Download plugins/social-readers/skills/telegram-reader/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does telegram-reader live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/himself65/finance-skills.
Which agents can use telegram-reader?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.
>
name: telegram-reader
description: >
Read Telegram channels and groups for financial news and market research with the
tdl CLI: list chats and channels, find a channel by name, and export recent messages
or a date or ID range. Use this skill whenever the user wants to check their
Telegram, see what's new in their channels, read or export messages from a news,
crypto, or trading channel or group, or gather market news and signals posted on
Telegram. Read-only: it cannot send messages or join or leave channels.
Telegram News Skill (Read-Only)
Reads Telegram channels and groups for financial news and market research using tdl, a Telegram CLI tool.
This skill is read-only. It is designed for financial research: reading channel messages, monitoring financial news channels, and exporting message history. It does NOT support sending messages, joining/leaving channels, or any write operations.
Step 1: Ensure tdl Is Installed
Current environment status:
!`(command -v tdl && tdl version 2>&1 | head -3 || echo "TDL_NOT_INSTALLED") 2>/dev/null`
If the status above shows a version number, tdl is installed — skip to Step 2.
If TDL_NOT_INSTALLED, install tdl based on the user's platform:
Default to Homebrew on macOS. On Linux the install script runs with sudo, so confirm with the user before using it, or offer their package manager instead.
If AUTH_NEEDED, guide the user through login. Login requires interactive input — the user must enter their phone number and verification code manually.
Login methods
Method A: QR Code (recommended — fastest)
tdl login -T qr
A QR code will be displayed in the terminal. The user scans it with their Telegram mobile app (Settings > Devices > Link Desktop Device).
Method B: Phone + Code
tdl login -T code
The user enters their phone number, then the verification code sent to their Telegram app.
Method C: Import from Telegram Desktop
If the user has Telegram Desktop installed and logged in:
tdl login
This imports the session from the existing desktop client. The desktop client must be from the official website, NOT from the App Store or Microsoft Store.
Namespaces
By default, tdl uses a default namespace. To manage multiple accounts:
tdl login -n work -T qr # Login to "work" namespace
tdl chat ls -n work # Use "work" namespace for commands
Important login notes
Login is a one-time operation. The session persists on disk after successful login.
If login fails, ask the user to check their internet connection and try again.
Never ask for or handle Telegram passwords/2FA codes programmatically — always let the user enter them interactively.
Step 3: Identify What the User Needs
Match the user's request to one of the read operations below.
User Request
Command
Key Flags
List all chats/channels
tdl chat ls
-o json, -f "FILTER"
List only channels
tdl chat ls -f "Type contains 'channel'"
-o json
Export recent messages
tdl chat export -c CHAT -T last -i N
--all, --with-content
Export messages by time range
tdl chat export -c CHAT -T time -i START,END
--all, --with-content
Export messages by ID range
tdl chat export -c CHAT -T id -i FROM,TO
--all, --with-content
Export from a topic/thread
tdl chat export -c CHAT --topic TOPIC_ID
--all, --with-content
Search for a channel by name
tdl chat ls -f "VisibleName contains 'NAME'"
-o json
Chat identifiers
The -c flag accepts multiple formats:
Format
Example
Username (with @)
-c @channel_name
Username (without @)
-c channel_name
Numeric chat ID
-c 123456789
Public link
-c https://t.me/channel_name
Phone number
-c "+1 123456789"
Saved Messages
-c "" (empty)
Step 4: Execute the Command
Listing chats
# List all chats
tdl chat ls
# JSON output for processing
tdl chat ls -o json
# Filter for channels only
tdl chat ls -f "Type contains 'channel'"
# Search by name
tdl chat ls -f "VisibleName contains 'Bloomberg'"
Exporting messages
Always use --all --with-content to get text messages (not just media):
# Last 20 messages from a channel
tdl chat export -c @channel_name -T last -i 20 --all --with-content -o /tmp/tdl-export.json
# Messages from a time range (Unix timestamps)
tdl chat export -c @channel_name -T time -i 1710288000,1710374400 --all --with-content -o /tmp/tdl-export.json
# Messages by ID range
tdl chat export -c @channel_name -T id -i 100,200 --all --with-content -o /tmp/tdl-export.json
Key rules
Check auth first — run tdl chat ls --limit 1 before other commands to verify the session is valid
Always use --all --with-content when exporting messages for reading — without these flags, tdl only exports media messages
Use -o FILE to save exports to a file, then read the JSON — this is more reliable than parsing stdout
Start with small exports — use -T last -i 20 unless the user asks for more
Use filters on chat ls to help users find the right channel before exporting
Read-only — don't send messages, join or leave channels, or modify anything
Convert timestamps — when the user gives dates, convert to Unix timestamps for the -T time filter
Working with exported JSON
After exporting, read the JSON file and extract the relevant information:
# Export messages
tdl chat export -c @channel_name -T last -i 20 --all --with-content -o /tmp/tdl-export.json
# Read and process the export
cat /tmp/tdl-export.json
The export JSON contains message objects with fields like id, date, message (text content), from_id, views, and media metadata.
Step 5: Present the Results
Lead with the most relevant news or market updates rather than a raw dump. Give each message its timestamp and source channel, group messages from several channels by theme (macro, earnings, crypto), and call out breaking news, price targets, and earnings surprises. For channel lists, show name, member count, and type.
Step 6: Diagnostics
If something isn't working:
Error
Cause
Fix
not authorized or session errors
Not logged in or session expired
Run tdl login -T qr to re-authenticate
FLOOD_WAIT_X
Rate limited by Telegram
Wait X seconds, then retry
CHANNEL_PRIVATE
No access to channel
User must join the channel in their Telegram app first
tdl: command not found
tdl not installed
Install using Step 1
Reference Files
references/commands.md — Complete tdl command reference for reading channels and exporting messages
Read the reference file when you need exact command syntax or detailed flag documentation.
How do I install telegram-reader?
Download plugins/social-readers/skills/telegram-reader/SKILL.md from the publisher, or copy the path and open the repository. PlugMCP lists the skill and does not host the file.
Where does telegram-reader live?
The publisher keeps it at https://github.com/himself65/finance-skills.
Which agents can use telegram-reader?
Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read a SKILL.md you add from the publisher's repository.