# Telegram Search API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/telegram/search)

> Finds public Telegram channels by keyword, so you can pick the channels to read with `/v1/telegram/profile` and `/v1/telegram/profile/posts`. Channels are discovered through a public web search index limited to t.me pages, so this finds what that index has already seen: it is not real time, a channel or message from the last few days may not appear yet, and private channels and invite-only groups never appear. Returns one row per channel, in the order the search found them, on the same Author shape `/v1/telegram/profile` returns: `author.username` is the public handle (pass it as `handle`), `author.url` is `https://t.me/<handle>`, and `author.display_name` is the channel's title when the search result carried it (null when the result showed only the handle). `author.ext.search_hit` says how the channel was found: `match` is `channel_page` (the channel's own page) or `post_in_channel` (a message or the message preview), `title` and `snippet` are the hit as the index showed it, `evidence_url` is the first page that matched, and `matched_urls` lists every t.me page the search matched for that channel, so you can open the exact messages. The snippet is the index's text, not the channel's description, so `author.bio` stays null on a plain call, as do `author.followers`, `author.avatar_url` and `author.verified`. Send `include=details` and every channel is joined, in the same call, to the profile lookup: the exact subscriber count (`author.followers`), the description (`author.bio`), the avatar, the verified flag and, where it was null, the title land on each row. Words in `query` match loosely; put a phrase in double quotes to require it, and add `-word` to exclude a word. Cost: 2 credits for the page, plus 1 credit per channel filled from a fresh lookup with `include=details` (at most 10 a page, so 12 credits at most); channels already in cache are free, channels that could not be filled are refunded, and a search that finds no public channel is a 404 at 0 credits. Time: a plain page takes about 2 to 12 seconds; `include=details` adds a few seconds on a fresh page (the lookups run in parallel and the call waits for the slowest, never more than 10 seconds) and nothing when the channels are already cached. The response carries a `hydration` block itemising rows, lookups, cache hits, credits and milliseconds. A page holds up to 10 channels, fewer when several hits belong to one channel. Forward `pagination.next_cursor` as `cursor` for the next page; the same channel can appear again on a later page. Keyword hits include coupon and reseller channels that merely contain your words: send `relevance=filter` to drop the channels that are not about your query, or add `relevant_to=` with a sentence describing the channels you want (for example `shops selling cheap or replica watches`) to judge them against that instead; each channel is judged on its title and the search snippet.

