![Import chats from Telegram](https://pachca.com/help/import-telegram.jpg)

# Import chats from Telegram

> How to import your chat history from Telegram into Pachca: a step-by-step guide to exporting, mapping users and uploading your data.

Источник: https://pachca.com/en/help-center/start/import-telegram

## If your team is moving to Pachca from Telegram, you can bring your chat history with you.

If your team is moving to Pachca from Telegram, you can bring your chat history with you. All you need to do is export your data from Telegram and map your users to Pachca accounts.

**Before you start:**

- The import is only available on paid plans.
- For now, only the [**workspace**](https://pachca.com/en/help-center/features/rabochie-prostranstva-v-pachke) [**Owner**](https://pachca.com/en/help-center/features/system-roles) can run an import. To start, go to **Workspace settings**.
- The compressed file you upload can be up to 2 GB.
- You can only import chats (group chats). Importing channels isn't supported.
- When you import a chat with topics, only the content of the #general topic is uploaded. To bring over messages from other topics, export their history separately. Each topic becomes a separate chat in Pachca.
- You can run several imports in a row, for example, if you're moving data in batches or importing multiple chats.
- If something goes wrong during the import, you'll see an error message in the app.

## Step 1. Export your history from Telegram Desktop

Chat export only works in Telegram Desktop, so download it from the official Telegram Desktop website. The App Store version doesn't support exports.

1.  Open Telegram Desktop.
2.  Go to the chat you want to move.
3.  Click the three dots in the top right corner → **Export chat history**.
4.  Select the **JSON** format, set the file size limit (up to 4 GB, which affects export speed) and click **Export**.
5.  Repeat for each chat whose history you want to move.

You'll get a chat export folder. Compress it into a `.zip` file. Make sure the name hasn't changed. It should look like this: **ChatExport\_YYYY-MM-DD.zip**

![Exporting chat history in Telegram Desktop](https://pachca.com/help/import-telegram-1.jpg)

## Step 2. Match users in the mapping tool

Telegram doesn't store users' email addresses, so you'll need to manually link Telegram accounts to Pachca accounts or to the emails you plan to add to Pachca. There's a dedicated [mapping tool](https://pachca.com/tg-import-tool) for this.

1.  In Pachca, open **Workspace settings**. In the Telegram import section, click **Start import** and open the mapping tool. You can also open it using the link above.

2.  On the **Upload** page, drag and drop your Telegram Desktop archives or click **Choose files**. You can upload several `.zip` archives at once. When the upload is done, click **Next**.

3.  On the **Mapping** page, the tool shows how many members it matched automatically:

    - **Matched**: users found in your workspace by their Telegram usernames.
    - **New**: Telegram users who aren't in Pachca.
    - **Skipped**: members the tool couldn't match.

    To match them, click **Download .xlsx template**, fill in an email for each skipped user and upload the file back using **Upload completed file**.

4.  Click **Next**. The tool generates a bundle file in `.zip` format. Don't rename it.

5.  Download the bundle to your computer.

> ⚠️ The bundle file is created entirely on your device. No data is uploaded to Pachca at this step!

![Telegram import window in Pachca](https://pachca.com/help/import-telegram-2.jpg)

## Step 3. Upload the bundle to Pachca

1.  Go back to the import window in Pachca.
2.  Drop the downloaded `.zip` file into the upload area.
3.  Click **Import**.

Once the import is done, the message history appears in the matching chats in your workspace.

## FAQ

### What happens to messages from skipped users?

If a member wasn't matched, their messages still move to Pachca, under a placeholder email instead of their real one.

### What if my file is larger than 2 GB?

Split the history into parts when you export from Telegram: set a date range or select less data. Then import the parts one by one.

## Need help?

If something went wrong or you have questions, contact our [support team](https://telegram.me/pachca_signup_bot).

Updated: April 1, 2026