# Telegram Channel Scraper \[Just 💰$0.23] — Posts & Views (`blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper`) Actor

Scrape t.me — public Telegram channel posts with post text, publish date, view counts, photos, videos and links, plus channel title, description and subscriber count. Search inside a channel, paste channel links, and get only new posts in incremental mode.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Black Falcon Data](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.23 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

### What does Telegram Channel Scraper do?

Telegram Channel Scraper extracts public Telegram channel posts from [t.me](https://t.me) as structured data: post text, publish date, view counts, photos, videos and links, plus the channel title, description and subscriber count. Search inside a channel by keyword or paste channel links, and use the API or a schedule to get only new posts.

**New to Apify?** [Sign up free](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi) and use the included $5 monthly platform credit to test this actor.

### Key features

- **👀 Views and engagement:** `views` and `viewsText` show how far each post reached and how people reacted.
- **🎞️ Media and attachments:** `mediaType`, `videos`, `documents` and `links` on each post, so you know what was attached without opening it.
- **🔁 Forwards and replies:** `forwardedFrom`, `forwardedFromUrl`, `replyToUrl` and `replyToText` show where a post came from and what it answers.
- **📣 Channel profile:** `channelTitle`, `channelUsername`, `channelVerified` and `channelDescription` come with every post, so you can rank and filter the channels behind them.
- **#️⃣ Hashtags and mentions:** `text`, `hashtags` and `edited` on every post, so you can filter by topic without parsing the message.
- **🖼️ Images:** `photos` with every image URL, not just the thumbnail.
- **🔍 Keyword search:** search t.me by keyword with the `query` input.
- **🔗 Paste-mode:** paste t.me URLs into `startUrls` to scrape exactly the pages you picked in the browser.
- **♻️ Incremental mode:** recurring runs emit and charge only for listings that are new or whose tracked content changed. First run builds the baseline; subsequent runs emit only NEW / UPDATED / REAPPEARED records (UNCHANGED + EXPIRED opt-in). Saves 80–95% on daily monitoring.
- **🔔 Notifications:** Telegram, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp Cloud API, and generic webhook out of the box. Pair with incremental for daily new-listing alerts without pipeline glue.
- **📦 Compact mode:** AI-agent and MCP-friendly payloads with core fields only.

### What data can you extract from t.me?

Each result includes Core post fields (`listingId`, `postKey`, `postId`, `channel`, `url`, `portalUrl`, `title`, and `text`, and more) and extended fields (`channelDescription` and `detailFetched`). In standard mode, all fields are always present — unavailable data points are returned as `null`, never omitted. In compact mode, only core fields are returned.

### Input

The main inputs are a search keyword and a result limit. Additional filters and options are available in the input schema.

Key parameters:

- **`query`** — Public channel to scrape: `telegram`, `@telegram`, or `https://t.me/telegram`. Add an in-channel search with `?q=`, e.g. `telegram?q=update`. Use a JSON array for several channels, e.g. \["telegram","durov"].
- **`maxResults`** — Maximum total posts, newest first (0 = unlimited). (default: `100`)
- **`descriptionMaxLength`** — Truncate each post's text to N characters. 0 = no truncation. (default: `0`)
- **`compact`** — Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows). (default: `false`)
- **`excludeEmptyFields`** — Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards. (default: `false`)
- **`incrementalMode`** — Compare against previous run state and return only new or changed posts. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from the channel(s) requested. (default: `false`)
- **`stateKey`** — Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked channel universe. Leave empty to auto-generate from the inputs.
- **`skipReposts`** — When incremental, skip posts whose content matches a post seen (and since removed) in a prior run. (default: `false`)
- **`notifyOnlyChanges`** — When Incremental Mode is on, only send notifications for NEW and UPDATED posts. Has no effect outside incremental mode. (default: `false`)
- **`notificationLimit`** — Maximum number of posts included in each notification message (1–20). (default: `5`)
- **`telegramToken`** — Telegram bot token (from @BotFather). Required for Telegram notifications.
- **`telegramChatId`** — Telegram chat or channel ID (e.g. "-100123456789"). Required when telegramToken is set.
- ...and 11 more parameters

### Input examples

**Basic search** — Keyword-driven search with a result cap.

→ Full payload per result — all standard fields populated where the source provides them.

```json
{
  "query": "telegram",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

**Incremental tracking** — Only emit posts that changed since the previous run with this `stateKey`.

→ First run builds the baseline state. Subsequent runs emit only records that are new or whose tracked content changed. Set `emitUnchanged: true` to include unchanged records as well.

