TL;DR

A URL with an embedded payload that opens a specific place with context already loaded, like the t.me link Eloqra uses to take an operator straight to a conversation in Telegram.

Key Points

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On the web, a deep link points at an indexed sub-page (example.com/path) rather than the homepage, and the URL itself carries the routing data [1][3].

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Eloqra's main deep link is the Telegram t.me link Eloqra builds when it forwards a [[website-visitor|visitor's]] first message, so the operator opens the exact [[conversation]] in Telegram [4].

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Telegram bot deep links use the format https://t.me/<bot>?start=<payload>, where the payload is up to 64 base64url characters and is delivered to the bot as /start <payload> [2][4].

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Eloqra encodes a conversation or project identifier in that start payload, so tapping the link routes the [[support-operator]] to the right [[shared-inbox|inbox]] thread instead of a blank bot chat [2].

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Because real-time runs over [[http-polling]] rather than a socket, deep links are the handoff bridge: they connect a polled widget event to a Telegram destination via the [[telegram-integration]].

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The same idea powers the Telegram Mini App inbox launch and can carry [[utm-parameters]]-style context, so an operator opens with the visitor's page, device, and location already in view.

Deep links on the web vs. in Eloqra

A web deep link is just a hyperlink to a specific, indexed piece of content rather than a site's homepage, for example example.com/pricing instead of example.com ^[3]. The URL carries the routing data so the visitor lands precisely where intended, bypassing generic landing pages ^[1]. Eloqra applies the same principle to operator workflow. When a Website Visitor sends their first Chat Message through the Live Chat Widget, Eloqra does not just notify an operator; it generates a Telegram link that, when tapped, opens the exact Conversation for that visitor ^[4]. The deep link is the difference between an operator scrolling a bot chat to find context and arriving with the thread already in front of them.

How Telegram start-parameter deep links work

Every Telegram bot has a link of the form https://t.me/ that opens a private chat with it ^[4]. Adding a start parameter, https://t.me/?start=, lets the bot receive context without any user typing: on open, the bot is sent /start ^[2]. The payload is limited to A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore and hyphen, up to 64 characters, with base64url recommended for binary content ^[2]^[4]. Eloqra packs a conversation or project identifier into that payload, so the Support Operator who taps the link is routed straight to the matching thread. This is the mechanism behind opening a specific conversation and behind launching the Telegram Mini App inbox at the right place.

Why deep links matter for Eloqra's polling-based design

Eloqra's widget exchanges messages over HTTP Polling every few seconds, not a persistent socket, and operators work from Telegram rather than a hosted dashboard. Deep links stitch those two worlds together. A polled visitor event is forwarded through the Telegram Integration as a notification, and the embedded deep link gives the operator a one-tap path back to the correct Conversation and its Chat Transcript. Replies then flow back to the widget through a Webhook. Because Eloqra uses simple first-responder Conversation Assignment rather than queues or routing, the deep link is the lightweight glue that keeps the right operator, the right thread, and the right visitor context aligned without any heavier infrastructure.

Sources & References

Deep Linking: Meaning, Types & Examples (Optimove) ↗

Bot Features: Deep Linking (Telegram Bot docs) ↗

Deep linking (Wikipedia) ↗

Deep links (Telegram API) ↗

Last updated: June 25, 2026

Related Terms

Telegram Integration

Telegram Integration is the mechanism by which Eloqra routes every website chat into the project owner's Telegram, forwarding visitor messages to a Telegram bot and flowing operator replies back to the widget. It turns Telegram into the operator inbox, so there is no separate agent console to keep open.

Conversation

A conversation is the threaded exchange of messages between a single website visitor and a project's operators, grouped as one unit with a status and unread counters. In Eloqra it is the container that holds every message, the visitor's captured context, and the assigned operator.

Support Operator

A support operator is the human on your side of a live chat who reads visitor messages and replies to them. In Eloqra the operator is whoever has access to the project's Telegram chat or Mini App inbox and answers incoming conversations from there.

HTTP Polling

HTTP polling is a real-time technique where the client repeatedly sends HTTP requests on a fixed interval to ask the server whether new data is available, instead of holding a persistent connection. Eloqra's chat widget uses short polling roughly every 4-5 seconds to fetch new messages and typing state.

Webhook

A webhook is a user-defined HTTP callback: instead of polling for data, an application registers a URL that a source service calls with an HTTP POST request the moment a specific event happens. [1] In Eloqra, a webhook is how an operator's Telegram reply travels back into the chat widget.

Live Chat Widget

A live chat widget is the embeddable, in-browser chat interface a website loads from a small script so visitors can message a business in real time without leaving the page. In Eloqra it is a floating launcher and chat panel that boots from a single <script> tag and renders inside a Shadow DOM.

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