# Telegram Homepage Scraper (`parseforge/telegram-homepage-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes visible content blocks from the Telegram homepage and returns each section as a flat row with its text and links. Point it at any telegram.org URL and set a maximum item count.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/telegram-homepage-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** News, Marketing
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.95 / 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.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Telegram Homepage Scraper

**Scrape the Telegram homepage for announcements, blog posts, and app download links in one structured dataset.** Extract every visible section, from the latest news to feature highlights, without needing an API key or bot token. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Telegram's official homepage is the central hub for product announcements, feature releases, and direct download links, but manually checking it for changes is slow and unreliable. This scraper reads the public homepage directly and returns each content block as a structured row, so you can monitor updates programmatically. No bot registration, no API rate limits, the page content you need.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Telegram for |
|---|---|
| Product managers | Tracking Telegram feature releases and UI changes as they go live. |
| Content marketers | Monitoring Telegram's official blog and announcements for content ideas. |
| App store optimization specialists | Capturing download links and platform availability changes. |
| Competitive intelligence analysts | Logging Telegram's public messaging and positioning over time. |

### What it does

This Actor collects visible content blocks from the Telegram homepage and returns each section as a flat row with its text and links.

- 🔗 **Direct URL input:** Point the scraper at the Telegram homepage or any specific page on telegram.org.
- 📄 **Full page extraction:** Captures headings, paragraphs, and link elements from the visible page content.
- ⚙️ **Simple configuration:** Set a maximum item count and a start URL, then run. No complex setup required.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Telegram data

**📢 Monitor product announcements.**

A product manager runs the scraper daily to catch new Telegram feature posts and blog entries as soon as they are published.

**📥 Track app download links.**

An ASO specialist scrapes the homepage weekly to verify that iOS, Android, and desktop download URLs are current and correct.

**📝 Archive public messaging.**

A competitive analyst runs the Actor monthly and stores the extracted text to build a timeline of Telegram's positioning and tone.

**🔍 Feed a content aggregator.**

A developer pipes the scraped headlines and links into an internal dashboard that aggregates news from multiple messaging platforms.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API required** | Reads the public homepage directly, no bot token or app registration needed. |
| **Structured output** | Every content block lands as a flat row, ready for spreadsheets or databases. |
| **Change monitoring** | Run on a schedule to detect new announcements the moment they appear. |
| **Lightweight setup** | One URL and one number are all you need to start scraping. |

### How it compares

No other Store actor targets Telegram the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

| | Telegram Homepage Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When Telegram changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a single start URL, and set a maximum number of items to cap the output so only the most recent content blocks reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 10,
 "startUrl": "https://telegram.org"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 200,
 "startUrl": "https://telegram.org"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.00216 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.22 |
| 1,000 results | $2.16 |
| 10,000 results | $21.60 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Telegram Homepage Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/telegram-homepage-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Telegram through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/telegram-homepage-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that the start URL is correct and that the page loads in a regular browser. If the page is temporarily unavailable, wait and retry the run.

**The scraper returns fewer items than my maxItems setting.**

The Actor extracts only the content blocks that exist on the page. If the page has fewer visible elements than your limit, you will receive all available items.

**Some links in the output are broken or missing.**

The scraper captures links as they appear in the page source. If a link is relative or malformed on the page itself, it may appear incomplete in the output.

**The run timed out.**

The Telegram homepage is usually lightweight. A timeout may indicate a temporary network issue. Try reducing the maxItems value and rerunning the Actor.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Telegram account or API key to use this scraper? | No. The Actor reads the public Telegram homepage, which is accessible without any login or API credentials. |
| What exactly does the scraper extract from the page? | It extracts visible text blocks, headings, and links from the page you point it at. The exact fields depend on the page structure at the time of the run. |
| Can I scrape pages other than the main telegram.org homepage? | Yes. You can set any URL on telegram.org as the start URL, such as the blog section or a specific announcement page. |
| How many items can I scrape in one run? | Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Paid users can set a maximum up to 1,000,000 items per run. |
| Does the scraper handle JavaScript-rendered content? | The Actor runs in a full browser environment, so content loaded dynamically by JavaScript is captured. |
| Can I schedule this scraper to run automatically? | Yes. Apify's scheduler lets you set the Actor to run at intervals, so you always have a fresh copy of the page content. |
| What output formats are supported? | You can export your results to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset tab. |
| Is it legal to scrape the Telegram homepage? | You should review Telegram's terms of service and consult legal counsel for your specific use case. The Actor only accesses publicly available pages. |
| What happens if Telegram changes their homepage layout? | The scraper captures whatever content is present at the time of the run. If the structure changes significantly, the extracted fields may shift, and you may need to adjust your downstream processing. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Telegram FZ-LLC. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000

## `startUrl` (type: `string`):

The URL of the Telegram homepage to scrape.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "startUrl": "https://telegram.org"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Complete dataset of all scraped records.

# 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 = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "startUrl": "https://telegram.org"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/telegram-homepage-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 = {
    "maxItems": 10,
    "startUrl": "https://telegram.org",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/telegram-homepage-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 '{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "startUrl": "https://telegram.org"
}' |
apify call parseforge/telegram-homepage-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/telegram-homepage-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/c9pvRhIfBHOGNh7TQ/builds/y8Tnah5tDplNUe3ge/openapi.json