Official inline image search: type @pic and a phrase in any chat and pick a picture from Yandex results to send instantly. Free, no app switching, 4.5 million monthly users.
Best Telegram bots for Search & Wikipedia
Search bots work inline: you type the bot's name and a query in the message field of any chat, pick a result and it is sent as a picture, a video, a GIF or an article card. No app switching, no copying links. All five in this rating are official Telegram bots.
The best Telegram bot for search is Yandex Image Search (@pic): the official inline bot inserts a picture from Yandex results into any chat when you type @pic and a phrase, free and used by 4.5 million people a month. Bing Image Search (@bing) is the same idea with a different index, Wikipedia Search (@wiki) drops an article card into a conversation, and GIF Search (@gif) and Video Search for YouTube (@vid) cover animations and videos.
Official inline bot that searches Bing images from any chat: type @bing and a phrase, tap a thumbnail, done. Free alternative to @pic with a different index.
Official inline bot: type @vid and a phrase to insert a YouTube video with preview into any chat. Free, no downloads, 236 thousand monthly users.
Official inline bot: type @wiki and a query in any chat to insert a Wikipedia article card without leaving the conversation. Free, works in every chat, no setup.
Official inline GIF search: type @gif and a mood or phrase in any chat and send an animation in one tap. Free, no app switching, 130 thousand monthly users.
Comparison
| # | Bot | Price | Languages | Inline | Groups | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yandex Image Search @pic | Free | MULTI | yes | yes | 89 |
| 2 | Bing Image Search @bing | Free | MULTI | yes | yes | 84 |
| 3 | Video Search for YouTube @vid | Free | MULTI | yes | yes | 83 |
| 4 | Wikipedia Search @wiki | Free | MULTI | yes | yes | 81 |
| 5 | GIF Search @gif | Free | EN | yes | yes | 81 |
Neighbouring subtopics
How we chose
We ran the same ten queries in each bot, in English and Russian, including a misspelt one and a very recent event, and checked relevance of the first row of results, the delay before results appear, whether the bot works in groups and channels, and what is sent, a full image or a compressed preview. Since all are official, the ranking reflects breadth of use and how well each does its one job.
Search & Wikipedia
How inline search works
Type @pic, @bing, @wiki, @gif or @vid followed by a space and your query in any chat; results appear above the keyboard within a second, and tapping one sends it. The other person sees a picture, a card or a video, not your query. Inline bots need no setup and no admin rights, and they work in private chats, groups and channel posts alike.
Yandex, Bing or Wikipedia
@pic and @bing search images with different indexes: @pic is stronger on Russian-language queries and Runet sites, @bing on English and international ones. @wiki returns the article's title, first paragraph and a link, the fastest way to settle an argument in a group. @vid inserts a YouTube video that plays inside Telegram, @gif finds animations by mood or phrase.
Limits and privacy
All five are free with no limits beyond Telegram's rate limits for inline queries. Your query goes to Telegram and then to the search provider; images are sent as compressed previews unless you pick the file option where available. For web search that answers a question rather than finding an image, use a ChatGPT-style bot from the AI rating.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search for an image without leaving the chat?
Type @pic or @bing, a space and the query in the message field, then tap a result to send it.
Do these bots work in groups?
Yes, inline bots work in any chat, group or channel post without being added as members.
Is there a bot that answers questions from the web?
@wiki gives Wikipedia summaries; for answers built from several sources use a ChatGPT-style bot from the AI rating.
Are the official search bots free?
Yes, all five are free, ad-free and built into Telegram.