How to add Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) to Claude Desktop

Full Telegram user-account MCP via MTProto: read chats, manage groups, send messages Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 1.2k★ · stdio · apikey

Claude Desktop config for Telegram MCP Server (chigwell)

git clone https://github.com/chigwell/telegram-mcp && cd telegram-mcp && uv sync && uv run main.py

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "telegram-mcp-server-chigwell": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/absolute/path/to/telegram-mcp",
        "run",
        "main.py"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TELEGRAM_API_ID": "<your-telegram-api-id>",
        "TELEGRAM_API_HASH": "<your-telegram-api-hash>",
        "TELEGRAM_SESSION_STRING": "<your-generated-session-string>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Telegram MCP Server (chigwell)'s tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Python 3.10+ (uv recommended for dependency management)
A Telegram account (this controls a real user account, not a bot)
TELEGRAM_API_ID and TELEGRAM_API_HASH obtained from https://my.telegram.org/apps
A Telegram session string generated with the bundled session_string_generator.py (QR or phone login)
An MCP client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor

What Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) can do in Claude Desktop

get_chats / list_chats

Paginated/filterable list of chats with metadata

send_message

Send a message to a user, group, or channel

edit_message / delete_message

Edit or delete an existing message

forward_message

Forward a message to another chat

search_messages

Search message history across chats

create_group / create_channel

Create new groups or channels

invite_user / manage admins, bans, permissions

Group administration: invites, admin rights, bans, permissions, slow mode

list_contacts / add_contact / block / unblock

Contact management including block/unblock and import/export

Security

Connects as a full Telegram user account, so the session string grants complete access to your account — treat it like a password and never share it. Pin to a release tag/commit when cloning to avoid pulling unreviewed upstream changes.

Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Is this a bot or my real account?

It logs in as your real Telegram user account via MTProto/Telethon, so it has full access your account has — not the limited Telegram Bot API surface.

Where do I get the API credentials?

Create an application at https://my.telegram.org/apps to obtain your API_ID and API_HASH; there is no charge.

How does login work — do I re-enter a code every time?

No. You generate a session string once with the bundled session_string_generator.py (QR or phone), store it in .env, and it reuses that session.

View repo Full Telegram MCP Server (chigwell) page