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For a new file on your server, send an HTTPS POST request to the relevant Telegram Bot API method and put a PHP CURLFile object in the CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS array. cURL will encode the array as multipart/form-data, the format Telegram requires for file uploads. If Telegram already has the file, pass its file_id instead when the method accepts it; that avoids sending the file bytes again.
Choose how Telegram should get the file
The right approach depends on where the file is and whether Telegram already stores it. Check the target Bot API method’s documentation for the accepted file parameter and input forms.
| File location | What to pass | Who transfers the file bytes |
|---|---|---|
| Local to your PHP application | A CURLFile object in a multipart form field |
Your application sends the file to Telegram. |
| Available at an HTTP URL | The URL, if the target method accepts it | Telegram fetches the file from the Internet. |
| Already stored on Telegram | The file’s file_id, if accepted by the target method |
No local file upload is needed; Telegram reuses its hosted file. |
Telegram describes these file-sending options in its file-sending documentation. A URL is useful only if Telegram can retrieve it; a file_id is useful only when you have the ID and the chosen method accepts it.
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Upload a local file with PHP cURL
Telegram API requests must use HTTPS. For a local upload, use the method’s file field—in this example, document for sendDocument—and give CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS an array containing both ordinary parameters and a CURLFile.
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<?php
$path = '/path/to/report.pdf';
$token = getenv('TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN');
$chatId = '123456789';
if (!is_file($path) || !is_readable($path)) {
throw new RuntimeException('File is missing or unreadable.');
}
if (!$token) {
throw new RuntimeException('Telegram bot token is not configured.');
}
$ch = curl_init('https://api.telegram.org/bot' . $token . '/sendDocument');
$postFields = [
'chat_id' => $chatId,
'document' => new CURLFile($path, 'application/pdf', basename($path)),
];
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $postFields);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
$response = curl_exec($ch);
if ($response === false) {
$error = curl_error($ch);
curl_close($ch);
throw new RuntimeException('cURL transport error: ' . $error);
}
$httpStatus = curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
curl_close($ch);
$result = json_decode($response, true);
if (!is_array($result) || empty($result['ok'])) {
$description = is_array($result) ? ($result['description'] ?? 'No API description returned.') : 'Telegram returned a response that was not valid JSON.';
throw new RuntimeException('Telegram API error (HTTP ' . $httpStatus . '): ' . $description);
}
This is an implementation pattern, not a tested drop-in program. Replace the method and parameter names as needed, and validate paths and values that come from users. Keep the bot token secret. PHP documents CURLFile for file uploads with CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS; the constructor accepts a local filename, optional MIME type, and optional posted filename. See PHP’s CURLFile reference and constructor documentation.
Let cURL generate the multipart request
Passing an array to CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS makes PHP cURL encode the request as multipart form data. Do not JSON-encode this upload: Telegram excludes file uploads from JSON request bodies. Also avoid manually setting a bare Content-Type: multipart/form-data header; cURL needs to add the generated boundary that separates the fields and file content. See PHP’s curl_setopt documentation and the Telegram Bot API reference.
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Handle transport and API errors separately
curl_exec() returning false signals a cURL transport failure, so inspect curl_error(). A completed HTTP request can still produce a Telegram API error: decode the response and check its Boolean ok field and, when present, its description. Checking the HTTP status as well gives your application useful context when logging or reporting failures. Telegram describes the response format in the Bot API documentation.
Reuse a Telegram file with file_id
When a file is already on Telegram, pass its file_id in the file parameter supported by the method rather than uploading a local copy. Telegram’s file-sending documentation says a file_id sends a file already on its servers, and its Bots FAQ says file IDs can be treated as persistent.
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Save the ID alongside enough context to identify the file, the bot, and the method or field for which you intend to use it. Do not assume an old stored value will succeed in every context: submit it using the target method’s documented parameter and handle any API error response.
Check the relevant file limits
Telegram’s Bots FAQ, checked on October 7, 2026, states that bots can send files of any type up to 50 MB. The same FAQ states that getFile works for downloads up to 20 MB. These are different operations: the 20 MB figure is a download limit for getFile, not the stated sending limit. Telegram’s limits can change, so check the FAQ again when deploying or updating an integration.
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PHP version note
The PHP manual lists CURLFile for PHP 5.5 and later, including PHP 7 and PHP 8. In PHP 8, the MIME type and posted filename constructor arguments are nullable; consult the manual for the PHP version your application runs. For new development, use a currently supported PHP runtime and confirm the file field and accepted inputs in the documentation for the specific Telegram method.
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