When you already have a suspicious or unknown message in Telegram, forwarding to @doublegram_lookup_bot beats copying usernames or IDs manually. The Telegram bot inspects forward metadata and enriches it with a full lookup when possible.
How to forward
- Open the message in any Telegram chat (group, channel, or private).
- Tap Forward and choose @doublegram_lookup_bot as the destination.
- Send — do not strip forward info (forward as-is).
- Lookup consumes one lookup (on the free plan), shows remaining quota if applicable, then posts the result.
Works only in your private Telegram chat with @doublegram_lookup_bot — forward the message into that chat, not into a group where the bot is absent.
What Lookup can forward
| Forward source | What Lookup returns |
|---|---|
| User or bot (forward_from visible) | Full lookup card when username or ID resolves — ID, name, username, bio, bot flag |
| Channel or group post (forward_from_chat) | Channel/group card — ID, type, title, username if public, description, members |
| Hidden user (privacy forwarding) | Name only — Type: User (Privacy Protected), username hidden |
Hidden forwards still count: On the free plan, a privacy-protected forward uses one lookup even though Telegram hides the ID.
Resolution flow
When a username is available on the forwarded entity, Lookup runs a full resolution pass for richer bio and member data. When only an ID is available, Lookup queries by ID. If both fail, Lookup falls back to basic forward metadata (ID, title, name from the forward header).
Forward vs typing @username
- Forward — Best when the user has no public username or you do not know the handle
- @username — Best when you already see a public handle in the message
- Numeric ID — Best when you copied an ID from logs or API
Limitations
- Privacy-protected users — Telegram may only expose a display name; see Lookup Users with Telegram Privacy Settings
- Non-forwarded copies — Pasting message text without forward headers does not identify the author
- Deleted or spoofed context — Lookup trusts Telegram forward metadata
Quick reference
- Action: Forward message → @doublegram_lookup_bot
- Chat: private with Lookup
- Quota: shown after forward on free plan
Related: what happens with privacy-protected users in Lookup Users with Telegram Privacy Settings.