# Telegram Channel API

Telegram

Returns a public Telegram channel, group, user or bot from its username or link, with its subscriber or member count, name, bio and photo. It also has the links in its bio, verified badge, members online in a group, a bot's monthly users, and which kind of account it is. A channel also has its creation date, numeric ID, and how many photos, videos, links and files it has posted.

GET `/v1/telegram/channel`

## Example

cURL:

```shell
curl 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/telegram/channel?handle=durov' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"
```

TypeScript SDK:

```typescript
import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";

const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY

const res = await client.telegram.channel.get({ handle: "durov" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);
```

Node.js (fetch):

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({
  handle: "durov",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/telegram/channel?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);
```

Python (requests):

```python
import os

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://socialtap.dev/v1/telegram/channel",
    params={"handle": "durov"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, meta = body["data"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])
```

Go (net/http):

```go
package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
	"os"
)

func main() {
	q := url.Values{}
	q.Set("handle", "durov")
	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/telegram/channel?"+q.Encode(), nil)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()
	var body struct {
		Data  json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
		Meta  map[string]any  `json:"meta"`
		Error *struct {
			Code    string `json:"code"`
			Message string `json:"message"`
		} `json:"error"`
	}
	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	if body.Error != nil {
		log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
	}
	fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}
```

200 OK:

