diff --git a/links/templates/links/settings.html b/links/templates/links/settings.html
index 3fbc438..4f36003 100644
--- a/links/templates/links/settings.html
+++ b/links/templates/links/settings.html
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
                 <div>
                     <label class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-1">{% trans "Bot Token" %}</label>
                     <input
-                        type="text"
+                        type="password"
+                        id="telegram_bot_token"
                         name="telegram_bot_token"
                         value="{{ site_settings.telegram_bot_token }}"
                         placeholder="123456:ABC-DEF1234..."
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@
                     <label class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-1">{% trans "Chat ID" %}</label>
                     <input
                         type="text"
+                        id="telegram_chat_id"
                         name="telegram_chat_id"
                         value="{{ site_settings.telegram_chat_id }}"
                         placeholder="-100123456789"
@@ -47,6 +49,17 @@
                     <p class="mt-1 text-xs text-gray-400">{% trans "User ID or group chat ID." %}</p>
                 </div>
             </div>
+
+            <div class="mt-4 flex justify-end">
+                <button
+                    type="button"
+                    id="telegram-test-button"
+                    class="px-4 py-2 bg-white text-blue-600 border border-blue-200 rounded-md text-sm font-medium hover:bg-blue-50"
+                >
+                    {% trans "Send Test Message" %}
+                </button>
+            </div>
+            <p id="telegram-test-status" class="mt-2 text-xs text-gray-400"></p>
         </div>
 
         <!-- Public Sharing Domain -->
@@ -145,6 +158,8 @@
         <div class="flex justify-end mt-6">
             <button
                 type="submit"
+                name="save_settings"
+                value="1"
                 style="background:#1d4ed8;color:#fff;padding:.5rem 1.5rem;border-radius:.375rem;font-size:.875rem;font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;"
                 onmouseover="this.style.background='#1e40af'"
                 onmouseout="this.style.background='#1d4ed8'"
@@ -211,6 +226,48 @@
 
 {% block extra_js %}
 <script>
+document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
+    const button = document.getElementById('telegram-test-button');
+    const status = document.getElementById('telegram-test-status');
+
+    if (!button || !status) return;
+
+    button.addEventListener('click', async () => {
+        const csrf = document.querySelector('[name=csrfmiddlewaretoken]')?.value
+                     || document.cookie.match(/csrftoken=([^;]+)/)?.[1] || '';
+        const token = document.getElementById('telegram_bot_token')?.value || '';
+        const chatId = document.getElementById('telegram_chat_id')?.value || '';
+
+        button.disabled = true;
+        status.className = 'mt-2 text-xs text-gray-500';
+        status.textContent = '{% trans "Sending test message…" %}';
+
+        try {
+            const resp = await fetch('{% url "test-telegram" %}', {
+                method: 'POST',
+                headers: {
+                    'X-CSRFToken': csrf,
+                    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+                },
+                body: JSON.stringify({ token, chat_id: chatId }),
+            });
+            const result = await resp.json();
+            if (result.ok) {
+                status.className = 'mt-2 text-xs text-green-600';
+                status.textContent = '{% trans "Test message sent." %}';
+            } else {
+                status.className = 'mt-2 text-xs text-red-600';
+                status.textContent = result.error || '{% trans "Telegram test failed." %}';
+            }
+        } catch (error) {
+            status.className = 'mt-2 text-xs text-red-600';
+            status.textContent = error.message || '{% trans "Telegram test failed." %}';
+        } finally {
+            button.disabled = false;
+        }
+    });
+});
+
 function sharedPostsMgr() {
     return {
         posts: [],
diff --git a/links/urls.py b/links/urls.py
index a499227..dc44ac0 100644
--- a/links/urls.py
+++ b/links/urls.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ urlpatterns = [
     path('tools/export-database/', views.export_database, name='export_database'),
     path('ui/help/', views.HelpView.as_view(), name='help'),
     path('ui/settings/', views.SiteSettingsView.as_view(), name='site-settings'),
+    path('ui/settings/test-telegram/', views.test_telegram_view, name='test-telegram'),
     path('ui/jobs/', views.JobsView.as_view(), name='jobs'),
 
