Your whole Telegram account in the terminal, searchable on your computer, and ready for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or any agent — within limits you set.
An example conversation (invented people, illustrative output):
You: Use tg CLI. What did I promise anyone in the last three days?
Agent: (runs tg review --since-time 3d: 12 chats)
I owe
· Alice Example — the invoice by Friday. "Alice Example", 24.09
Waiting on others
· Bob Sample — the mock-up by 25.09. Not in "Design" yet
You: Remind Bob about the mock-up.
Agent: Draft: "Hi Bob, how is the mock-up going?" Send it?
You: Yes.
npm install -g @wirecat/tg-cli # or: pnpm add -g @wirecat/tg-cli, bun add -g @wirecat/tg-cli
tg setup --agent claude # also codex, cursor, gemini, all or none
tg inbox # other people's unread messages, in every chat; nothing is marked readAllow about five minutes. tg setup registers your own Telegram app at
my.telegram.org, logs in by QR code, checks your first chats and installs
the agent skill. Downloading older history is a separate step.
It needs Node 22.16+ or 24+, or Bun, on macOS, Linux or Windows. Try it without installing:
npx @wirecat/tg-cli --help.
More: installation guide · on wirecat.dev
Catch up. "Use tg CLI. What came in since this morning, and who is waiting for my answer?"
tg inbox
tg review --since-time 1dFind anything. "Use tg CLI. When did we agree on the venue with Alice?" — an answer with the date and the message itself.
tg search all "venue" # messages, mail and notes kept on this computerKeep your promises. "Use tg CLI. What did I promise, and what am I still waiting on?" tg review
hands over everything said since the last review in one call, your own messages too.
tg review --new # what changed since the last review --newRun your groups. "Use tg CLI. Which questions in Hiking has nobody answered?"
tg review --chat "Hiking" --unanswered
tg chats events "Hiking" --since-time 7d # who joined, left, was added or removedMore: recipes, with a schedule and limits for each · on wirecat.dev
Your agent. Your Telegram. Your rules.
- Agents with a terminal (for example Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI) run
tgcommands themselves. The bundled skill tells them how:tg setup --agent …ortg skill installputs it in place, andtg skill showprints it before login. - Apps without a terminal (for example Claude Desktop, Cursor and other MCP clients) connect to
tg mcp. It comes with ready prompts:/catch-up,/review,/replyand/find.
tg mcp setup claude-code # or: tg mcp setup codex
tg mcp config # the entry for Claude Desktop, Cursor and othersMore: the MCP server · on wirecat.dev
- Your whole account, not only bots. Every chat, group, channel and contact, with its history —
tgis one more of your devices. - Local-first search. Everything read is kept on your computer. Search is fast, and
--offlineanswers without connecting. - Made for agents. One operation per call, the same JSON shape every time with
--json, a fixed exit code for each kind of failure, an MCP server and a skill. - Safe by default. Reading marks nothing read. A profile decides which actions an agent may take,
which chats it may send to, and how many messages an hour (30 by default). When a send's outcome is
unknown,
tgsays so and gives a repeat command that Telegram does not deliver twice. - The full Bot API too. All 185 methods, next to the convenient bot commands.
More: compared with other tools · on wirecat.dev
tg works in your name, as one more of your devices. It is not a bot: it talks to Telegram over
MTProto, Telegram's own API for client apps, with an app you register yourself. It sees your chats,
their history, groups, channels and contacts.
tg chats list --limit 5
tg messages list "Book club" --limit 20
tg messages send "Book club" "Call at 3?" --reply-to <id>
tg reactions add "Book club" <id> 👍
tg messages send me "Call mum" --at-time 2h # a reminder in Saved Messages in two hours
tg messages send "Book club" "The minutes" --file minutes.pdf
tg messages download "Book club" <id> --output-dir ~/Downloads
tg messages transcribe "Book club" <id> # a voice message as text- Read. Chats, history, one message with its neighbours, other people's unread messages in every
chat (
tg inbox), everything since the last review (tg review), new messages as they arrive (tg watch), a message's files, voice messages as text. - Write. Markdown, replies, files, photos, videos and voice messages, silent and scheduled messages (they go out even with this computer off), edits, forwards, pins, reactions, polls, deletion — for you or for everyone.
- Voice on your computer. Telegram transcribes for Premium accounts;
tgcan also run a speech model on this machine, downloaded only when you ask. - Contacts and the account. Add, rename, block and import contacts; your own aliases and notes for people; who you are logged in as, and every device logged in to the account.
- One person. Their profile, when they were last seen, their messages per shared chat, and whether the account looks like a bot or a spammer.
