Telegram Channel Message

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Telegram Channel Message creates a structured history export for one public, username-addressable Telegram channel or group. It records message text, sender labels, dates, visible engagement, reply and forward context, reactions, forum topics, service actions, URLs, hashtags, and optional media links.

• The input contract requires one Telegram username target, one media mode, and a request from 10 to 1,000,000 messages.
• An optional absolute or relative start date narrows history toward the present.
• Each available message is documented through 23 top-level dataset fields.
• All four public schemas validate for this release and expose the same dataset view contract.

Test 10 text-only messages · View API access

One configured FREE-tier start plus 10 text messages has a $0.01350 fixed-event subtotal, before variable actor_usage. Large history ranges and media downloads can exceed practical runtime, disk, transfer, or storage limits. Telegram also controls access and source availability, so test the smallest text-only request and set a maximum total charge before expanding scope.

What does Telegram Channel Message do?

Telegram Channel Message resolves a public Telegram username and walks visible messages from an optional starting date toward the present. It converts each message or recognized service action into a dataset row with consistent provenance, content, relationship, engagement, and extraction fields.

The Actor can operate without user-supplied Telegram credentials because account access is managed by the service. That does not bypass Telegram permissions. The target must be username-addressable and available to the managed account; invitation links and private join links are rejected.

This product is a source export, not a complete archive, private-message reader, member directory, sender verification service, or sentiment classifier. Deletions, edits, restrictions, rate limits, entity visibility, media availability, and transient source failures can change what is returned.

How do I run Telegram Channel Message?

Open the Actor input page. Use a public target, select text, request 10 messages, and omit the optional date for the initial check.

This example is shared by the Console, HTTP, and MCP sections:

{
  "telegram_url": "https://t.me/aipost",
  "download_medias": "text",
  "max_results": 10
}

After the run ends, open the default dataset and verify the actual item count. Review message IDs, source dates, text, sender labels, relationships, reactions, extracted links, and processed_at. A terminal status is not a substitute for inspecting the data outcome.

Add a small date window only after the baseline works. Test image on a short range before all, because stored documents can substantially change workload and cost.

What data does Telegram Channel Message return?

The 23 top-level fields are organized as follows:

• Processing: processor, processed_at.
• Message identity and content: id, type, date, text, sender.
• State: silent, pinned, edit_date.
• Visible source counts: view_count, reply_count, forward_count, reactions.
• Relationships: reply_to, album_id, topic_name, forward_info.
• Extracted references: urls, hashtags, media_url.
• Telegram actions: service_type, service_info.

The following row contains all 23 keys. It is an illustrative contract example rather than a promise about a later source message:

{
  "processor": "https://apify.com/truefetch/telegram-channel-message?fpr=aiagentapi",
  "processed_at": "2026-07-24T06:46:13+00:00",
  "id": 12345,
  "type": "Regular",
  "date": "2026-07-23T21:30:00+00:00",
  "text": "Example message: https://example.com #update",
  "sender": "@example_sender",
  "silent": false,
  "pinned": false,
  "view_count": 250,
  "reply_count": 3,
  "forward_count": 7,
  "reply_to": null,
  "album_id": null,
  "topic_name": null,
  "edit_date": null,
  "urls": [
    "https://example.com"
  ],
  "hashtags": [
    "#update"
  ],
  "service_type": null,
  "service_info": null,
  "forward_info": null,
  "reactions": {
    "👍": 4
  },
  "media_url": ""
}

sender is a best-available label, which can be an @username, first name, numeric identifier, post-author string, or null. It does not authenticate the sender. Counts and reaction maps reflect Telegram's visible source values. Empty fields should remain empty instead of being filled with inferred data.

What inputs can I configure?

telegram_url is required. Supported forms include aipost, @aipost, https://t.me/aipost, and a public preview URL such as https://t.me/s/aipost. Other hosts, blank targets, joinchat paths, and plus-style invitation links are rejected.

download_medias is required and accepts text, image, or all. Text mode downloads no files. Image mode attempts Telegram photos. All mode adds document-based media where available.

max_results is required. The schema accepts 10 through 1,000,000, while the runtime caps free users at 10. Source access and execution limits can produce fewer rows.

start_date is optional and has no fabricated default. It accepts UTC YYYY-MM-DD or a relative lookback such as 7 days, 2 weeks, 1 month, or 1 year. Months and years use 30-day and 365-day approximations. There is no end-date parameter.

What platforms and markets does Telegram Channel Message cover?

The Actor covers username-addressable Telegram channels and groups available to the managed account. It does not crawl linked webpages, combine other messaging networks, or perform identity matching across Telegram, Reddit, X, Discord, or email.

No location or language filter is exposed. A username, message language, timestamp, sender label, view count, reaction, or topic name is not proof of residence, nationality, age, profession, or affiliation.

Public accessibility can vary by account, region, Telegram policy, target state, and time. A successful historical export does not guarantee future access.

Why use Telegram Channel Message?

The main value is a repeatable dataset row instead of manual message copying. Provenance and processing time make observations easier to trace, while structured relationship and extraction fields reduce downstream parsing work.

