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