More: using tg · on wirecat.dev · one person · on wirecat.dev
Every user registers their own Telegram app; tg setup or tg session start does it for you. The
app keys go to the system keyring, and the session is a file only your user can read.
tg session start # a QR code: Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device
tg session start phone # or a phone number, the code and your 2FA password
tg session start --qr-file login.png # the QR code as a picture, for an agent to show you
tg account show # who you are logged in as
tg account list # every profile here, and who each is logged in asSeveral accounts are several profiles, and the profile is the first word, not an option:
tg chats list # profile "default"
tg work chats list # profile "work"
export TG_PROFILE=work # or for the whole shell sessionMore: login and sessions · on wirecat.dev · profiles · on wirecat.dev
Everything tg reads is kept in a local store on your computer. Search runs over it and over
Telegram by default; --offline answers from the store without connecting.
tg search messages "contract" --chat "Project Alpha"
tg search messages "contract" --backend archive # local only
tg store fetch "Project Alpha" --last 5000 --background
tg store export "Project Alpha" --format markdown --output alpha.md
tg messages evidence "Project Alpha" --json # bounded evidence for a chat brief
tg server install # keep the store current as a systemd or launchd service
tg store backup ~/tg-backup.db # a copy, safe while the store is in useSearch by words, people, dates, files, links and tags; save searches; find discussions by topic.
More: search · on wirecat.dev · the local store · on wirecat.dev
tg review --chat "Hiking" --unanswered # questions nobody answered in 24 hours
tg chats events "Hiking" --since-time 7d # who joined, left, was added or removed, and by whom
tg chats members list "Hiking" --all # everyone, with their role and when they were last seen
tg topics list "Hiking" # a forum group's topics, newest activity first
tg chats inspect https://t.me/+AbCdEf # where an invite link leads, without joining
tg chats create "Hiking 2027" @alice_example # a new group, with the people you name
tg stats chats show "Hiking" # group activityRenaming a group, adding and removing members and admins, join requests, invite links, forum topics and moderation rules for links, forwards and floods are commands too.
More: groups you run · on wirecat.dev
tg bot works with a bot through Telegram's official Bot API and
its token from @BotFather. You can keep several bots; each has a name you
choose, and that name is the first word of the command.
tg sales bot auth set # the token, at a hidden prompt; Telegram checks it first
tg sales bot auth show # which bot it is
tg sales bot recipients add user:<id> # the bot may write only here
tg sales bot messages send "Team" "Build is ready" --file report.pdf
tg sales bot api --help # every Bot API method, each with its fields
tg bot list --check # every bot on this computer- Every Bot API method.
tg <bot> bot api <method>takes native field flags or a JSON body. - One token per name, in the keyring, apart from your own login;
TG_BOT_TOKENfor CI. The token is never printed — not in an error, not with--trace, not in a run record. - Recipients and a journal. Each bot has its own list of chats it may write to, and a journal of what it did, without the text.
- Messages, admins, members, buttons, the menu, webhooks — send, edit, delete and pin;
bot chats admins,bot callbacks answer,bot commands,bot webhooks. - History.
bot watchprints and keeps what happens in the bot's chats;bot store fetchimports older channel and supergroup messages.
More: a Telegram bot · on wirecat.dev
The skill. Claude Code reads ~/.claude/skills/tg-cli/; Codex, Gemini CLI and local Cursor read
~/.agents/skills/tg-cli/. Start a new agent session if it does not see the skill.
tg skill install --for all # both folders, without logging in
tg skill show # the complete instructions, without installing themThe MCP server. The profile's permissions decide which tools it offers. readonly stops the
agent from changing anything; at ask the server shows no form, so set up approval in your agent app.
claude mcp add tg -- tg mcp # Claude Code, by hand
tg mcp doctor # check the local MCP serverFrom the browser. ChatGPT or Claude in the browser reach tg mcp --http --public-url <url> behind
your tunnel, after a login with a one-time access code from your terminal.
More: the MCP server · on wirecat.dev · remote access · on wirecat.dev
With --json a command prints only data, as one JSON value — no tables, colour or hints; it does the
same when another program reads its output. --jsonl prints one object per line. Every list has one
shape:
{ "items": [ … ], "page": 1, "limit": 20, "hasMore": true }An error goes to stderr as one line, with stdout empty, and the command exits with a fixed code: 4
log in, 5 the profile may not do this, 6 chat or message not found, 8 a limit, 9 Telegram did
not answer in time, 14 unknown whether a message went. tg commands --json is the whole command
tree. A partial read or download can exit 0: check complete in the JSON.
More: CLI contract · on wirecat.dev · every command and exit code · on wirecat.dev
tg config set permissions.messages readonly # no change to messages from this profile
tg config set permissions.messages.send ask # a question in the terminal before each send
tg config set sendsPerHour 10 # at most 10 sends an hour (30 by default)
tg recipients add "Book club" # the first add turns the recipient list on
tg sends list # every attempt: sent, refused, failed or not known
tg config show # what is set, and where it came fromMore: permissions · on wirecat.dev · configuration · on wirecat.dev
Each profile has one request pace, shared by every command, background job and server at once, so bulk work stays under Telegram's limits. Short waits from Telegram are waited out; a long wait stops the run instead of being repeated.
