# Telegram Channel Scraper – Posts, Views & Media (`signalwharf/telegram-channel-scraper`) Actor

Telegram scraper for public channels, no login or API key. Scrape Telegram channel messages with text, views, reactions, links, photos and videos, forwards and replies. Date and keyword filters plus a monitoring mode that returns only new posts. Export JSON, CSV or Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/signalwharf/telegram-channel-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Signal Wharf](https://apify.com/signalwharf) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, News, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 posts

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

## Telegram Channel Scraper: scrape public Telegram channel messages without login

**Scrape posts from any public Telegram channel. No login, no API keys, no phone number.** Get the text, view counts, reactions, links, forwards, replies, and photo and video URLs as clean JSON, CSV, or Excel. You can filter by date range or keyword. **Monitoring mode** returns only posts that are new since your last run, so it suits scheduled alerts, dashboards, and AI agents.

The Actor reads only Telegram's own public web preview (`https://t.me/s/<channel>`), the page anyone can open in a browser without an account.

### What can this Telegram scraper do?

- **Crypto and trading signals.** Track announcement channels for projects, exchanges, whale alerts and news (e.g. `whale_alert_io`, `cointelegraph`). Schedule it every 5–15 minutes with *only new posts* and pipe the results into a webhook, Slack, or your trading bot.
- **OSINT and research.** Archive public channels from news outlets, governments, and public figures, with exact timestamps and permalinks. Track narratives by keyword across dozens of channels.
- **Brand and competitor monitoring.** Watch channels for mentions of your brand, product, ticker, or competitors with the `keywords` filter.
- **Media and engagement analytics.** Compare views and reactions per post, posting frequency, and forwarding patterns across channels.
- **AI agents, RAG, and LLM pipelines.** Feed fresh channel content into vector stores, summarizers, or agents. The output is flat, typed JSON with stable post URLs. It works with the Apify MCP server, the API, LangChain, n8n, Make, and Zapier.
- **Dataset building.** Collect historical posts by paging back as far as the channel's public history goes.

### Telegram channel scraper features

- ✅ Usernames, `@handles`, `t.me/name`, `t.me/s/name` and `telegram.me` links all work
- ✅ Automatic pagination back through the channel history
- ✅ `dateFrom` / `dateTo` filters (scraping stops as soon as it passes `dateFrom`, so you don't pay for pages you don't need)
- ✅ Case-insensitive keyword filter over the post text and links
- ✅ **Only new posts** monitoring mode, which remembers the last post per channel between runs
- ✅ Views parsed to numbers (`6.15M` → `6150000`), reactions including paid ⭐ Stars and custom emoji
- ✅ Forward source, reply-to info, edited flag, author signature, hashtags, mentions, and link previews
- ✅ Media: photos, videos, GIFs, round videos, voice, documents and audio, stickers, polls, and locations
- ✅ Polite rate limiting and retries. One bad channel never fails the whole run (see `RUN_SUMMARY`)
- ✅ Pay only for the results you get

### How to scrape a Telegram channel

1. Open the Actor and add one or more **public channels**: usernames like `durov`, `@telegram`, or links like `https://t.me/cointelegraph`.
2. Optionally set **max posts per channel**, a **date range**, or **keywords**.
3. Click **Start**. Posts appear in the dataset as they're scraped.
4. Download the results as **JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML**, or fetch them through the Apify API.
5. To get alerts, turn on **Only new posts**, add a **schedule**, and connect a webhook or an integration (Slack, Zapier, Make, n8n).

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `channels` | array | – | **Required.** Channel usernames or links, e.g. `durov`, `@telegram`, `https://t.me/cointelegraph` |
| `maxPostsPerChannel` | integer | 100 | The most posts to save per channel (after filters) |
| `dateFrom` | string | – | Oldest post date to include (`YYYY-MM-DD` or ISO datetime, UTC) |
| `dateTo` | string | – | Newest post date to include. A plain date includes that whole day (UTC) |
| `keywords` | array | – | Keep only posts that contain at least one keyword (case-insensitive) |
| `includeMedia` | boolean | true | Include media URLs. Media types are always included |
| `onlyNewPosts` | boolean | false | Monitoring mode: return only posts newer than the previous run |
| `stateStoreName` | string | `telegram-channel-scraper-state` | Named key-value store for the monitoring state. Use a different name for each separate monitor |
| `resetMonitoringState` | boolean | false | Forget the saved state for the given channels before scraping |
| `maxPagesPerChannel` | integer | 500 | Safety cap. Each page holds about 20 posts |
| `requestDelaySecs` | number | 1.5 | Delay between requests |
| `maxRetries` | integer | 4 | Retries for 429 and 5xx responses |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | none | Optional Apify Proxy, for very large runs |

