telegram-reader

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name: telegram-reader description: > Read Telegram channels and groups for financial news and market research using tdl (read-only). Use this skill whenever the user wants to read Telegram channels, export messages from financial Telegram groups, list their Telegram chats, search for news in Telegram channels, or gather market intelligence from Telegram. Triggers include: "check my Telegram", "read Telegram channel", "Telegram news", "what's new in my Telegram channels", "export messages from", "list my Telegram chats", "financial news on Telegram", "crypto Telegram", "market news Telegram", any mention of Telegram in context of reading financial news, crypto signals, or market research. This skill is READ-ONLY — it does NOT support sending messages, joining channels, or any write operations.

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.

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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

Ask the user which installation method they prefer. Default to Homebrew on macOS, curl script on Linux.

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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)

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.

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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)

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Step 4: Execute the Command

Listing chats

# List all chats
tdl chat ls

# JSON output for processing
tdl chat ls -o json

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