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The moment it happens

Text your bot a reminder

Tell the bot what to remind you about and when, and it messages you at that time.

Runs
The moment it happens
Apps
Telegram
AI
Yes, uses the built-in AI allowance
Access
bot token

Send this to your assistant

Create a ClickRuntime automation: when I message my Telegram bot something like 'remind me to call Sam at 3pm', send me that reminder at 3pm.

Paste it into your assistant. It tells you what it will send or change before it runs live.

First time? Adding ClickRuntime to your assistant takes about two minutes.

Why use it

Why teams use this automation

Someone remembers a task at the worst moment, such as on a train, in a meeting or half asleep, and has nowhere to put it. Opening a to-do app, creating an entry, choosing a date and setting an alert takes more steps than the thought is worth, so the task is forgotten. The appointment, the call or the payment slips by.

You text your Telegram bot something like call the dentist tomorrow at 9, and ClickRuntime uses ClickRuntime's built-in AI to understand the task and the time, stores it and checks every five minutes for reminders that are due. When the time comes, the bot messages you with the task. No forms and no calendar are involved.

It suits people who think in sentences, not in apps, and anyone who forgets things between thinking them and doing them.

What you get out of it

  • Capturing a task takes seconds

    Typing a natural sentence is faster than any reminder app. The thought is saved before you lose it, and you can carry on with what you were doing. A forgotten idea is a cost, and cutting the capture step to a single message removes most of it.

  • Natural language works

    Phrases like next Friday at noon or in two hours are understood. You do not learn a syntax or pick dates from a calendar widget. Plain sentences also work for people who struggle with the date pickers and menus of regular apps.

  • Reminders arrive in a chat you check

    A Telegram message is noticed more often than an app notification buried among many. Tasks get done because the reminder is seen at the right moment. Messages tend to be read quickly, and a reminder you read is a reminder you act on.

  • Five-minute checks keep timing close

    Due reminders are sent within about five minutes of the time you chose. For most everyday tasks, that is precise enough and needs no extra effort. Reminders do not have to be exact to the minute to be useful for calls, bills and appointments.

  • Nothing needs managing afterward

    Once a reminder is sent, it is done. There are no lists to clean up, which suits people who dislike maintaining to-do apps. There is no backlog of overdue items sitting on a list making you feel guilty.

How it works

What happens, step by step

  1. When you text your Telegram bot something like "call Sam at 3pm", ClickRuntime picks it up straight away.

  2. AI works out what to remind you about and when, and the bot confirms it.

  3. Every 5 minutes, ClickRuntime checks for reminders that are due.

  4. When the time comes, the bot sends you the reminder.

Before it runs live

  • Connect Telegram
  • Paste your automation's link into the other app's webhook settings

What you get

RunsThe moment it happens
Text your bot a reminderjust nowSucceeded
Telegram · RemindersOK, I'll remind you: call Sam at 15:00 UTC Reminder: call Sam

Build your own

Need it to work differently?

This template is a starting point. Copy the prompt and change it, or describe a different automation from scratch, with your own conditions, more apps or an AI step. Your assistant writes it, tests it and runs it on ClickRuntime.
  • Your own rules

    Conditions, thresholds, filters and exceptions, written the way you'd explain them to a colleague.

  • Any number of apps

    One automation can read from one app and update several others. Over 248 apps are ready, and anything with an API works too.

  • AI where it helps

    Summaries, classification, extraction and drafts use ClickRuntime's built-in AI, with no extra key.

  • On a schedule or on each event

    Runs as often as every 5 minutes, or the moment an app sends an event, and keeps track of what it already handled.

Changes you can ask for

  • Act only on the items that match your own rules, and skip the rest
  • Change what the AI looks for, or how it writes the result
  • Add another app, for example also send it to Slack
  • Combine it with other Telegram steps into one automation

Under the hood

The code that runs this automation

This is the Python script that runs each time the automation starts. Your AI assistant writes it for you when you send the prompt, and you allow each step in your assistant. To change how the automation works, describe the change to your assistant and it updates the script for you. For every function it can use, see the script reference.
text_a_reminder_bot.pyexample
from datetime import datetime, timezone
from clickruntime import on_event, on_trigger, http, credentials, ai, state

def tg(method, **params):
    r = http.post(f"https://api.telegram.org/bot{credentials.secret('TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN')}/{method}", json=params)
    r.raise_for_status()
    return r.json()["result"]

@on_event
def handle(event):
    msg = (event.json or {}).get("message") or {}
    if not msg.get("text"):
        return {"saved": False}
    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
    r = ai.generate(f"Now is {now}. Extract the reminder from: {msg['text']}",
                    json_schema={"type": "object", "properties": {"what": {"type": "string"}, "at_utc": {"type": "string"}}},
                    max_output_tokens=60).json
    reminders = state.get("reminders") or []
    state.set("reminders", reminders + [{"chat": msg["chat"]["id"], **r}])
    tg("sendMessage", chat_id=msg["chat"]["id"], text=f"OK, I'll remind you: {r['what']} at {r['at_utc'][11:16]} UTC")
    return r

@on_trigger
def send_due(event):
    now = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()
    reminders = state.get("reminders") or []
    due = [r for r in reminders if r["at_utc"] <= now]
    for r in due:
        tg("sendMessage", chat_id=r["chat"], text=f"Reminder: {r['what']}")
    state.set("reminders", [r for r in reminders if r not in due])
    return {"sent": len(due)}

FAQ

Common questions

What if the bot misreads the time?
It replies with its interpretation, such as Reminder set for tomorrow 09:00, so you can see at once if it is wrong. Send a correction or cancel and try again. Time zones are set once when you configure it.
Can I set repeating reminders?
Yes. Phrases like every Monday at 8 can be recognized and stored as recurring. Say if you want repeats supported and the stored format is extended after you approve. Confirmation replies make repeat settings easy to check.
How precise are the reminder times?
The bot checks for due reminders every five minutes, so a reminder for 9:00 arrives between 9:00 and 9:05. For tasks needing the exact minute, the check interval can be shortened. Shortening the check interval gives finer timing.
What permissions does it need?
bot token. Nothing else in your accounts is used.
Does it need AI?
Yes. It uses ClickRuntime's built-in AI, so you don't need an OpenAI or Anthropic key. Every plan includes a monthly AI allowance.
How many runs does it use?
One run for each event the app sends.
Can I change how it works?
Yes. Describe the change to your AI assistant, for example a different schedule, channel or filter. It updates the automation, tests it and tells you what changed.

Set up “Text your bot a reminder” from your assistant

Copy the prompt above, or connect your assistant first. Free plan, no credit card.