#### Example input

```json
{
  "channels": ["durov", "https://t.me/cointelegraph", "@whale_alert_io"],
  "maxPostsPerChannel": 200,
  "dateFrom": "2026-11-01",
  "keywords": ["bitcoin", "btc"],
  "includeMedia": true,
  "onlyNewPosts": false
}
```

**Monitoring example.** Schedule this every 15 minutes. The first run returns the latest 50 posts, and each later run returns only new ones:

```json
{ "channels": ["whale_alert_io", "cointelegraph"], "maxPostsPerChannel": 50, "onlyNewPosts": true, "stateStoreName": "crypto-monitor" }
```

### Output

Each dataset item is one post. Example (trimmed):

```json
{
  "channel": "durov",
  "channelTitle": "Pavel Durov",
  "channelSubscribers": 10000000,
  "postId": 554,
  "url": "https://t.me/durov/554",
  "datetime": "2026-11-10T12:59:06+00:00",
  "text": "Any Telegram message can now become an app. ...",
  "views": 993000,
  "authorSignature": "Pavel Durov",
  "isForwarded": false,
  "forwardedFrom": null,
  "isReply": false,
  "replyTo": null,
  "isEdited": false,
  "links": ["https://t.me/BotNews/122"],
  "linkPreview": null,
  "hashtags": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "media": [{ "type": "video", "url": "https://cdn4.telesco.pe/file/...mp4?token=...", "thumbnailUrl": "https://cdn4.telesco.pe/file/...", "postUrl": "https://t.me/durov/554" }],
  "mediaTypes": ["video"],
  "reactions": [
    { "emoji": "⭐", "customEmojiId": null, "isPaidStars": true, "count": 4870 },
    { "emoji": null, "customEmojiId": "5399847211989246390", "isPaidStars": false, "count": 13900 }
  ],
  "scrapedAt": "2026-11-11T18:30:09+00:00"
}
```

You can export the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or HTML, or read it through the Apify API. The Console offers three ready views: **Overview**, **Engagement**, and **Links & media**.

The run also writes a `RUN_SUMMARY` record to the default key-value store, with each channel's status (`ok`, `preview_disabled`, `group`, `user_or_bot`, `not_found`, `invalid_input`, `charge_limit_reached`), posts saved and scanned, pages, and newest post id.

### How much does it cost to scrape Telegram?

Pay per event, with no monthly fee:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Channel with results (once per channel per run, **only if it yields at least one new post**) | $0.002 |
| Post saved | $0.0015 (**$1.50 per 1,000 posts**) |

Examples:

- 1 channel × 100 posts = **$0.152**
- 10 channels × 1,000 posts = **$15.02**
- A monitor on 5 channels every 15 minutes, with about 30 new posts a day: runs with no new posts cost nothing per channel, so the total is at most about 30 × ($0.002 + $0.0015) = **about $0.11/day**

Filtered-out posts, channels with no new or matching posts, and failed channels are not charged. A monitoring run that finds nothing new charges no events. Set a **maximum cost per run** in the run options and the Actor stops cleanly when it reaches it.

### Limits and good to know

- **Public channels only.** Private channels, invite links (`t.me/+...`), groups and chats, comments, and member lists are **not** supported. This is by design.
- Some channel owners disable the web preview (e.g. `coindesk`). These channels are reported as `preview_disabled` and are not charged for posts.
- Media URLs come from Telegram's CDN and are **temporary**. Download the files soon after the run if you need them.
- Telegram serves about 20 posts per page. Very deep history takes longer, at about 1.5 s per page by default.
- Views on very new posts can change. Some posts (for example service messages) have no view count, so `views` is `null`.
- Dates are in UTC.