```json
{
  "data": {
    "approximate_fields": [],
    "avatar_url": "https://cdn4.telesco.pe/file/j6dxnmHRzV_4Tn0IpvsZNLgcbbdsGKZp99CxelC0VTSrxrYs-jbwXpAV5gNt8MxD5Cy9LTEM5_avh9_j_6plyq2J41XnT8fJYBI8kx7r0gHGj42RyZwJUqjd4Ikyv0qB5zFDfcIYAzokGoFuE7WTQ5Lbkfnx7HOZL-Sw5bHEMXPCQToujfyCuku9LCwiunkhLNdZ63DiBhJjl2ucypG5ki66yS0ltfdAzEQEdZoi9jEgpnGVzxHvCfkG5oX…",
    "banner_url": null,
    "bio": "Founder of Telegram.",
    "category": null,
    "country_code": null,
    "created_at": "2015-10-28T18:20:58Z",
    "display_name": "Pavel Durov",
    "external_links": [],
    "id": "durov",
    "is_private": false,
    "is_verified": true,
    "location": null,
    "metrics": {
      "follower_count": 10127043,
      "following_count": null,
      "post_count": null,
      "total_like_count": null,
      "total_view_count": null
    },
    "platform": "telegram",
    "platform_specific": {
      "telegram": {
        "account_type": "channel",
        "channel_id": "1006503122",
        "file_count": null,
        "is_preview_available": true,
        "link_count": 200,
        "monthly_user_count": null,
        "online_count": null,
        "photo_count": 102,
        "video_count": 47
      }
    },
    "type": "unknown",
    "unknown_fields": [],
    "url": "https://t.me/durov",
    "username": "durov"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
    "platform": "telegram",
    "source": "page",
    "is_cached": false,
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "latency_ms": 701,
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
    "input": {
      "kind": "profile",
      "id": "durov",
      "url": "https://t.me/durov"
    },
    "credits_remaining": 9999,
    "client_request_id": null,
    "warnings": []
  }
}
```

Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Good to know**
>
> - metrics.follower_count is a channel's subscribers or a group's members, exact as Telegram's page shows them. When only a channel's preview answers, it is rounded and listed in approximate_fields. A user or a bot has none: a bot's monthly users are in platform_specific.telegram.monthly_user_count.
> - The photo, video, link and file counts are rounded from the thousands up, as Telegram shows them, and listed in approximate_fields. They, created_at and channel_id come from a channel's public preview, so a group, a user, a bot or a channel with its preview off has them null.
> - username is Telegram's own spelling when the channel's first message still exists. Otherwise it is the name as asked, in lower case, and so is a group's, a user's or a bot's. A channel asked by a second username answers under its main one, read from the same message.
> - avatar_url is null where Telegram's page draws the account's initials in place of a photo.
> - A name nobody holds returns not_found. Channels Telegram hides from logged-out visitors return private_or_unavailable. For some channels that depends on the country a request leaves from, and so does platform_specific.telegram.is_preview_available.

## Authorizations

`x-api-key`stringheaderrequired

Your API key. [Authentication](https://socialtap.dev/docs/authentication/index.md)

## Query parameters

| Name | Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `handle` required | `string`<br>max 2,048 chars | The Telegram channel, group, user or bot: its username with or without the @, or any link to it (t.me/durov, t.me/s/durov, telegram.me/durov, durov.t.me). | `durov` |

`handle` takes Telegram profile links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with [`invalid_input`](https://socialtap.dev/docs/errors/index.md#invalid_input). Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored ([Requests](https://socialtap.dev/docs/requests/index.md)).

**Parameters every endpoint accepts**

| Name | Type | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `max_age` optional | `integer`<br>min 0 | Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent. | — |
| `fields` optional | `string` | Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments\[\].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole. | — |

## Response

### 200

`{data, meta}`. `data` is a [profile](https://socialtap.dev/resources/profile/index.md) object; `meta` describes the request ([meta](https://socialtap.dev/docs/reference/index.md#meta)). Fields only Telegram has are under `platform_specific.telegram`.

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `data.platform` | `string` | Platform ID (tiktok, youtube, …). |
| `data.id` | `string` | Platform-native account ID (string; YouTube UC…, Reddit t2_…). |
| `data.username` | `string` or `null` | Handle without the @; null when the account has none. |
| `data.display_name` | `string` or `null` | Display name, channel title or page name; null when empty or not exposed. |
| `data.url` | `string` (uri) | Canonical profile URL. |
| `data.type` | `string` | Coarse account kind, as the platform labels it; unknown when it does not (TikTok labels organizations only). New values may be added; treat unknown values as unknown.<br>One of `person`, `organization`, `community`, `unknown` |
| `data.bio` | `string` or `null` | Profile bio, channel description or page about text; null when empty or not exposed. |
| `data.avatar_url` | `string` (uri) or `null` | Profile picture URL (largest available). Platform CDN URLs can expire within hours. |
| `data.banner_url` | `string` (uri) or `null` | Header or cover image URL. |
| `data.is_verified` | `boolean` or `null` | Platform verification badge; null where the platform has no badge. |
| `data.is_private` | `boolean` or `null` | True when the account's posts are not public. |
| `data.category` | `string` or `null` | Platform category label (e.g. Musician, Media & Entertainment), as shown; not normalized. Often set only for business or creator accounts. |
| `data.external_links` | `object[]` | Links in the bio or channel links; \[\] if none or not exposed. |
| `data.external_links[].url` | `string` (uri) | Link target, absolute (https:// is added where the platform stores the link without a scheme). |
| `data.external_links[].title` | `string` or `null` | Link label shown by the platform. |
| `data.location` | `string` or `null` | Self-declared location text. |
| `data.country_code` | `string` or `null` | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country the platform states for the account. |
| `data.created_at` | `string` (date-time) or `null` | Account creation or join date, RFC 3339 UTC (some platforms give only the day: see approximate_fields). |
| `data.metrics` | `object` | Counts at fetch time; null = hidden or not exposed, 0 = zero. |
| `data.metrics.follower_count` | `integer` or `null` | Telegram: subscribers. Followers or subscribers. |
| `data.metrics.following_count` | `integer` or `null` | Accounts this profile follows. |
| `data.metrics.post_count` | `integer` or `null` | Posts or videos as the platform counts them on the profile (for a private account, posts the caller cannot see). |
| `data.metrics.total_like_count` | `integer` or `null` | Likes received across all of the profile's posts (not likes given). |
| `data.metrics.total_view_count` | `integer` or `null` | Lifetime views across all of the profile's posts. |