More: limits and waits · on wirecat.dev
- The session file is as good as your password, readable only by your user; the app keys are in the system keyring. No command takes a password, a login code or a phone number as an argument.
- The local store holds the full text of what was read, unencrypted and readable only by your user. It stays after logout; only whole-disk encryption protects it from a stolen disk.
- Every send, from a command or over MCP, passes the profile's limits and is written to a journal —
without its text.
--filerefuses credential files, CLI folders and the local store. - Control characters in names, titles and messages are shown as text, so other people's text cannot control your terminal.
- The limits stop an agent talked into sending by a message it read, not one that sets out to get round them: for that, run the agent in a sandbox or as a separate user.
To report a vulnerability: SECURITY.md.
More: security · on wirecat.dev
tg doctor # where the files are and whether a session is saved, without connecting
tg doctor --online # check that the login works
tg chats list --trace # each request to Telegram, with no text, names, phone numbers or keys
tg runs list # recorded runsMore: troubleshooting by symptom · on wirecat.dev · diagnostics · on wirecat.dev
Telegram's own apps are made for a person; tg is made for a script and an agent. A Telegram bot sees
only the chats it was added to and speaks as the bot; tg is you, in your chats. Other open tools
connect a Telegram account to an agent too: tgcli, telegram-mcp and tdl.
More: compared with other tools · on wirecat.dev
WireCat is an open-source, local-first context layer for AI agents. tg is
where it starts; max-cli brings the MAX messenger into the
same local store. Start with Telegram. Add more context when you need it. Your context. Any agent.
Every page is on wirecat.dev/en/docs/tg and in
docs/:
| Page | Answers |
|---|---|
| index · web | The docs site's start page: what tg is, the first minute, where to go next |
| installation · web | How do I install it, what does it need, where do its files go, how do I upgrade or remove it? |
| usage · web | How do I log in, read, page, send, and use it from a script — in that order? |
| sessions · web | How does login work: QR or phone, the app from my.telegram.org, the keyring, profiles, logout? |
| archive · web | What does the local store keep, how do I fill it, search it, export it, keep it current and back it up? |
| search · web | How do I find a message by its words, sender, chat, date, file, link or tag, save a search and count? |
| attachments · web | Sending, downloading and reading files; text from documents and images, and searching it |
| rankings · web | Message and author rankings: metrics, scores, saved queries and evidence |
| topic-search · web | How do I find a discussion by what it was about, keep that current, and what leaves my computer? |
| query-language · web | Every search field, operator, preset, limit and the JSON answer |
| groups · web | How do I keep up with a group I run — open questions, newcomers, a weekly report? |
| people · web | One person: profile, what they said in each chat, does the account look like a bot |
| bot · web | A bot through the Bot API: token, recipients, messages, admins and every Bot API method |
| replies · web | Answer messages by your rules, to everyone or only the people you choose |
| mcp · web | How do I connect Claude Desktop, Cursor or another client without a terminal? |
| remote · web | ChatGPT or Claude in the browser, through a login proxy and a tunnel |
| recipes · web | What can an agent do for me every day, and how do I run it on a schedule? |
| compare · web | How does tg compare with tgcli, telegram-mcp and tdl, and when does another tool fit better? |
| commands · web | Every command, option and exit code — generated from the program |
| configuration · web | How do I configure common behavior? |
| permissions · web | What a profile may read, what asks first, and what may go ahead |
| profiles · web | Several accounts and bots on one computer, and how a command picks one |
| configuration-reference · web | Every key, type, default, scope and variable |
| cli-contract · web | Invocation, output, errors, headless runs, bounds and previews |
| limits · web | Limits, waits and background jobs |
| diagnostics · web | What did a command do, and what is never recorded? |
| troubleshooting · web | Something does not work: what the screen says, and what to do |
| security · web | What reaches the disk, what never does, and what stops a send going to the wrong place? |
| roadmap · web | What is coming next? |
What each version changed: CHANGELOG.md.
pnpm install
pnpm lint && pnpm typecheck && pnpm test
pnpm build && pnpm smoke:bun # the built command under Bun
pnpm generate # rewrites docs/commands.md from the command tree
bin/tg session start # everything under .tg/ in this checkout, never the real profileEverything that is not specific to Telegram — the commands, the store, the send guard, the MCP
server — lives in cli-messaging, shared with
max-cli. Telegram-specific code lives only in src/telegram/.
More: ARCHITECTURE · TESTING
Pull requests, bug reports and ideas are welcome in issues.
Custom automation with Telegram, other messengers and AI agents: info@neirox.ai.
Apache License 2.0 — see LICENSE.