. It also highlights common anti-patterns and edge cases to avoid, plus monetization and viral mechanics.

When to use it

Starting a new Telegram Mini App or migrating an existing web app into Telegram
Building Web3 features with TON blockchain payments and wallet integration
Implementing bot-triggered Mini Apps or web_app buttons from a bot
Designing mobile-first UI and Telegram-native UX patterns
Adding monetization: subscriptions, in-app purchases, Stars, NFTs, or referral rewards

Best practices

Initialize and validate Telegram initData on every session for security and correct user context
Design mobile-first layouts, match tg.themeParams, and prefer Telegram MainButton for actions
Show skeletons, loading states and optimistic UI for perceived performance
Use TON Connect provider manifests and handle mobile wallet fallbacks gracefully
Plan viral loops: share links, referral codes, and reward mechanics to incentivize invites

Example use cases

A social mini game using TG MainButton for purchases and TON payments for premium currency
A DeFi dashboard that connects via TON Connect and signs transactions in-app
A utility mini app launched from a bot inline keyboard web_app button with single-sign on via Telegram
A subscription product using Telegram Stars or provider_token invoices for premium access
A referral-driven rewards app that lets users share t.me links to earn coins

FAQ

How do I authenticate users in a Mini App?

Use tg.initDataUnsafe (and validate initData on your server) to get user id and auth info. Validate the initData signature server-side against Telegram’s bot token for security.

Can I accept TON payments inside a Mini App?

Yes. Integrate TON Connect UI to request wallet connections and send transactions. Provide a manifest and handle mobile wallet edge cases; convert TON to nanoton for transaction amounts.