Why Telegram Webhook Not Working on REG.RU

Common Issues with Non-Working Telegram Webhooks on REG.RU Hosting

The issue with non-working Telegram webhooks on REG.RU hosting is a fairly common problem. The main reason is usually related to SSL certificates, timeouts, or request blocking at the hosting level. Telegram requires an HTTPS address for webhooks, and many problems arise specifically from incorrect SSL configuration or certificate expiration.

Contents

• Main causes of non-working webhooks
• Step-by-step problem diagnosis
• SSL certificate problem solutions
• Configuration on the REG.RU side
• Alternative solution options

Main causes of non-working webhooks

The problem can be caused by several factors:

1. SSL certificate issues

• Telegram requires mandatory use of HTTPS for webhooks
• Certificate has expired
• Certificate does not meet security requirements
• Self-signed certificates are not accepted by Telegram

2. Timeouts on shared hosting

• REG.RU may limit script execution time
• Firewall blocks incoming requests
• Server load causes delays

3. Incorrect webhook configuration

• Incorrect URL in bot settings
• Missing required headers in the response
• Server routing issues

Important: According to the official Telegram Bot API documentation, the webhook must be accessible via HTTPS. If you’re using HTTP, Telegram will reject the request.

Step-by-step problem diagnosis

Step 1: Check the SSL certificate

Open your webhook URL in a browser and check:

• Are there any security warnings
• Does the site work without errors
• Is the certificate valid

# Check SSL certificate from command line
openssl s_client -connect your-domain.ru:443 -servername your-domain.ru

Step 2: Test webhook accessibility

Create a test script to check accessibility:

<?php
header('Content-Type: application/json');
echo json_encode(['ok' => true, 'result' => true, 'description' => 'Webhook test']);
?>

Step 3: Check hosting logs

Check access logs for requests from Telegram:

• Look for entries with Telegram IP addresses (149.154.160.0/20)
• Pay attention to response codes (200, 404, 503, etc.)

SSL certificate problem solutions

Option 1: Using Let’s Encrypt

A free and reliable option:

# Install Certbot
sudo apt-get install certbot python3-certbot-apache

# Get certificate
sudo certbot --apache -d your-domain.ru

Option 2: Configuration through REG.RU panel

1. Go to the hosting control panel
2. Navigate to the “Domain Management” section
3. Configure the SSL certificate
4. Verify that port 443 redirects to your script

Option 3: Using Cloudflare

As Mozilla Developer Network explains, Cloudflare provides free SSL and speeds up performance:

1. Connect your domain to Cloudflare
2. Enable “Full (strict)” mode
3. Configure HTTPS proxying

Configuration on the REG.RU side

.htaccess configuration

Add to the .htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

<IfModule mod_php7.c>
    php_value max_execution_time 60
    php_value max_input_time 60
    php_value memory_limit 256M
</IfModule>

Check access permissions

Ensure the web server has access to the script:

# Check permissions
ls -la /path/to/your/webhook.php
# Should be -rw-r--r--

Firewall configuration

Verify that Telegram IP addresses are not blocked:

# Allow Telegram IP addresses
iptables -I INPUT -s 149.154.160.0/20 -j ACCEPT
iptables -I INPUT -s 91.108.4.0/22 -j ACCEPT
iptables -I INPUT -s 91.108.12.0/22 -j ACCEPT
iptables -I INPUT -s 91.108.56.0/22 -j ACCEPT

Alternative solution options

Option 1: Using ngrok for testing

For quick verification, you can use ngrok:

# Install and run ngrok
./ngrok http 80

In the bot settings, use a URL like https://your-ngrok-id.ngrok.io/webhook.php

Option 2: Moving to a cloud solution

According to the official Telegram documentation, cloud services provide better stability:

1. DigitalOcean
2. AWS Lightsail
3. Google Cloud Platform

Option 3: Using Telegram Mini Apps

As Telegram Mini Apps documentation explains, you can use built-in applications to bypass hosting limitations.

Conclusion

The main problems with webhooks on REG.RU are usually related to:

1. SSL certificates - the most common cause
2. Execution timeouts - shared hosting has limitations
3. Firewalls and blocking - especially for new IP addresses

Recommended actions:

1. First, check the SSL certificate
2. Check logs for requests from Telegram
3. Configure the correct response headers
4. If the problem persists, consider moving to a VDS

For a temporary solution, you can use ngrok or cloud services. In the long term, moving to a VDS can actually solve most performance and availability issues.

Sources

1. Official Telegram Bot API - SetWebhook
2. Mozilla Developer Network - Cloudflare SSL Guide
3. SSL Labs SSL Test
4. Telegram Mini Apps Documentation
5. REG.RU Hosting Documentation