     # Pages
diff --git a/links/views.py b/links/views.py
index 69f592d..5105e26 100644
--- a/links/views.py
+++ b/links/views.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from wsgiref.util import FileWrapper
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import user_passes_test
 from django.contrib.auth.mixins import LoginRequiredMixin
 import requests
-from django.views.decorators.http import require_http_methods
+from django.views.decorators.http import require_http_methods, require_POST
 from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 
@@ -561,6 +561,46 @@ class HelpView(TemplateView):
     template_name = 'links/help.html'
 
 
+@require_POST
+@csrf_exempt  # CSRF is checked manually via header
+def test_telegram_view(request):
+    """Dedicated endpoint for testing Telegram credentials without saving them."""
+    import json
+    import requests as req
+
+    # Accept both JSON body and form-encoded body
+    if request.content_type and 'application/json' in request.content_type:
+        try:
+            body = json.loads(request.body)
+        except (ValueError, KeyError):
+            body = {}
+        token = body.get('token', '').strip()
+        chat_id = body.get('chat_id', '').strip()
+    else:
+        token = request.POST.get('token', '').strip()
+        chat_id = request.POST.get('chat_id', '').strip()
+
+    if not token or not chat_id:
+        return JsonResponse({'ok': False, 'error': _('Bot Token and Chat ID are required.')})
+
+    try:
+        resp = req.post(
+            f'https://api.telegram.org/bot{token}/sendMessage',
+            json={'chat_id': chat_id, 'text': '✅ Test notification from Links app — Telegram is working!'},
+            timeout=10,
+        )
+        resp.raise_for_status()
+        return JsonResponse({'ok': True})
+    except req.exceptions.HTTPError as exc:
+        try:
+            detail = exc.response.json().get('description', str(exc))
+        except Exception:
+            detail = str(exc)
+        return JsonResponse({'ok': False, 'error': detail})
+    except Exception as exc:
+        return JsonResponse({'ok': False, 'error': str(exc)})
+
+
 class SiteSettingsView(View):
     template_name = 'links/settings.html'
 
@@ -575,8 +615,23 @@ class SiteSettingsView(View):
     def post(self, request):
         from apscheduler.triggers.interval import IntervalTrigger
         from core.scheduler import scheduler
+        from pricemon.notifications import send_test_telegram
 
         site_settings = SiteSettings.get()
+
+        if 'test_telegram' in request.POST:
+            token = request.POST.get('telegram_bot_token', '').strip()
+            chat_id = request.POST.get('telegram_chat_id', '').strip()
+            result = send_test_telegram(token, chat_id)
+            if request.headers.get('X-Requested-With') == 'XMLHttpRequest':
+                status_code = 200 if result['ok'] else 400
+                return JsonResponse(result, status=status_code)
+            if result['ok']:
+                messages.success(request, _('Test Telegram message sent.'))
+            else:
+                messages.error(request, _('Telegram test failed: {}').format(result['error']))
+            return redirect('site-settings')
+
         site_settings.telegram_bot_token = request.POST.get('telegram_bot_token', '').strip()
         site_settings.telegram_chat_id = request.POST.get('telegram_chat_id', '').strip()
         site_settings.public_sharing_domain = request.POST.get('public_sharing_domain', '').strip()
diff --git a/pricemon/notifications.py b/pricemon/notifications.py
index 7f001ba..24a3044 100644
--- a/pricemon/notifications.py
+++ b/pricemon/notifications.py
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import requests
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def _get_telegram_credentials():
+def _get_telegram_credentials(token: str | None = None, chat_id: str | None = None):
+    if token is not None and chat_id is not None:
+        return token, chat_id
     from links.models import SiteSettings
     cfg = SiteSettings.get()
     return cfg.telegram_bot_token, cfg.telegram_chat_id
@@ -35,8 +37,8 @@ def notify_telegram(watcher, alert) -> None:
         logger.error(f'Failed to send Telegram alert for watcher {watcher.pk}: {exc}')
 
 
-def send_test_telegram() -> dict:
-    token, chat_id = _get_telegram_credentials()
+def send_test_telegram(token: str | None = None, chat_id: str | None = None) -> dict:
+    token, chat_id = _get_telegram_credentials(token, chat_id)
     if not token or not chat_id:
         return {'ok': False, 'error': 'No Telegram credentials in global Settings.'}
     try: