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Telegram MCP Server

Telethon-powered MCP server for connecting Claude to Telegram accounts, chats, messages, contacts, media, folders, groups, channels, profile settings, and read-only or full account workflows.

by chigwell·added 2026-06-06·
Claude CodeClaude Desktop
HarnessClaude CodeClaude Desktop
Review first — review before installing

Open the source and read safety notes before installing.

Safety notes

  • Telegram MCP Server can read chats and messages, send, schedule, edit, delete, forward, and pin messages, mark chats read, create polls, press inline buttons, manage contacts, manage groups and channels, upload or download media, and update profile settings when write tools are exposed.
  • A Telegram session string has the normal authority of the Telegram account inside the server process; read-only mode limits the MCP tool surface but does not reduce the underlying session authority.
  • The upstream README warns that the PyPI `telegram-mcp` name is owned by a different project, so do not pass Telegram API credentials or session strings to that package.
  • File-path tools are disabled until allowed roots are configured; keep upload and download roots narrow when enabling media or file operations.
  • Require human approval before sending, editing, deleting, forwarding, pinning, reacting, inviting, banning, changing permissions, or updating profile and privacy settings.
  • Use separate Telegram accounts for testing, monitor Telegram rate limits and platform rules, and keep proxies or multi-account routing explicit.

Privacy notes

  • Telegram API IDs, API hashes, session strings, account labels, chat titles, usernames, phone-adjacent identifiers, messages, media, contacts, group membership, profile photos, user status, read receipts, drafts, and folder metadata can be exposed to the MCP client.
  • Chat history and media can contain private conversations, personal data, business records, access links, invite links, documents, photos, voice notes, stickers, GIFs, and user-controlled prompt-injection text.
  • The project includes output sanitization for user-controlled content, but sanitized Telegram content should still be treated as untrusted model input.
  • Store session strings like passwords, keep them out of shell history and shared logs, and revoke sessions if they are exposed.
  • Review MCP transcripts, downloaded media folders, Telegram session files, and proxy logs before sharing or retaining them.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.10 or newer with `uv` available.
  • A trusted checkout of `https://github.com/chigwell/telegram-mcp`; do not use the unrelated PyPI package with the same distribution name.
  • Telegram API credentials from `my.telegram.org/apps`.
  • A Telegram session string or file-based session generated from the trusted checkout.
  • Review of which accounts, chats, groups, contacts, media paths, and write tools Claude is allowed to access.
  • Start with `TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS=read-only` unless the workflow explicitly needs message, account, contact, group, profile, or media mutations.

Schema details

Install type
cli
Troubleshooting
No
Source repository stats
Scope
Source repo
Collection metadata
Estimated setup
30 minutes
Difficulty
advanced
Tool listing metadata
Disclosure
Community-maintained Apache-2.0 MCP server for Telegram via Telethon. The repository explicitly warns that the PyPI `telegram-mcp` name is unrelated, so install from a trusted source checkout or explicit Git URL.
Full copyable content
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "telegram-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["--directory", "PATH_TO_TELEGRAM_MCP_CHECKOUT", "run", "main.py"],
      "env": {
        "TELEGRAM_API_ID": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_ID",
        "TELEGRAM_API_HASH": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH",
        "TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING",
        "TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS": "read-only"
      }
    }
  }
}

About this resource

Content

Telegram MCP Server connects Claude and other MCP clients to Telegram through Telethon. It exposes tools for Telegram accounts, chats, messages, contacts, media, folders, groups, channels, profile settings, and multi-account routing.

Use it when Claude needs supervised Telegram context or automation, starting with read-only tools for chat review and account inspection before enabling message or account-changing actions.

Source Review

These sources were reviewed on 2026-06-06. Prefer the live repository, README, license, package manifest, environment template, compatibility entrypoint, sanitizer, install guard, and runtime implementation for current setup and behavior details.

Features

  • List configured Telegram accounts and route calls by account label.
  • List chats, inspect chat metadata, and search message history.
  • Read messages, inspect context, mark chats read, and manage drafts.
  • Send, schedule, edit, delete, forward, pin, unpin, reply to, and react to messages when write tools are exposed.
  • Create polls and inspect or press inline buttons.
  • Manage contacts, blocks, direct chats, and recent interactions.
  • Send, upload, download, and inspect media when allowed file roots are configured.
  • Create and manage groups, channels, admins, bans, permissions, topics, slow mode, invite links, and read receipts.
  • Inspect and update profile, privacy, bot-command, folder, and draft state.
  • Limit exposed MCP tools to read-only mode with TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS.

Installation

Clone the trusted repository, install dependencies, and generate a Telegram session string from the checkout before configuring Claude:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "telegram-mcp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["--directory", "PATH_TO_TELEGRAM_MCP_CHECKOUT", "run", "main.py"],
      "env": {
        "TELEGRAM_API_ID": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_ID",
        "TELEGRAM_API_HASH": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH",
        "TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING",
        "TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS": "read-only"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code users can add a read-only default configuration with:

claude mcp add telegram-mcp --env TELEGRAM_API_ID=YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_ID --env TELEGRAM_API_HASH=YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH --env TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING=YOUR_TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING --env TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS=read-only -- uv --directory PATH_TO_TELEGRAM_MCP_CHECKOUT run main.py

Only remove TELEGRAM_EXPOSED_TOOLS=read-only after reviewing the write tools and setting account, media-path, and approval boundaries.

Use Cases

  • Summarize unread Telegram chats for a supervised account.
  • Search chat history for a message, file, link, or conversation context.
  • Draft a response and ask for human approval before sending it manually or via an exposed write tool.
  • Inspect group or channel metadata during community moderation.
  • Export selected contact or chat context for a customer-support workflow.
  • Download approved media into a narrow allowed root for later processing.
  • Manage drafts and folders for a dedicated automation account.

Safety and Privacy

Telegram MCP Server should be treated as account automation. Use a dedicated Telegram account for testing, keep session strings secret, and leave read-only mode enabled unless the workflow truly needs account-changing tools.

Never install this server from the unrelated PyPI package named telegram-mcp. Run it from a trusted checkout or an explicit Git URL, and do not paste real Telegram credentials into package managers, logs, issue comments, or shared model transcripts.

#telegram#messaging#chat#automation#telethon

Source citations

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