| `data.platform_specific` | `object` | Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.\<platform>); each null when unknown. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram` | `object` or `null` | A Telegram channel's, group's, user's or bot's own fields. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.account_type` | `string` or `null` | What Telegram's page shows the account to be: channel, group, user or bot. New values may be added.<br>One of `channel`, `group`, `user`, `bot` |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.channel_id` | `string` or `null` | Telegram's numeric ID of the channel, which stays when its username changes. Null when the channel's preview shows none (its first message was deleted, or it serves no preview), and for a group, a user or a bot. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.is_preview_available` | `boolean` or `null` | Whether t.me served this channel's public preview (t.me/s/\<name>, where telegram.channel_posts reads its posts) from where this request left: it is off on some channels, and Telegram withholds some only in certain countries. False for a group, a user or a bot. Null when the request for the preview failed (a partial_data warning). |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.online_count` | `integer` or `null` | Members online now, on a group that shows it; null otherwise. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.monthly_user_count` | `integer` or `null` | A bot's monthly users, as its page shows them; null otherwise. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.photo_count` | `integer` or `null` | Photos the channel has posted, as its preview's panel shows it; null when it shows none. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.video_count` | `integer` or `null` | Videos the channel has posted, as its preview's panel shows it; null when it shows none. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.link_count` | `integer` or `null` | Links the channel has posted, as its preview's panel shows it; null when it shows none. |
| `data.platform_specific.telegram.file_count` | `integer` or `null` | Files the channel has posted, as its preview's panel shows it; null when it shows none. |
| `data.approximate_fields` | `string[]` | JSON paths of values rounded by the platform or parsed from display text (e.g. metrics.follower_count). A list path (external_links) means the list may be incomplete. \[\] when all exact. |
| `data.unknown_fields` | `string[]` | JSON paths of lists whose \[\] means unknown rather than none (a source that cannot see them); null already means unknown for every other field. \[\] when every list is known. |

not_found and private_or_unavailable are item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.

### 400

400 Bad Request: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `invalid_input` | 400 | No | A parameter is missing or malformed, or the link is not one this endpoint takes. | Fix the parameter named in param as the message says. For a link of the wrong kind, call an endpoint listed in details.endpoints, when there is one. |

### 401

401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `unauthorized` | 401 | No | The x-api-key header is missing, or its key is unknown or revoked. On the dashboard's routes: the session cookie is missing or expired. | Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header. No key yet? A person gets one at details.signup_url; an AI agent follows details.agent_auth_url. |

### 402

402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `insufficient_credits` | 402 | No | The account does not have enough credits for this request. | Have a person buy credits at details.purchase_url (or make them a checkout link with details.checkout), then repeat the request. Do not retry automatically. |
| `spend_limit_reached` | 402 | No | The API key reached its spend limit for this period. The account may still have credits. | Wait until details.resets_at, or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}). Do not retry automatically. |

### 403

403 Forbidden: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `forbidden` | 403 | No | The API key is valid but may not make this request, and details.reason says why: the account is suspended, the key lacks the route's scope, waits for its owner to confirm it by email, has expired, or was used from an IP outside its allowlist, or a rotated key's previous secret was used for a call that needs the admin scope. A running job stops with it too when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item: a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403, so branch on the code. | Act on details.reason. suspended: contact [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev). scope: use a key with details.required_scope. previous_secret: use the new secret. key_pending: have the owner open the emailed link. key_expired or key_revoked: create a new key. ip_not_allowed: call from an allowed IP. |
| `private_or_unavailable` | 403 | No | The item exists but is not public: it is private, age- or region-restricted, or needs a login to view. It shares 403 with forbidden (which is about the key), so branch on the code. | Only public items can be fetched. Do not retry. |

### 404

404 Not Found: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `not_found` | 404 | No | The item does not exist or was deleted. On GET /v1/requests/{id}/response: the response was not kept (details.reason says why). | Check the link or ID. Do not retry. |

### 429

429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `rate_limited` | 429 | Yes, later | The account passed its runaway-protection ceiling: a high per-account limit that stops a broken client loop (plans have no rate limit). Requests without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint) are limited per IP address instead. It also stops an account whose failed requests in the last hour cost far more than its successful ones paid for: failures are free within a limit (the message says so), and successes raise it. | Wait the seconds in the retry-after header, then retry. If your steady traffic needs more, ask [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev) to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one. |

### 500

500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `internal` | 500 | Yes, later | An unexpected error on SocialTap's side. | Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact [support](mailto:support@socialtap.dev) with the request_id. |

### 502

502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `upstream_error` | 502 | Yes, later | The platform failed, or answered with something we could not read. | Retry with backoff. Failed requests are free. |

### 503

503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

| Code | HTTP | Retry | Meaning | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `upstream_blocked` | 503 | Yes, later | The platform refused every attempt, our own retries included. | Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free. |
| `overloaded` | 503 | Yes, later | SocialTap was at capacity, or paused by its operators, and did not start the request. Nothing was fetched or charged. | Retry after the seconds in the retry-after header. Failed requests are free. |

## Pricing

From **1 credit** per request. Charged only for successful requests. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as `meta.source`.

| Source | Price per successful request | Per 1,000 requests |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Public page `page` | 1 credit | $0.75–$1.97 |

**Balance, sources and what you were charged**

Your balance must be at least **1 credit** to start a request; with less, it is refused with [`insufficient_credits`](https://socialtap.dev/docs/errors/index.md#insufficient_credits) (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts.

| meta.source | Source | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `page` | Public page | Data embedded in the platform's public web page. |

`meta.credits_charged` and the `x-credits-charged` header show what you paid. [How credits work](https://socialtap.dev/docs/credits/index.md) · [Packs](https://socialtap.dev/pricing/index.md)

Endpoint ID `telegram.channel` · operationId `telegram.channel.get` · [Product overview](https://socialtap.dev/apis/telegram/channel/index.md)

---

[HTML version](https://socialtap.dev/docs/reference/telegram/channel/) · [Docs index for AI agents](https://socialtap.dev/llms.txt) · [All docs in one file](https://socialtap.dev/llms-full.txt)