How to create a bot in MAX messenger: a step-by-step guide for business

The MAX messenger has quickly become one more channel where customers expect businesses to reply: book an appointment, check an order status, get a notification. That is why "how do I create a bot in MAX" is now asked by the same companies that already run a Telegram bot or a VK community.

Below, step by step: who can create a chatbot in MAX, how to get a token, why moderation matters, how the bot receives messages and what to build into the scenario from day one. At the end you will find reference development prices.

Who can create a bot in MAX

Unlike Telegram, where any user can set up a bot, MAX only lets verified participants create bots: organisations, sole proprietors and self-employed individuals who are residents of the Russian Federation. First you need a verified profile on the "MAX for Partners" platform, and only then can you create bots. How many bots you get depends on the profile type.

Step by step: how to create a bot in MAX

1. Verify your organisation, sole proprietorship or self-employed status on the "MAX for Partners" platform.
2. Create a bot in the bot management section and get a token: every API request needs it. Treat the token like a password: keep it on the server only and never in client code.
3. Set up event delivery: a webhook to your HTTPS address for production, or long polling for development.
4. Build the scenario: greeting, buttons, forms, sending leads to the CRM and notifications.
5. Submit the bot for moderation: users will only see it after it passes review.
6. Once it is published, add a link to the bot on your website, business cards and newsletters, and set up analytics.

Webhook or long polling

With long polling, the bot periodically asks the platform for new events. It is handy during development, but speed and event retention are limited, so it is not suitable for a production bot. With a webhook, the platform itself sends events to your server's address right after a user acts.

A MAX webhook requires HTTPS with a certificate from a trusted authority: plain HTTP and self-signed certificates are rejected. We deploy the bot on your server with automatic certificate issuance, so this step needs no separate setup.

How a MAX bot differs from a Telegram bot

The scenario logic is the same in both messengers, so it pays to build one bot for several channels: a shared scenario, one customer database and one CRM, with separate message-sending modules for MAX and Telegram. That is how we build bots for any messenger.

What to build into a business chatbot

• Buttons instead of commands: users pick an action instead of guessing what to type.
• Customer booking with reminders, rescheduling and cancellation.
• Sending leads to the CRM and notifying a manager within seconds.
• An admin panel where texts, services and schedules change without a developer.
• Logs and analytics: which steps people complete and where they drop off.

How much a MAX bot costs

Prices are the same as for a Telegram bot: a lead bot from 60,000 ₽, a booking or catalogue bot from 120,000 ₽, a bot with payments and CRM from 250,000 ₽. If you need a bot in both MAX and Telegram, the second channel adds less to the estimate than a separate build, because the scenario and admin panel are shared. More on estimates in the article how much a bot costs.