diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 70a728f..fd4f2e9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ To run the bot, follow these steps:
     ```sh
     pip install -r requirements.txt
     ```
-3. Run the bot:
+3. Create a config file __config.yml__ for secrets like database access and bot token, see [config_example.yml](config_example.yml) as reference.
+4. Run the bot:
     ```sh
-    python main.py --bot_token YOUR_SECRET_BOT_TOKEN --bot_backup $(pwd)/backup --log_level 10
+    python main.py --log_level 10
     ```
 
 ## Adding a new location
diff --git a/bot.py b/bot.py
index 6232fce..96c4444 100644
--- a/bot.py
+++ b/bot.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import asyncio
-
+import yaml
 from telegram import ReplyKeyboardMarkup, Update, ReplyKeyboardRemove
 from telegram.ext import (CommandHandler, MessageHandler, Application, filters,
                           ConversationHandler, CallbackContext, ContextTypes)
@@ -15,15 +14,12 @@
 
 class PlotBot:
 
-    def __init__(self,
-                 token,
-                 station_config,
-                 db=None,
-                 admin_id=None,
-                 ecmwf=None):
+    def __init__(self, config_file, station_config, db=None, ecmwf=None):
 
-        self._admin_id = admin_id
-        self.app = Application.builder().token(token).build()
+        self._config = yaml.safe_load(open(config_file))
+        self._admin_ids = self._config['bot'].get('admin_ids', [])
+        self.app = Application.builder().token(
+            self._config['bot']['token']).build()
         self._db = db
         self._ecmwf = ecmwf
         self._station_names = sorted(
@@ -176,7 +172,7 @@ async def _error(self, update: Update, context: CallbackContext):
 
     async def _stats(self, update: Update, context: CallbackContext):
         user_id = update.message.chat_id
-        if user_id != self._admin_id:
+        if user_id not in self._admin_ids:
             await update.message.reply_text(
                 "You are not authorized to view stats.")
             return
diff --git a/config_example.yml b/config_example.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb145d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_example.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# store this file as config.yml in the same directory as your bot script
+db:
+  host: "your-database-host.com"
+  user: "your_database_user"
+  password: "your_secure_password"
+  database: "your_database_name"
+  port: 5432
+  table_suffix: "your_table_suffix" # e.g. "dev", "prod", etc., to differentiate environments within the same database
+bot:
+  token: "123456789:ABCDEF1234567890abcdef1234567890"
+  admin_ids: [123456789, 987654321] # List of admin user IDs, can use admin-only /stats command
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 06e0fa0..3e70316 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -13,16 +13,6 @@ def main():
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
 
-    parser.add_argument('--bot_token', \
-                        dest='bot_token', \
-                        type=str, \
-                        help='unique token of bot (KEEP PRIVATE!)')
-
-    parser.add_argument('--admin_id',
-                        dest='admin_id', \
-                        type=int, \
-                        help='Telegram ID of the admin')
-
     parser.add_argument(
         '--log_level',
         dest='log_level',
@@ -41,16 +31,14 @@ def main():
 
     ecmwf = EcmwfApi(station_config)
 
-    db = Database('config.yml')
+    config_file = 'config.yml'
+
+    db = Database(config_file)
 
-    bot = PlotBot(args.bot_token,
-                  station_config,
-                  admin_id=args.admin_id,
-                  db=db,
-                  ecmwf=ecmwf)
+    bot = PlotBot(config_file, station_config, db=db, ecmwf=ecmwf)
     bot.start()
 
-    # we should not be here
+    # we only end up here if the bot had an error
     sys.exit(1)
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_bot.py b/test/test_bot.py
index 4695781..ea355f0 100644
--- a/test/test_bot.py
+++ b/test/test_bot.py
@@ -9,14 +9,26 @@
 from bot import PlotBot
 
 
-@pytest.fixture
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def bot(station_config):
-    from bot import PlotBot
-    token = '9999999999:BBBBBBBRBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB'
-    return PlotBot(token, station_config)
+    config_file = "test_config.yml"
+    config = {
+        "bot": {
+            "token": '9999999999:BBBBBBBRBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB',
+            "admin_ids": [123456789, 987654321],
+        }
+    }
+    # Write the config to a file
+    with open(config_file, "w") as f:
+        yaml.dump(config, f)
 
+    yield PlotBot(config_file, station_config)
 
-@pytest.fixture
+    # Clear the test config file after the test
+    os.remove(config_file)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def station_config():
     stations = """
 - name: Zürich