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Quickstart

This walks through the fastest end-to-end SimplePost test: install the CLI, store a Telegram bot token, and post a message to a Telegram channel. Telegram is the lightest provider because it does not require OAuth, an app review, or a developer dashboard.

If you want a different starting point, jump straight to your interface:

  • MCP for AI assistants.
  • Scheduler for the web app.
  • API for HTTP integration.
  • SDK for direct TypeScript usage.

1. Create a Telegram bot​

  1. Open Telegram and start a chat with BotFather.
  2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts.
  3. Copy the bot token. It looks like 123456:ABC....
  4. Create or open a channel, add the bot as an admin, and note the channel handle (for example @your_channel).

2. Install the CLI​

Install the published simplepost binary from npm:

npm install -g @simple-post/cli
simplepost --help

3. Configure secret storage​

The CLI needs to know where to store account secrets. On a developer machine the OS keychain is the best default:

simplepost setup --backend keychain

Other options are file-encrypted (requires SIMPLE_POST_CONFIG_PASSWORD or an interactive prompt for the unlock password) and file-plain (local testing only). See credential strategies for the trade-offs.

4. Add the Telegram account​

simplepost account add telegram \
  --alias announcements \
  --bot-token "123456:ABC..." \
  --chat-id "@your_channel"

Confirm it landed:

simplepost account

5. Send the post​

simplepost post \
  --account telegram:announcements \
  --text "Hello from the SimplePost quickstart"

The CLI prints a per-account result with the Telegram message ID when the API accepts the post. Check the channel — the message should be there.

What's next​

  • Add another account with your own platform developer app: export its SIMPLE_POST_<PLATFORM>_CLIENT_ID (and secret when required), then run simplepost account add x --alias main. Or use simplepost connect to post through accounts already connected in the hosted Scheduler.
  • Cross-post to several platforms by repeating --account flags.
  • Move from the CLI to the SDK when you want to embed posting inside an app, or to MCP when you want an AI assistant to post for you.
  • Read the posting model for the shared payload shape that every interface uses.