Admin Mini App
Manage your shop from Telegram. No browser needed — orders, messages, returns, and stats right in the chat.
What it is
A separate Telegram Mini App built for the shop owner. While the Customer Mini App is the storefront, the Admin Mini App is the back office. Same concept — embedded web view inside Telegram — but showing management tools instead of products.
How to access it
Three ways to open the Admin Mini App:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Menu button | The bot sets a per-chat menu button. The admin sees Admin in the input bar; customers see Shop. |
/admin command | Send /admin to the bot. Only works for the configured admin chat ID. |
/start welcome | When the admin sends /start, an extra Admin Dashboard button appears below the regular shop buttons. |
NOTE
All three methods require the Admin chat ID to be set in Shop Configuration. Without it, there's no admin access.
Dashboard
The landing screen shows a snapshot of your shop:
| Stat | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Orders | Total paid orders |
| Revenue | Lifetime revenue in sats |
| Messages | Unread message count |
| Returns | Open return requests |
| Customers | Total customer count |
Every stat card is tappable — tap it to jump straight to the relevant section (orders, messages, returns, or the customers list).
A 7-day revenue chart sits below the stat cards.
Orders
Full order list with search and status filters. Search by order ID, @username, or email.
Each order shows:
- Date, customer, status badge, amount
- Expandable detail with cart items, buyer info, and notes
Fulfillment
When order tracking is enabled, update fulfillment directly from the order detail:
Preparing → Shipping → DeliveredEach step change sends the customer a Telegram notification. Add a note (tracking number, delivery instructions) that the customer sees.
Messages
Conversations grouped by customer. Each thread shows:
- Customer name or chat ID
- Related order (if any)
- Unread count and last message preview
Open a thread to see the full conversation and reply. Replies go through the bot — the customer receives them as Telegram messages.
Returns
All return requests with status, order reference, items, and refund amount. See Returns & Refunds for the full workflow including guardrails and store credit lifecycle.
Approve
Pick a refund method:
| Method | What happens |
|---|---|
| Store credit | Added to the customer's account immediately |
| Lightning | Customer is notified to provide a Lightning invoice |
Adjust the refund amount for partial refunds or restocking fees.
Deny
Write a note explaining why. The customer sees it in Telegram.
Customers list
Tap the Customers stat card on the dashboard (or navigate from the menu) to see every customer who has interacted with the shop. The list supports search by name or username and shows per-customer order count and total spend at a glance. Tap any row to open that customer's full profile.
Customer profiles
Tap a customer name anywhere in the Admin Mini App to see their profile:
- Telegram username and chat ID
- First seen and last active dates
- Total orders and lifetime spend
- Store credit balance
- Message count
- Full order history
Notification deep-links
When the bot sends admin notifications (new order, new message, return request), each notification includes a button that opens the Admin Mini App on the relevant screen:
| Notification | Opens |
|---|---|
| New paid order | Order detail |
| Customer message | Message thread |
| Return request | Order detail with return |
No need to search — tap the button and you're looking at the right thing. See Deep Links — Admin notifications for the full list.
Authentication
Same mechanism as the Customer Mini App — Telegram's HMAC-SHA256 signature validation. The Admin Mini App adds an extra gate: the authenticated chat ID must match the shop's configured admin chat ID. Non-admins are rejected.
Admin TMA vs LNbits panel
Both give you the same management capabilities. Choose based on context:
| Admin Mini App | LNbits Panel | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Telegram on any device | Browser at your LNbits URL |
| Best for | Quick actions on the go | Bulk management, multi-shop overview |
| Stats | Dashboard with 7-day chart | Stat cards across all shops |
| Fulfillment | Inline stepper per order | Inline stepper per order |
| Messages | Threaded chat view | Threaded chat view |
| Campaigns | Not available | Full campaign management |
| Multiple shops | One shop at a time | All shops with filtering |