### Is it legal to scrape Telegram?

This Actor collects only information that Telegram publishes openly on the web at `t.me/s/`, which needs no account and is visible to anyone. It doesn't log in, bypass access controls, or collect private messages or member lists. Posts can still contain personal data, so make sure your use complies with the GDPR and other privacy laws, Telegram's Terms of Service, and copyright law. If you're unsure, consult a lawyer. Read more in Apify's post [Is web scraping legal?](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/)

### FAQ

**Do I need a Telegram account or API ID?** No.

**Can I get every post ever?** You can page back through the public history up to `maxPagesPerChannel`. Use `dateFrom` to limit it.

**How do I get alerts?** Turn on `onlyNewPosts`, schedule the Actor, and add a webhook or an integration (Slack, email, Zapier, Make, n8n) on the *Run succeeded* event.

**Can AI agents use this?** Yes. It works through the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com) and the Apify API, so agents can call it with a channel name and get structured posts back.

**Is there a Telegram API alternative without a phone number?** Yes. This Actor needs no Telegram account, API ID or phone number. It reads the public web preview that anyone can open.

**Can it scrape Telegram groups or member lists?** No. Only public channels are supported, by design. Private groups, chats and member lists need a logged-in account.

**Does it download photos and videos?** It returns direct media URLs. They're temporary, so download the files soon after the run.

**Can I use it from Python or JavaScript?** Yes. Call it with the Apify API client for Python or JavaScript, or plain HTTP, then read the dataset.

**I found a bug or need a field.** Open an issue on the Issues tab. Fixes usually ship quickly.

### Related signalwharf Actors

- [Telegram Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/signalwharf/telegram-channel-scraper): scrape public Telegram channel posts, views, reactions and media without login.
- [Substack Scraper](https://apify.com/signalwharf/substack-scraper): Substack posts with full text, comments, subscriber estimates and paid plan prices.
- [AI Brand Visibility Tracker](https://apify.com/signalwharf/ai-brand-visibility-tracker): track how often ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity mention your brand vs competitors.

# Actor input Schema

## `channels` (type: `array`):

Public Telegram channel usernames or links, e.g. <code>durov</code>, <code>@telegram</code> or <code>https://t.me/durov</code>. Private invite links (t.me/+...) and groups without a public preview are not supported.

## `maxPostsPerChannel` (type: `integer`):

Stop after saving this many posts from each channel (newest first). Each saved post is one billable result.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Only posts on or after this date. YYYY-MM-DD or full ISO datetime (UTC if no zone is given). Scraping stops once older posts are reached.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Only posts on or before this date (inclusive, end of day UTC).

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Keep only posts whose text or links contain at least one of these words or phrases (case-insensitive). Posts that do not match are not saved and not charged.

## `includeMedia` (type: `boolean`):

Include photo, video, voice and link-preview image URLs. Media types are always returned. Note: Telegram CDN media URLs are temporary.

## `onlyNewPosts` (type: `boolean`):

Remembers the newest post ID per channel in a named key-value store and on later runs returns only posts newer than that. Ideal for scheduled runs, alerts and AI agents.

## `stateStoreName` (type: `string`):

Name of the key-value store used to remember the last seen post per channel. Use different names to run separate monitors.

## `resetMonitoringState` (type: `boolean`):

Forget the last seen post for the listed channels before this run.

## `maxPagesPerChannel` (type: `integer`):

Safety limit on pagination (each page holds about 20 posts).

## `requestDelaySecs` (type: `number`):

Polite delay between page requests. Lower values are faster but more likely to be rate-limited.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Retries on rate limits (HTTP 429), server errors and network errors, with backoff.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Usually not needed. Enable if you scrape many channels and hit rate limits.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "channels": [
    "durov",
    "telegram"
  ],
  "maxPostsPerChannel": 100,
  "includeMedia": true,
  "onlyNewPosts": false,
  "stateStoreName": "telegram-channel-scraper-state",
  "resetMonitoringState": false,
  "maxPagesPerChannel": 500,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1.5,
  "maxRetries": 4,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `posts` (type: `string`):

All scraped posts with text, views, reactions, links, media and forward/reply info.

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Per-channel status, counts and error codes for this run.

# 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 = {
    "channels": [
        "durov",
        "telegram"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": false
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("signalwharf/telegram-channel-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 = {
    "channels": [
        "durov",
        "telegram",
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": False },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("signalwharf/telegram-channel-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 '{
  "channels": [
    "durov",
    "telegram"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}' |
apify call signalwharf/telegram-channel-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,signalwharf/telegram-channel-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/s4VS6FnFsjKsuUem2/builds/fokeBXHEcOwHc5zCw/openapi.json