Telegram
Ultimate Telegram Bot API MCP server — full v9.6 coverage, meta-mode, rate limiting, circuit breaker. TypeScript.
What is Telegram?
Telegram is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to ultimate telegram bot api mcp server — full v9.6 coverage, meta-mode, rate limiting, circuit breaker. typescript.
Ultimate Telegram Bot API MCP server — full v9.6 coverage, meta-mode, rate limiting, circuit breaker. TypeScript.
This server falls under the Communication category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Ultimate Telegram Bot API MCP server — full v9.6 coverage, m
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx telegram-apiConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Telegram
Telegram API MCP Server gives AI assistants complete coverage of the Telegram Bot API v9.6, exposing all 169 Bot API methods as callable MCP tools. It connects to any Telegram bot via a token from @BotFather and handles rate limiting, circuit breaking, and retry logic automatically. Developers use it to send messages, manage chats, upload media, handle payments, and orchestrate complex bot workflows directly from an AI assistant without writing custom integration code.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed
- A Telegram bot token obtained from @BotFather (https://t.me/botfather)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- npx available on your PATH (included with Node.js)
Create a Telegram bot and get your token
Open Telegram and start a chat with @BotFather. Send /newbot, follow the prompts to name your bot, and copy the token that BotFather provides. This token is in the format 123456789:ABC-DEF... and is required to authenticate every API call.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Open your Claude Desktop config file (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json) and add the telegram entry under mcpServers. Paste your bot token as the value for TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN.
{
"mcpServers": {
"telegram": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["telegram-api-mcp"],
"env": {
"TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN": "your_token_from_botfather"
}
}
}
}Optional: enable meta-mode for token efficiency
By default the server registers all 169 Bot API methods as individual MCP tools. If your client struggles with that many tools, set TELEGRAM_META_MODE=true to collapse them into two meta-tools: telegram_find (search by keyword) and telegram_call (invoke any method by name).
{
"mcpServers": {
"telegram": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["telegram-api-mcp"],
"env": {
"TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN": "your_token_from_botfather",
"TELEGRAM_META_MODE": "true"
}
}
}
}Configure rate limits and circuit breaker (optional)
The server applies a global rate limit of 30 requests/second and 20 messages/minute per chat by default, matching Telegram's limits. Adjust these and the circuit breaker thresholds via environment variables if needed.
TELEGRAM_GLOBAL_RATE_LIMIT=30
TELEGRAM_PER_CHAT_RATE_LIMIT=20
TELEGRAM_MAX_RETRIES=3
TELEGRAM_CB_THRESHOLD=5
TELEGRAM_CB_COOLDOWN=30000Restart Claude Desktop and verify the connection
Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop. In a new conversation, ask Claude to send a test message via your bot. If the bot sends the message, the server is working correctly.
Telegram Examples
Client configuration
Minimal Claude Desktop configuration using npx with a bot token from @BotFather.
{
"mcpServers": {
"telegram": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["telegram-api-mcp"],
"env": {
"TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN": "123456789:ABC-your-bot-token-here",
"TELEGRAM_DEFAULT_CHAT_ID": "-1001234567890"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that demonstrate the server's Telegram Bot API capabilities.
- "Send 'Hello from Claude!' to chat ID -1001234567890 via my Telegram bot"
- "Get the last 10 messages from my Telegram group and summarize them"
- "Create a Telegram poll in chat -1001234567890 asking 'What is your favorite language?' with options Python, TypeScript, Rust"
- "Pin the most recent message in my channel"
- "Find all Telegram Bot API methods related to stickers"Troubleshooting Telegram
401 Unauthorized error when the server starts
The TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN is invalid or missing. Double-check the token value in your config file — it must be the full token string including the numeric ID prefix separated by a colon. Re-copy it from @BotFather with /token.
Too many tools error or client refuses to load
With 169 tools registered, some MCP clients hit tool count limits. Enable meta-mode by adding "TELEGRAM_META_MODE": "true" to the env block, which reduces the exposed tools to just telegram_find and telegram_call.
Messages are being throttled or failing silently
Telegram enforces strict per-chat rate limits. The circuit breaker may have opened after repeated failures. Lower TELEGRAM_PER_CHAT_RATE_LIMIT or wait for TELEGRAM_CB_COOLDOWN milliseconds (default 30 seconds) before retrying.
Frequently Asked Questions about Telegram
What is Telegram?
Telegram is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that ultimate telegram bot api mcp server — full v9.6 coverage, meta-mode, rate limiting, circuit breaker. typescript. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Telegram?
Follow the installation instructions on the Telegram GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Telegram?
Telegram works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Telegram free to use?
Yes, Telegram is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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