```json
{
  "query": "telegram",
  "maxResults": 200,
  "incrementalMode": true,
  "stateKey": "telegram-tracker"
}
```

**Compact output for AI agents** — Return only core fields for AI-agent and MCP workflows.

→ Small payload with the most important fields — ideal for piping into LLMs without token overhead.

```json
{
  "query": "telegram",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "compact": true
}
```

### Output

Each run produces a dataset of structured post records. Results can be downloaded as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Dataset tab in Apify Console.

### Example post record

```json
{
  "listingId": "1f9b4d8f559a21438b11aa79808bd494a587d759f549f26bfb391781db31fb37",
  "postKey": "telegram/441",
  "postId": 441,
  "channel": "telegram",
  "url": "https://t.me/telegram/441",
  "portalUrl": "https://t.me/telegram/441",
  "title": "Bot-to-Bot Communication. Bots are now able to respond to other bots, not just users.",
  "text": "Bot-to-Bot Communication. Bots are now able to respond to other bots, not just users.\n\nAI enthusiasts can utilize this to create custom workflows with autonomous agents.\n\nMay Features\n1 • 2 • 3 • 4 •...",
  "date": "2026-05-14T16:08:31+00:00",
  "edited": false,
  "views": 1590000,
  "viewsText": "1.59M",
  "isServiceMessage": false,
  "mediaType": "video",
  "videos": [
    {
      "url": "https://cdn1.telesco.pe/file/c01503a63e.mp4?token=khWVaC14LSf_5hvtFuh1bo0VU-Wa74P7pib9KVJ_x8DiG3X6L8TFfysnLx-NwZ8iWEU381QDGfkJGVFADl-h1BAKfrLMIBkKHZZVFEXyxXt7s1Iu9U23cbKiurCiDFdtvOhyEGEI9PI7mrTiDyjKR8...",
      "portalUrl": "https://cdn1.telesco.pe/file/c01503a63e.mp4?token=khWVaC14LSf_5hvtFuh1bo0VU-Wa74P7pib9KVJ_x8DiG3X6L8TFfysnLx-NwZ8iWEU381QDGfkJGVFADl-h1BAKfrLMIBkKHZZVFEXyxXt7s1Iu9U23cbKiurCiDFdtvOhyEGEI9PI7mrTiDyjKR8...",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cdn1.telesco.pe/file/fMmaGj231LbjsD2QbuWdGnY-_3vo4Za3lkstuylaVdMZN2U-n-k8_i5QWFE9tSATjw1052hNr4Y6U5q5aKwJ3l85HidVbYu9txj9DHQ_uFpUG3NF-stNv8nDyVOGf_kK3oyH0_BTu-X51pMZs-QOrFt-WQCtVPMBUNm1FreNWuW...",
      "duration": "0:06"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    "https://t.me/telegram/440",
    "https://t.me/telegram/442",
    "https://t.me/telegram/443",
    "https://t.me/telegram/444",
    "https://t.me/telegram/445"
  ],
  "channelUsername": "telegram",
  "channelTitle": "Telegram News",
  "channelVerified": true,
  "channelDescription": "The official Telegram on Telegram. Much recursion. Very Telegram. Wow.",
  "channelPhotoUrl": "https://cdn1.telesco.pe/file/nXV3lILA-gZVU2DPQiOCbGN2CY4EE2Ut9ZWJrp8SNJw1ZXDDTy4-xU99cw9HDXtH9FCsbbSxT6Azpnh79iFiWpi1vVojV6XOD0YHkROKUimdciVslzjjk1PfZwQE51PsQYr3Bne_UATQSM5oVAyD8CR3qknwfHfmhlCGQoANzSj...",
  "channelSubscribers": 9280000,
  "channelPhotos": 16,
  "channelVideos": 228,
  "channelLinks": 378,
  "searchQuery": "telegram",
  "contentQuality": "full",
  "detailFetched": false,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-20T22:47:34.331Z",
  "source": "t.me",
  "contentHash": "a9cb638f9da1dbf475b21cff4e5ea605b4d39d6bc35ae9ee8bd0dd2b2cd1d30e"
}
```

### Incremental fields

When incremental mode is on, each record also carries:

- `changeType` — one of `NEW`, `UPDATED`, `REAPPEARED`.
- `isRepost`, `repostOfId`, `repostDetectedAt` — populated when a new listing matches the tracked content of a previously expired one. Set `skipReposts: true` to drop detected reposts from the output.

### How to scrape t.me

1. Go to [Telegram Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) in Apify Console.
2. Enter a search keyword.
3. Set `maxResults` to control how many results you need.
4. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish.
5. Export the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

### Use cases

- Extract post data from t.me for market research and competitive analysis.
- Monitor new and changed posts on scheduled runs without processing the full dataset every time.
- Feed structured data into AI agents, MCP tools, and automated pipelines using compact mode.
- Export clean, structured data to dashboards, spreadsheets, or data warehouses.
- Benchmark seller / dealer reputation using rating fields.

### How much does it cost to scrape t.me?

Telegram Channel Scraper uses [pay-per-event](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/paid-actors/pay-per-event) pricing. You pay a small fee when the run starts and then for each result that is actually produced.

- **Run start:** $0.0045 per run
- **Per result:** $0.00022 per post record

Example costs:

- 10 results: **$0.00675**
- 25 results: **$0.01**
- 100 results: **$0.027**
- 200 results: **$0.049**
- 500 results: **$0.12**

#### Example: recurring monitoring savings

These examples compare full re-scrapes with incremental runs at different churn rates. Churn is the share of posts that are new or whose tracked content changed since the previous run. Actual churn depends on your query breadth, source activity, and polling frequency — the scenarios below are examples, not predictions.

Example setup: 250 posts per run, daily polling (30 runs/month). Costs scale linearly with the number of posts.

| Churn rate | Full re-scrape run cost | Incremental run cost | Savings vs full re-scrape | Monthly cost after baseline |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| 5% — stable niche query | $0.06 | $0.00731 | $0.05 (88%) | $0.22 |
