Telegram MCP Server

Connect to your Telegram account to read and send messages.

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Telegram MCP Server

Connect Claude to your Telegram account to read and send messages.

Features

Available Tools

  1. get_chats - List your Telegram chats

    • Returns paginated list with chat names, IDs, and unread counts
    • For page 1, just provide page number
    • For subsequent pages, use the pagination parameters from the previous response

  2. get_messages - Read messages from a specific chat

    • Fetches paginated message history
    • Automatically marks messages as read

  3. mark_messages_read - Mark all unread messages in a chat as read

  4. send_message - Send messages to any chat

    • Supports replying to specific messages

  5. get_conversation_context - Analyze chat style for natural responses

    • Reads your conversation style guide from convostyle.txt
    • Helps Claude match your texting patterns

Setup Guide

Step 1: Get Telegram API Credentials

  1. Go to https://my.telegram.org/apps
  2. Log in and create an application
  3. Save your API ID and API Hash

Step 2: Install

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/alexandertsai/mcp-telegram
cd mcp-telegram

# Set up Python environment
pip install uv
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
uv sync

Step 3: Configure

# Copy the example file
cp .env.example .env

# Edit .env and add your API credentials:
# TELEGRAM_API_ID=your_api_id_here
# TELEGRAM_API_HASH=your_api_hash_here

Step 4: Authenticate

cd src/mcp_telegram
python telethon_auth.py

Follow the prompts:

  • Enter your phone number (with country code, e.g., +1234567890)
  • Enter the code sent to your Telegram
  • Enter your 2FA password if you have one

Step 5: Add to Claude Desktop

Find your Claude Desktop config file:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "telegram": {
      "command": "/path/to/python",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-telegram/src/mcp_telegram/main.py"]
    }
  }
}

To find paths:

  • Python: Run which python (Mac) or where.exe python (Windows)
  • main.py: Right-click the file and select "Copy Path"

Restart Claude Desktop.

Usage

After setup, you can ask Claude to:

  • "Check my Telegram messages"
  • "Send a message to [contact name]"
  • "What are my unread chats?"
  • "Reply to the last message from [contact name]"

Style Guide (Optional)

Create src/mcp_telegram/convostyle.txt to help Claude match your texting style:

I text casually with friends, formally with work contacts.
I use emojis sparingly and prefer short messages.

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

If authentication fails:

  1. Check your API credentials in .env
  2. Remove the TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING line from .env
  3. Run python telethon_auth.py again

Common Errors

  • "Please set TELEGRAM_API_ID and TELEGRAM_API_HASH": Missing .env file or credentials
  • "Session string is invalid or expired": Re-run authentication
  • 2FA password not showing: This is normal - keep typing

Requirements

  • Python 3.10+
  • Claude Desktop
  • Telegram account

License

Apache 2.0

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