How to Find Your Telegram Channel or Group ID
- Public Channels: Enter the public handle (e.g.
@durovortelegram). - Private Channels & Supergroups: Open any message in your private channel in Telegram Desktop, right click and choose "Copy Message Link". Paste the link (
t.me/c/1234567890/10) into our tool. The tool extracts the exact numeric channel ID and formats it for the Bot API. - Bot Tokens: Paste your BotFather token to instantly isolate the numeric Bot User ID prefix.
Understanding Telegram Numeric ID Formats
Supergroups & Channels (-100...)
In Telegram's MTProto layer, channels use positive integers (e.g. 1234567890). However, in the Telegram Bot API (sendMessage, Zapier, Make.com), all supergroups and broadcast channels require the -100 prefix (-1001234567890).
Basic Groups (-...)
Legacy basic groups use a negative number with a single minus sign (e.g. -987654321). When upgraded to supergroups, they gain the -100 prefix.
Users & Bot Accounts (+)
Individual user accounts and bots always have positive integers (e.g. 777000 or 123456789).
Bot Tokens Prefix
Every Telegram bot token starts with the numeric user ID of that bot followed by a colon (e.g. 123456789:ABCdef...).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a raw Telegram Channel ID and Bot API format (-100)?▼
Telegram MTProto uses positive integers for channels (e.g. 1234567890). However, the Telegram Bot API requires all supergroups and channels to use the -100 prefix (e.g. -1001234567890) to differentiate them from basic groups and private user chats.
How do I find the ID of a private Telegram channel or group?▼
In Telegram Desktop, right click any message in the private channel and choose 'Copy Message Link'. Paste the link (t.me/c/1234567890/10) into our tool. The tool automatically isolates the numeric channel ID and converts it to Bot API format.
Can I extract my Bot ID from my BotFather token?▼
Yes. Every Telegram bot token begins with the bot's numeric user ID followed by a colon (e.g. 123456789:ABCdef...). Paste your token into the tool to isolate the Bot User ID safely.
Is my Telegram data or bot token safe?▼
Yes. Bot token ID extraction runs entirely client-side in your browser. We never transmit your BotFather token to any remote server or store token credentials.