How to wire up the Claude Code Telegram plugin to a Telegram group chat

telegram-group-setup.md

Wiring Up the Claude Code Telegram Plugin to a Group Chat

A step-by-step guide for connecting the Claude Code Telegram plugin to a Telegram group chat.

Prerequisites

• Claude Code installed and running
• The Telegram plugin installed (/install-plugin telegram or via the plugin marketplace)
• A Telegram bot token from @BotFather

Step 1: Create a Bot & Configure Privacy

1. Message @BotFather on Telegram and run /newbot
2. Save the bot token
3. Disable Group Privacy: /mybots → select your bot → Bot Settings → Group Privacy → Turn off
   • By default, bots in groups only see /commands and @mentions. Disabling privacy lets the bot see all messages.

Step 2: Configure the Plugin

Run the Telegram access skill in Claude Code to set up your bot token:

/telegram:configure

Paste your bot token when prompted.

Step 3: Pair Your DM (Optional but Recommended)

DM your bot on Telegram. It will reply with a 6-character pairing code. Approve it in Claude Code:

/telegram:access pair <code>

Step 4: Add the Bot to Your Group

1. Open your Telegram group
2. Go to group settings → Add Members → search for your bot
3. Add the bot to the group

Step 5: Get the Group Chat ID

This is the tricky part. The Telegram plugin's channel server consumes all updates via polling, so you can't just call getUpdates. Here's the workaround:

1. Stop the channel server temporarily:

   # Find the process
   ps aux | grep telegram | grep -v grep
   # Kill it
   kill <PID>

2. Send a message in the group (mention the bot: @yourbot hello)

3. Fetch the group chat ID using the Bot API:

   curl -s "https://api.telegram.org/bot<TOKEN>/getUpdates" \
     | jq '.result[] | select(.message.chat.type == "group" or .message.chat.type == "supergroup") | .message.chat | {id, title}'

4. The group ID will be a negative number (e.g., -5100294780). Save it.

5. Restart the channel server — reload plugins in Claude Code:

   /reload-plugins
   

Step 6: Add the Group to the Access Config

In Claude Code, run:

/telegram:access group add <groupId>

For example:

/telegram:access group add -5100294780

By default, requireMention is true — the bot only responds when @mentioned. To let it see all messages:

/telegram:access group add -5100294780 --no-mention

Options

Flag	Effect
(default)	Bot only responds to @mentions in the group
--no-mention	Bot sees and can respond to all messages
--allow id1,id2	Restrict which group members can interact with the bot

Step 7: Test It

Send a message in the group. If requireMention is enabled, mention the bot:

@yourbot hello

The bot should respond in the group chat.

Access Config Reference

The config lives at ~/.claude/channels/telegram/access.json:

{
  "dmPolicy": "pairing",
  "allowFrom": ["<userId1>", "<userId2>"],
  "groups": {
    "-5100294780": {
      "requireMention": false,
      "allowFrom": []
    }
  },
  "pending": {}
}

Troubleshooting

• Bot doesn't see group messages: Make sure Group Privacy is disabled in BotFather
• getUpdates returns empty: The channel server is consuming updates — stop it first (Step 5)
• Bot sees messages but doesn't reply: Check that the group ID is in access.json under groups
• "Typing" indicator but no reply: The MCP connection may need a refresh — run /reload-plugins

Tips

• The bot uses judgment on when to reply in group chats — it doesn't need to respond to every message
• You can react to messages with emoji instead of sending full replies
• DM access and group access are configured independently