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:
| 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)
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.