Apify Console supports one-time runs; API, schedules, webhooks, and MCP support approved automation. Dataset results can be exported through formats provided by Apify, including JSON, JSONL, CSV, Excel, XML, and API access.

The media modes allow users to separate text analysis from file collection. This distinction matters because file downloads bring additional cost, storage, security, and retention concerns.

Who is Telegram Channel Message for?

Analysts can collect a bounded source sample for public-channel research while retaining dates, IDs, links, and source counts. They should not treat one period as a complete archive.

Developer teams can integrate structured messages into review, search, alerting, or approved content workflows. Null-aware handling is essential because sender, topic, forward, reply, and service fields are conditional.

AI-agent builders can request 10 current text records through MCP and cite the source observation. Agents must not turn reaction counts into verified sentiment or sender labels into identity claims.

Media researchers can download a narrow set of public files when authorized. They need malware scanning, retention limits, and access controls before opening or redistributing stored files.

How can I use Telegram Channel Message through the API or MCP?

Replace YOUR_TOKEN in this synchronous HTTP request. The payload matches the shared text-only scenario:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/TpLqaxMYSJzwVnXoj/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"telegram_url":"https://t.me/aipost","download_medias":"text","max_results":10}'

Configure an MCP client following the Apify MCP guide:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?token=YOUR_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Then call the Actor explicitly:

{
  "actor": "TrueFetch/telegram-channel-message",
  "input": {
    "telegram_url": "https://t.me/aipost",
    "download_medias": "text",
    "max_results": 10
  }
}

For larger requests, start asynchronously, poll run state, and verify the default dataset count after completion. Storage metadata can update shortly after a run finishes, so a brief recheck can distinguish propagation delay from a true empty result.

How much does Telegram Channel Message cost?

The configured start event is $0.01000. Variable actor_usage events cost $0.00001 and reflect runtime, proxy, and storage consumption. Message prices are FREE $0.00035, BRONZE $0.00034, SILVER $0.00033, and GOLD or higher $0.00032. Media prices are FREE $0.00080, BRONZE $0.00077, SILVER $0.00075, and GOLD or higher $0.00072.

FREE-tier scenario	Fixed-event calculation	Subtotal before actor_usage
10 text messages	$0.01000 + 10 × $0.00035	$0.01350
10 messages and 3 media files	$0.01000 + 10 × $0.00035 + 3 × $0.00080	$0.01590

Charges depend on emitted events, resource use, account tier, and current platform settings. The live pricing page is authoritative after publication. Use a maximum total charge; the message limit does not cap media bytes.

How does Telegram Channel Message compare with alternatives?

Method	Strength	Limitation
Telegram Channel Message	Structured 23-field history rows, optional media storage, Apify integrations	Username targets only; source and large-run limits remain
Telegram public preview	Fast manual reading without setup	Limited export structure and difficult automation
Custom Telegram client	Full control over filters, recovery, storage, and media policy	Requires account credentials, engineering, monitoring, and maintenance
Member-focused Actor	Useful for visible participant records	Different data surface; it does not replace message history

Choose text-only messages when content and links are the question. Choose media only when files are necessary and the workflow has explicit storage and security controls.

What are the limits and troubleshooting steps?

The million-message schema ceiling is not a practical default. Each message can require sender or topic resolution, and media adds download plus upload work with no byte cap. Start at 10 and grow only after measuring the target.

If input fails, replace invitation links with a public username. If no data appears, remove the date, select text, request 10, and verify target availability. Recheck dataset metadata briefly after completion, but treat a persistently empty dataset as a failed data outcome.

If media is slow or missing, inspect both dataset media_url values and key-value-store records. Unsupported, unavailable, oversized, failed, or nonselected media can leave an empty string.

Frequently asked questions

Does it accept private invitation links?

No. Join and plus-style links are rejected. The target must resolve by public username for the managed account.

Why can the result be smaller than max_results?

Free-plan capping, date range, target history, source access, skipped records, charging, execution limits, or errors can reduce output.

Are views unique viewers?

Not necessarily. The Actor preserves Telegram's visible count without auditing the people or measurement behind it.

What media does all mode include?

It attempts photos and Telegram document-based media. It does not guarantee every media class, attachment, external asset, or successful upload.

Can I retrieve an exact closed date range?

No. Only a start date is available, and extraction proceeds toward the present.

Related TrueFetch Actors

• Telegram Group Member targets visible participants where Telegram permits access.
• Telegram Profile returns public metadata for one Telegram username target.
• Reddit Community Post provides a complementary public discussion dataset for Reddit.

Support and last updated

Contact the TrueFetch group or direct support with a run ID, sanitized input, expected item count, actual item count, and media mode. Never disclose Telegram sessions, Apify tokens, credentials, or private files.

Follow Telegram terms, applicable law, copyright, privacy duties, and retention policies. Do not use the output for surveillance, harassment, spam, sensitive profiling, or unauthorized redistribution. The Actor page shows the live release and prices.

Last updated: July 24, 2026. This document describes the local release candidate; the Store page updates after deployment.