# telegram-reader

Read-only Telegram skill for financial news and market research using [tdl](https://github.com/iyear/tdl).

## What it does

Reads Telegram channels and groups for financial news — exporting messages, listing channels, and monitoring financial news feeds. Capabilities include:

- **List chats** — view all your Telegram channels, groups, and contacts with filtering
- **Export messages** — read recent messages from any channel or group you've joined
- **Time-range queries** — fetch messages from specific time periods
- **Channel search** — find channels by name or type

**This skill is read-only.** It does NOT support sending messages, joining/leaving channels, or any write operations.

## Authentication

Requires a one-time interactive login via QR code or phone number. After login, the session persists on disk — no further authentication needed.

## Triggers

- "check my Telegram", "read Telegram channel", "Telegram news"
- "what's new in my Telegram channels", "export messages from"
- "financial news on Telegram", "crypto Telegram", "market news Telegram"
- Any mention of Telegram in context of financial news or market research

## Platform

Works on **Claude Code** and other CLI-based agents. Does **not** work on Claude.ai — the sandbox restricts network access and binaries required by tdl.

## Setup

```bash
# Choose finance-social-readers when prompted.
npx plugins add himself65/finance-skills

# Or install just this skill
npx skills add himself65/finance-skills --skill telegram-reader
```

See the [main README](../../../../README.md) for more installation options.

## Prerequisites

- [tdl](https://github.com/iyear/tdl) installed (`brew install telegram-downloader` on macOS)
- One-time login: `tdl login -T qr` (scan QR code with Telegram mobile app)

## Reference files

- `references/commands.md` — Complete tdl command reference for reading channels and exporting messages

---
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)

If your host has not already executed the shell probes below (for example, in Codex), run the commands inside the `!` wrappers with its shell tool before choosing a setup path. Use the actual output; if shell access is unavailable, report that limitation.

Reads Telegram channels and groups for financial news and market research using [tdl](https://github.com/iyear/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:

| Platform | Install Command |
|----------|----------------|
| macOS / Linux | `curl -sSL https://docs.iyear.me/tdl/install.sh \| sudo bash` |
| macOS (Homebrew) | `brew install telegram-downloader` |
| Linux (Termux) | `pkg install tdl` |
| Linux (AUR) | `yay -S tdl` |
| Linux (Nix) | `nix-env -iA nixos.tdl` |
| Go (any platform) | `go install github.com/iyear/tdl@latest` |

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.

---

## Step 2: Ensure tdl Is Authenticated

**Current auth status:**

```
!`(tdl chat ls --limit 1 2>&1 >/dev/null && echo "AUTH_OK" || echo "AUTH_NEEDED") 2>/dev/null`
```

If `AUTH_OK`, skip to Step 3.

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)**

```bash
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**

```bash
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:

```bash
tdl login
```

This imports the session from the existing desktop client. The desktop client must be from the [official website](https://desktop.telegram.org/), NOT from the App Store or Microsoft Store.

### Namespaces

By default, tdl uses a `default` namespace. To manage multiple accounts:

```bash
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

```bash
# 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):

```bash
# 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

1. **Check auth first** — run `tdl chat ls --limit 1` before other commands to verify the session is valid
2. **Always use `--all --with-content`** when exporting messages for reading — without these flags, tdl only exports media messages
3. **Use `-o FILE`** to save exports to a file, then read the JSON — this is more reliable than parsing stdout
4. **Start with small exports** — use `-T last -i 20` unless the user asks for more
5. **Use filters on `chat ls`** to help users find the right channel before exporting
6. **Read-only** — don't send messages, join or leave channels, or modify anything
7. **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:

```bash
# 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.