Step-by-Step Guide: How to Obtain Your Telegram API Key in 2025

from telethon import TelegramClient
import os

# API credentials from environment
api_id = int(os.environ['API_ID'])
api_hash = os.environ['API_HASH']
session_name = 'my_session'

# Create client
client = TelegramClient(
    session_name, 
    api_id, 
    api_hash
)

async def main():
    await client.start()
    # Your automation code here
    await client.send_message(
        'me', 
        'API key working!'
    )

if __name__ == '__main__':
    client.loop.run_until_complete(main())

import { TelegramApi } from 'telegram';
import { StringSession } from 'telegram/sessions';

const apiId = parseInt(process.env.API_ID!);
const apiHash = process.env.API_HASH!;
const stringSession = new StringSession('');

const client = new TelegramApi(
    stringSession,
    apiId,
    apiHash,
    { connectionRetries: 5 }
);

async function main() {
    await client.start({
        phoneNumber: '+1234567890',
        password: async () => 'your_2fa_password',
        phoneCode: async () => 'verification_code',
        onError: (err) => console.log(err),
    });
    
    await client.sendMessage('me', {
        message: 'API working perfectly!'
    });
}

main().catch(console.error);

# .env file
API_ID=1234567
API_HASH=abcd1234efgh5678ijkl9012mnop3456
BOT_TOKEN=123456789:ABC-DEF1234ghIkl

# .env.example file (commit this)
API_ID=your_api_id_here
API_HASH=your_api_hash_here
BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here

// Quick test script
const { Api, TelegramApi } = require('telegram');

async function testApi() {
    try {
        const client = new TelegramApi(
            new StringSession(''),
            parseInt(process.env.API_ID),
            process.env.API_HASH
        );
        
        await client.connect();
        console.log('✓ API key is valid!');
        
    } catch (error) {
        console.error('✗ API key error:', error);
    }
}

testApi();