Key Takeaways
- A slash command is a typed instruction like /help that triggers a bot or app.
- Discord and Slack both expect the app to acknowledge within 3 seconds.
- Telegram commands are 1-32 lowercase letters, digits or underscores, up to 100 per bot.
- Register commands so users see them in the menu, and keep names short and obvious.
What Are Slash Commands?
Slash commands are instructions typed into a chat that start with a forward slash - /start, /help, /book - and tell a bot or app to do something. Typing the slash usually opens a menu of available commands, which makes them discoverable in a way free-text messages are not.
Slash Commands on Each Platform
| Platform | How they are registered | Key rules |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | Application commands, global or per server | Names 1-32 characters; up to 100 global slash commands; the app must respond within 3 seconds or defer, otherwise users see "The application did not respond". |
| Slack | Configured in the app settings with a request URL | Slack sends an HTTP request and expects an acknowledgement within 3 seconds; slower work is finished through the response URL. |
| Telegram | setMyCommands | Command text 1-32 characters, lowercase English letters, digits and underscores; up to 100 commands; /start is sent when a user opens the bot. |
Designing Good Commands
- Use short, obvious verbs:
/book,/status,/help. - Register every command so it appears in the menu with a one-line description.
- Acknowledge instantly and do slow work afterwards to stay inside the 3-second window.
- Offer buttons for follow-up choices instead of more commands - see the Telegram inline keyboard builder.
A hosted Discord chatbot or Telegram chatbot answers in natural language too, so commands become shortcuts rather than the only way in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are slash commands used for?
They let people trigger a bot or app action quickly and predictably: start a conversation, get help, book something, check a status or run a moderation action. Because typing the slash opens a menu of registered commands, users can discover what a bot can do without reading documentation.
How do I add slash commands to a Discord bot?
Register application commands for your app, globally or for one server, with a name, description and options. When a user runs one, Discord sends an interaction that your bot must acknowledge within three seconds, by replying or deferring, before it does slower work and edits the response.
How do Telegram bot commands work?
Telegram commands are messages starting with a slash that the bot receives like any other message. Register them with setMyCommands so they show in the menu; each command is 1 to 32 lowercase letters, digits or underscores, and a bot can register up to 100. Users send /start when they open the bot.
Why does my slash command say the application did not respond?
The app did not acknowledge the command within Discord's three-second window. Defer the reply as the very first step of the handler, then do the slow work and edit the response; the deferral gives you up to fifteen minutes to finish.
Are slash commands the same as chatbot intents?
No. A slash command is an explicit instruction with a fixed name, while an intent is what a bot infers from free-text messages. Good bots support both: commands for power users and quick actions, natural language for everyone else.
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