| 15% — moderate broad query | $0.06 | $0.01 | $0.05 (79%) | $0.39 |
| 30% — high-volume aggregator | $0.06 | $0.02 | $0.04 (65%) | $0.64 |

Full re-scrape monthly cost at the same cadence: $1.82. First month with incremental costs $0.27 / $0.44 / $0.68 for the 5% / 15% / 30% scenarios because the first run builds baseline state at full cost before incremental savings apply.

Platform usage is included in the per-result fee shown above.

### FAQ

#### How many results can I get from t.me?

The number of results depends on the search query and available posts on t.me. Use the `maxResults` parameter to control how many results are returned per run.

#### Does Telegram Channel Scraper support recurring monitoring?

Yes. Enable incremental mode to only receive new or changed posts on subsequent runs. This is ideal for scheduled monitoring where you want to track changes over time without re-processing the full dataset.

#### Can I integrate Telegram Channel Scraper with other apps?

Yes. Telegram Channel Scraper works with Apify's [integrations](https://apify.com/integrations?fpr=1h3gvi) to connect with tools like Zapier, Make, Google Sheets, Slack, and more. You can also use webhooks to trigger actions when a run completes.

#### Can I use Telegram Channel Scraper with the Apify API?

Yes. You can start runs, manage inputs, and retrieve results programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2). Client libraries are available for JavaScript, Python, and other languages.

#### Can I use Telegram Channel Scraper through an MCP Server?

Yes. Apify provides an [MCP Server](https://apify.com/apify/actors-mcp-server?fpr=1h3gvi) that lets AI assistants and agents call this actor directly. Use compact mode, `descriptionMaxLength`, a single `descriptionFormat`, and `excludeEmptyFields` to keep payloads manageable for LLM context windows.

#### Is it legal to scrape t.me?

This actor extracts publicly available data from t.me. Web scraping of public information is generally considered legal, but you should always review the target site's terms of service and ensure your use case complies with applicable laws and regulations, including GDPR where relevant.

#### Your feedback

If you have questions, need a feature, or found a bug, please [open an issue](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper/issues?fpr=1h3gvi) on the actor's page in Apify Console. Your feedback helps us improve.

### You might also like

- [Facebook Ad Library Scraper \[💰$0.05/1k\] — Ads & EU Reach](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/facebook-ads-library-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape facebook.com/ads/library by keyword or advertiser: ad copy, image and video URLs, landing.
- [Facebook Ads Scraper \[💰$0.05/1k\] — Ad Library & EU Reach](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/facebook-ads-library-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape facebook.com/ads/library by keyword or advertiser: ad copy, image and video URLs, landing.
- [Facebook Group Scraper — Posts, Comments & Engagement](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/facebook-group-post-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape facebook.com — post text & timestamps · reaction/comment/share counts · media & optional.
- [Maigret Username OSINT — Verified Account Finder](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/maigret-username-osint-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Find where a username or handle exists across hundreds of social media networks and websites. Every.
- [Meta Ads Library Scraper \[💰$0.05/1k\]](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/meta-ads-library-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape Meta's Ad Library across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, Messenger and Audience.
- [Meta Ads Library Scraper \[💰$0.05/1k\]](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/meta-ads-library-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — Scrape Meta's Ad Library across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, Messenger and Audience.
- [Pexels Scraper — Photos, Videos & Engagement Data](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/pexels-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — This Pexels scraper extracts photos and videos by search, curated feed, photo ID, user, collection.
- [Quora Scraper — Q\&A, Profiles & Spaces](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/quora-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) — \[💰$0.8/1K] Scrape Quora questions, answers, profiles, posts, and spaces by search or URL —.

### Getting started with Apify

New to Apify? [Create a free account with $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi) — no credit card required.

1. Sign up — $5 platform credit included
2. Open this actor and configure your input
3. Click **Start** — export results as JSON, CSV, or Excel

Need more later? [See Apify pricing](https://apify.com/pricing?fpr=1h3gvi).

