Exporting account data (takeout)

Telegram's "Export Telegram data" feature runs inside a special takeout session that relaxes some rate limits for bulk export but is tracked separately by the server. The takeout package wraps account.initTakeoutSession and the session lifecycle.

Running a takeout

Declare what you want to export with takeout.Config, then do your work inside takeout.Run. The session is finished automatically when your function returns — successfully if it returns nil:

import "github.com/gotd/td/telegram/takeout"

cfg := takeout.Config{Contacts: true}

return takeout.Run(ctx, client, cfg, func(ctx context.Context, t *takeout.Client) error {
	// t is a tg.Invoker that wraps calls in the takeout session.
	api := tg.NewClient(t)

	res, err := api.ContactsGetContacts(ctx, 0)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	contacts, ok := res.(*tg.ContactsContacts)
	if !ok {
		return nil
	}
	for _, u := range contacts.Users {
		if user, ok := u.AsNotEmpty(); ok {
			fmt.Printf("%d %s %s\n", user.ID, user.FirstName, user.LastName)
		}
	}
	return nil
})

The key idea: build a tg.NewClient(t) from the takeout client t, and every call you make through it is wrapped in the takeout session.

Config options

takeout.Config mirrors the official export dialog:

Field	Exports
Contacts	Contact list
MessageUsers	Messages from private chats
MessageChats	Messages from basic groups
MessageMegagroups	Messages from supergroups
MessageChannels	Messages from channels
Files	Media files
FileMaxSize	Cap on exported file size (bytes)

This is the takeout example.

note

Takeout sessions are subject to a server-imposed delay before they start (TAKEOUT_INIT_DELAY). The floodwait middleware recognises this error and waits it out.