get_updates
Check for new messages sent to the bot. Returns only new messages since the last check.
LABSCO SUMMARY
get_updates makes this two-way, which is the difference between a notifier and a channel you can answer through.
Most notification servers only push, which is fine until the agent needs an answer — approve this, which option, is it done — and there is no path back. Reading new messages since the last check turns Telegram into a place a long-running agent can ask something and later see the reply. The fixed chat id is the design trade: simple to configure, and it means one instance talks to one destination, so multiple recipients means multiple instances.
What it is
A Telegram bot client with six tools: five send paths covering each media type, and one that polls for new messages to the bot.
What you get
- send_message, send_document, send_photo, send_video and send_audio each handle their own type rather than one generic send with a type parameter.
- get_updates returns only messages new since the last check, so polling does not re-read the same conversation.
Requirements
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN from BotFather and TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID for the destination — the chat is configured rather than chosen per call.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npx telegram-notifier-mcp, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Being told when something long finishes
Push the result to your phone as a message, with the file or screenshot attached if there is one.
02
Asking a question and getting the answer later
Send the question, then poll for new messages since the last check — replies arrive without re-reading the whole conversation.
03
Delivering media the agent produced
Send generated video or audio directly rather than pointing at a path nobody can reach from their phone.
6 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
send_audio
Send an audio file to a Telegram chat
send_document
Send a file/document to a Telegram chat
send_message
Send a text message to a Telegram chat
send_photo
Send a photo/image to a Telegram chat
send_video
Send a video to a Telegram chat
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
6 tools when we connected. Five tools send; get_updates reads new messages and saves incoming media under ~/.telegram-notifier-mcp/downloads/.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN in your environment
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 6 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npx telegram-notifier-mcpMCP Clients
Claude Desktop, Claude Code
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"telegram-notifier": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"telegram-notifier-mcp"
],
"env": {
"TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN>",
"TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID": "<YOUR_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID>"
}
}
}
}Codex
CODEX · TERMINAL
codex mcp add telegram-notifier \
--env TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=<YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN> \
--env TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=<YOUR_TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID> \
-- npx telegram-notifier-mcp