### Disclaimer

This actor accesses only publicly available data on t.me. You are responsible for how you use the extracted data — in particular any personal information such as names, phone numbers, or email addresses — and for complying with Telegram Channel's terms of use, applicable data-protection law (including the GDPR where it applies), and the anti-spam rules of your jurisdiction.

This actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Telegram Channel or any of its subsidiaries. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

### Search keywords

telegram channel scraper, telegram channel api, apify telegram channel, telegram channel data extraction, t.me scraper, t.me data, t.me api, social media scraper, profile data.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Public channel to scrape: `telegram`, `@telegram`, or `https://t.me/telegram`. Add an in-channel search with `?q=`, e.g. `telegram?q=update`. Use a JSON array for several channels, e.g. \["telegram","durov"].

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total posts, newest first (0 = unlimited).

## `descriptionMaxLength` (type: `integer`):

Truncate each post's text to N characters. 0 = no truncation.

## `compact` (type: `boolean`):

Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows).

## `excludeEmptyFields` (type: `boolean`):

Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards.

## `incrementalMode` (type: `boolean`):

Compare against previous run state and return only new or changed posts. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from the channel(s) requested.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked channel universe. Leave empty to auto-generate from the inputs.

## `skipReposts` (type: `boolean`):

When incremental, skip posts whose content matches a post seen (and since removed) in a prior run.

## `notifyOnlyChanges` (type: `boolean`):

When Incremental Mode is on, only send notifications for NEW and UPDATED posts. Has no effect outside incremental mode.

## `notificationLimit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of posts included in each notification message (1–20).

## `telegramToken` (type: `string`):

Telegram bot token (from @BotFather). Required for Telegram notifications.

## `telegramChatId` (type: `string`):

Telegram chat or channel ID (e.g. "-100123456789"). Required when telegramToken is set.

## `discordWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Discord incoming webhook URL. Server Settings → Integrations → Webhooks → New Webhook.

## `slackWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Slack incoming webhook URL. api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks.

## `whatsappPhoneNumberId` (type: `string`):

Your WhatsApp Business phone-number ID (numeric, from Meta dashboard). Required when whatsappAccessToken is set.

## `whatsappAccessToken` (type: `string`):

WhatsApp Cloud API permanent access token (System User token from Meta Business). Recipient must have messaged the business number within the last 24h (service-conversation window — free since Nov 2024).

## `whatsappTo` (type: `string`):

Recipient phone in E.164 format without + (e.g. "436641234567"). Recipient must have messaged your business number within last 24h.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Receives a JSON POST with {metadata, items} after each run. Universal escape hatch for n8n / Make / Zapier / custom backends.

## `webhookHeaders` (type: `object`):

Optional JSON object of custom headers (e.g. {"Authorization":"Bearer ..."}).

## `appConnector` (type: `string`):

Optional. Pick a connected app under Settings → API & Integrations to receive your results. Best-effort across MCP connectors as Apify expands its catalog.

## `mcpIssueTeam` (type: `string`):

Only when the connected app is an issue tracker: the team (name or ID) the summary issue is created under, if that app requires one.

## `descriptionFormat` (type: `string`):

Choose which representation of the listing description to include. `all` keeps every variant; the others keep only the selected one.

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

One or more public Telegram channel links, such as https://t.me/s/durov or https://t.me/durov. Add ?q=word to a link to search inside that channel. When set, the channel field is ignored.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "telegram",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "descriptionMaxLength": 0,
  "compact": false,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "incrementalMode": false,
  "skipReposts": false,
  "notifyOnlyChanges": false,
  "notificationLimit": 5,
  "descriptionFormat": "all"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "query": "telegram",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": false,
    "descriptionFormat": "all"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "query": "telegram",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": False,
    "descriptionFormat": "all",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "query": "telegram",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "descriptionFormat": "all"
}' |
apify call blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,blackfalcondata/t-me-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/TTepjbOr5JC8xYnqg/builds/0MgMCZwU0MueLp5Ia/openapi.json