TL;DR: `GET /v1/telegram/search` costs 2 credits for the page. include=details holds 1 credit per channel (at most 10 a page, fewer with limit) and keeps only the channels filled from a fresh lookup, so a page is at most 12 credits; channels served from cache are free, unfilled channels are refunded, and a search that finds no public channel costs 0. Relevance against your query (by default, or with relevance=) is free. Adding relevant_to= holds 4 extra credits and refunds down to 1 credit per started 25 rows that were newly judged: rows already judged for the same topic are free, a page where nothing could be judged refunds the whole extra, and a cached page is free. With `max_pages`, `max_items` or `max_credits`, each page walked is billed at this price (a cached page is free), and `max_credits` caps the total. and returns SocialCrawl's unified JSON schema. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `query` | yes | Keywords describing the channels or messages to find, for example `byd spare parts`. Put a phrase in double quotes to require it. Keywords only: the search is already limited to public Telegram pages, so a `site:` operator is refused before billing. |
| `page` | no | Page number, starting at 1. Forwarding `pagination.next_cursor` as `cursor` does the same. |
| `date_posted` | no | Only pages the search index dates within this window: last-hour, last-day, last-week, last-month or last-year. Useful for monitoring new activity. (last-hour \| last-day \| last-week \| last-month \| last-year) |
| `region` | no | Two-letter country code (US, AE, IN, KR) whose results to prefer. |
| `limit` | no | Return at most this many channels from the page (1 to 10). With `include=details` it also lowers the credits held, one per channel. |
| `include` | no | Set to `details` (one token only) to fill, on every channel in this one call, `author.followers` (the exact subscriber count), `author.bio` (the description), `author.avatar_url`, `author.verified`, and the title where it was null. Holds 1 credit per channel (at most 10 a page) and keeps only the channels filled from a fresh lookup; channels already in cache and channels the lookup cannot fill are refunded, so a page is never more than 12 credits. Read `data.hydration` for the rows, the credits held and kept, and the time. Without it the call is unchanged. (details) |
| `relevance` | no | Optional. Without this param every row already carries computed.relevance against your query, free ({ p, sense, depth, spam }: is this row about what your query means, or a different thing that shares its words?), and nothing is dropped or reordered. score asks for it explicitly and waits for every row; filter also drops the rows that are not about your query, and lists their ids in data.relevance.dropped_ids. Your query is the topic; nothing to configure. A row that could not be judged is never dropped and carries relevance: null. Pagination is unchanged, so a filtered page can hold fewer rows. Free with your query as the topic; with relevant_to it adds 1 credit per started 25 newly judged rows (rows already judged for the same topic are free, and so is a cached page). (score \| filter) |
| `relevance_threshold` | no | Optional, only with relevance. The probability (0 to 1) a row must reach to be kept by relevance=filter. Default 0.5. Lower keeps more rows, higher keeps fewer. |
| `relevant_to` | no | Optional, only with relevance. Up to 200 characters describing what you mean, used as the topic instead of the query. Use it when the query is ambiguous, for example query=cleopatra with relevant_to=Cleopatra, the IGT slot game. |
| `judgments` | no | Optional, on (the default) or off. By default every row gains free SocialCrawl judgments (computed.labels, and computed.relevance on search endpoints), reported in data.labels (mode default) and data.relevance (origin default), each with a status (complete, partial or skipped) and pending: the rows still being judged when the page was sent, which carry null now and are filled on your next call or cached read. Default judgments never add credits, never change an existing field, and never drop or reorder a row. off returns the page exactly as before, with none of those keys. label=none does the same. (on \| off) |
| `dry_run` | no | Optional. When 1, return a cost preview for this labelled or relevance-filtered request without fetching the page or judging any row. data.estimate reports rows_expected, rows_cached, label_credits_min, label_credits_max and base_credits. 0 credits charged. (1) |
| `fit` | no | Optional. When goal, keep the rows and fields needed for the goal you pass in goal= (plus any that are uncertain, and the first and last), and replace the rest with a stub. data.held_back lists the held ids and a recall id that re-reads the full page from cache at no extra charge. Without this param the page is unchanged. (goal) |
| `goal` | no | Required by fit=goal. What you are trying to do, in your own words, up to 300 characters. |
| `fit_tokens` | no | Optional, only with fit=goal. Soft cap on how much of the page to keep, in tokens. Uncertain blocks and the first and last block are kept even if they exceed it. |
| `max_pages` | no | 1 to 50 (default 1, or 50 when `max_items` or `max_credits` is sent). Walk up to this many pages in one call and return the rows from all of them. Each page walked is billed exactly as one call to this endpoint (a cached page is free) and counts against your rate limit; its charge and any refund are recorded under the page's own request id, listed in `data.walk.request_ids`. The walk stops early at the last page, or when the request's time budget runs low; `data.walk.stopped` says why (`end`, `max_pages`, `max_items`, `max_credits`, `time_budget`, `page_error`) and `pagination.next_cursor` continues from where it stopped. |
| `max_items` | no | 1 to 5000. Get more in one call: keep walking pages until the response holds at least this many rows, then stop with `data.walk.stopped: "max_items"`. The last page is returned whole (it was billed), so `data.items` can hold up to one page more than this, and `pagination.next_cursor` resumes right after it without skipping a row. Walks up to 50 pages unless `max_pages` says fewer; each page is billed as one call (a cached page is free). Add `max_credits` to cap the spend. A long walk can stop on the time budget first (`"time_budget"`): send the returned cursor with the same params to continue. |
| `max_credits` | no | 1 to 100000. The most this call may spend, across every page it walks. A page starts only while the credits already spent plus that page's price (or, when higher, the most any page of this walk has cost) still fit, so the call never goes past it; the walk then stops with `data.walk.stopped: "max_credits"` and the cursor to resume. Sent alone, it walks as far as the budget goes (up to 50 pages). A value below the price of one page is a free 400 whose `error.details.page_credits` names that price. Credits a row join (`include=`) adds are known only once a page has run, so page 1 is checked against its own price. |

## Code example

```bash
curl -G "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/telegram/search" \
  --data-urlencode "query=byd spare parts" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

## FAQ

### What does the Telegram Search API return?

Returns the public Telegram channels a web search index has seen for your keywords, one row per channel, with the pages that matched and, on request, exact subscriber counts. The response uses the same JSON envelope as every SocialCrawl endpoint, with the data, credits_used and request_id fields.

### When should I use the Telegram Search endpoint?

Use it to find channels selling or discussing a product or brand, then read them with profile/posts. The index lags behind Telegram, so treat it as discovery, not a live feed.

### How much does the Telegram Search API cost?

The price depends on the request, from 2 to 16 credits per call. Every new account gets 100 free credits. Credits for failed or empty calls are refunded automatically, and there is no subscription.

### What parameters does the Telegram Search API need?

The one required parameter is query (keywords describing the channels or messages to find, for example byd spare parts). It also accepts 16 optional parameters, all listed on this page. The optional parameter to try first is relevance (Drops rows that are not about your query, at no extra credits; relevance=score keeps them and adds a score).

### How do I call the Telegram Search API?

Send a GET request to https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/telegram/search?query=byd%20spare%20parts with your API key in the x-api-key header. An Authorization: Bearer header works too.

See the full Telegram API: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/telegram

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- What does the SocialCrawl Telegram Search API return?
- How do I get Telegram Search data with the SocialCrawl API?