This guide will help you configure your Masa Node as a Telegram scraper.

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Prerequisites

• A running, staked Masa Node (see Binary Installation
• Telegram app credentials (app_id and app_hash from Telegram applications page)
• Telegram account with access to target groups/channels

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Configuration Process

1. Set environment variables

   Enable Telegram scraping and add your app credentials in your .env file:

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   TELEGRAM_SCRAPER=true
   TELEGRAM_APP_ID='your_app_id'
   TELEGRAM_APP_HASH='your_app_hash'
   

2. Restart your node

   Restart the Masa node to apply the changes.

3. Verify configuration

   Check the logs for confirmation:

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   Is TelegramScraper: true
   

4. Authenticate your Telegram account

   a. Start authentication:

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   curl -X 'POST' \
     'http://localhost:8080/api/v1/auth/telegram/start' \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"phone_number": "your_phone_number"}'
   

   b. Complete authentication with the code received on your phone:

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   curl -X 'POST' \
     'http://localhost:8080/api/v1/auth/telegram/complete' \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
       "phone_number": "your_phone_number",
       "phone_code_hash": "hash_from_previous_step",
       "phone_code": "code_received_on_phone"
     }'
   

5. Test the Telegram scraper

To use the Telegram scraper, you’ll need to provide a chat ID. Here’s how to obtain chat IDs for different types of Telegram chats:

a. Public Channels:

• Open the channel in Telegram (e.g., https://t.me/channelname)
• The chat ID is -100 followed by the channel name (e.g., -100channelname)

b. Private Channels/Groups:

• Forward a message from the channel/group to @userinfobot
• The bot will reply with the chat ID

c. Using @username_to_id_bot:

• Start a chat with @username_to_id_bot
• Send the channel’s username (with @ symbol)
• The bot will provide the chat ID

d. Personal Chat:

• Send a message to @userinfobot
• It will reply with your user ID (same as your personal chat ID)

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Test the Telegram Scraper

Curl the node to confirm it returns Telegram data (replace {chatID} with an actual chat ID):

curl -X 'GET' \
  'http://localhost:8080/api/v1/data/telegram/chats/{chatID}/messages' \
  -H 'accept: application/json'

You should receive a response with Telegram message data.

Channel and group chat IDs are typically negative numbers, often starting with -100.

Use these chat IDs in your API calls, replacing {chatID} with the actual ID:

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Security Considerations

• Keep your Telegram app credentials secure and do not share them.
• Regularly review the channels and groups you’ve joined.
• Ensure your Telegram account is secured with two-factor authentication.

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Warning: User Account Access

:::warning This scraper uses full API access as a user account, not a bot. Be aware of Telegram’s terms of service and data usage policies. Ensure you have the right to access and use the data from the channels you’re scraping. :::

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Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

• Verify your Telegram app credentials are correct.
• Check that your Telegram account has access to the target channels/groups.
• Review node logs for any error messages related to Telegram scraping.
• Ensure your Telegram session is still valid and not expired.