Telegram keyword monitoring: catch requests in public chats as they appear
The job is simple: someone writes “looking for a tutor” or “need a plumber today” in a public Telegram group. If you see it first, you can reply. If you scroll chats by hand, you usually see it late or not at all. Keyword monitoring automates that watch. CatchMate (catchmatebot.com) is one way to do it — not the only way, and not the same product as TGStat or catchmate.com.
What “monitoring by keywords” actually is
You pick public groups or channels (by @username or a public t.me link). You pick words and phrases a client would type. Software reads new messages in those chats and notifies you on a match. You open the original message and write the person yourself.
It is inbound: the need is already in the chat. It is not a broadcast, not a member export, and not “search all of Telegram”. Coverage is only the chats you added.
What it is not
- Not TGStat / Telemetr: those are channel analytics, reach, and archive search.
- Not a CRM blaster and not auto-DM. Mass replies from a tool get accounts banned and convert badly.
- Not private or invite-only chats (t.me/+). If a chat is not publicly openable, honest tools cannot watch it without your session.
- Not catchmate.com (game-coaching marketplace) and not CatchMatePro (baseball equipment).
How to set it up so the feed is usable
Start with 5–20 groups you already know, not “every chat in the niche”. Add the phrases people actually write: “looking for”, “need + plumber”, “recommend a psychologist” — not only the job title.
Minus-words cut noise: vacancy, course, free, internship. Plus-words tighten AND-logic: “repair + urgent”. A duplicate filter stops the same ad pasted into ten groups. CatchMate’s plus/minus/duplicate tools start on Pro.
DIY vs a hosted tool
Self-hosted Telethon bots exist. You run the server, the Telegram session, and the ban risk if you use a personal account. That is the right path if you need private chats or custom matching.
A hosted tool like CatchMate uses its own technical accounts, a web cabinet, a bot, and (optionally) a Chrome extension. You do not hand over a Telegram password. Price band: $5–66/mo, 7-day trial without a card. Limits: Basic 5/10, Pro 20/50, Business 100/100, Ultra 300/100 groups/keywords.
When CatchMate is a fit
You work a service niche, you can name public chats, and you will reply yourself within minutes. If you need archive analytics, use TGStat. If you need RU-only bots, compare FindLead or LeadScanner on limits and minus-word quality. Details: the comparison page.