Great question! Let’s clear up a common misunderstanding about Telegram Bot API file handling first:

You don’t actually need a dedicated "storage channel" to keep your uploaded files’ file_ids. Here’s how it works:

• When you use Bot API endpoints like sendPhoto, sendDocument, or sendMediaGroup to upload a file, Telegram’s servers automatically store the file once the upload succeeds. The returned file_id is a permanent (or semi-permanent) identifier for that stored file—you just need to save this file_id somewhere (like a database, spreadsheet, or even a text file) to reuse it later.
• Instead of sending the file to a dedicated storage channel, you can upload it directly to a private, non-public chat:
  • Send the file to your own user account (use your personal Telegram user ID as the chat_id parameter) in a direct conversation with the bot.
  • Or create a private group just for the bot and yourself, and upload files there. This keeps your main chat clean while still letting you get the file_id you need.

Once you have the file_id, you can use it in any subsequent send* calls (like sending to other channels) without re-uploading the file—Telegram will pull the stored file from its servers using the file_id.

A quick note: While Telegram may eventually delete files that are never accessed after a long period, as long as you use the file_id periodically (e.g., when posting to channels), the file will remain available.

If you’re looking for an even more "direct" upload method without sending to any chat, you’d have to use Telegram’s MTProto API instead of the Bot API. But MTProto is far more complex, requires handling authentication and low-level protocol details, and is overkill for most use cases where the Bot API works perfectly.

So to sum up: Ditch the storage channel if you want—just upload to a private chat with your bot, save the file_id, and reuse it whenever you need to post the file elsewhere.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Orange-Man