# Telegram Collection Setup & TgWitness Settings

Canonical page: https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/settings/

Configure TgWitness setup goals, collection options, connection routes and interface levels. Review account-group defaults and per-account overrides.

[Project context and measured scale](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/overview/)

[Documentation index](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/llms.txt)

The setup wizard, goals, interface levels, connection routes and settings shared by an account group.

[TgWitness](https://github.com/phishdestroy/TgWitness/blob/main/README.md) / [Documentation](https://github.com/phishdestroy/TgWitness/blob/main/docs/README.md) · [Getting started](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/quickstart/)

![Getting started](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/assets/chapter-start.svg)

[Accounts](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/accounts/) · [Connection](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/connection/) · [Access](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/access/)

A new workspace opens `/first-run`: language and time, interface level, goal, connection, Telegram and chats. Each answer is saved on the server as soon as it changes, so a reload continues the same step. The last screen lists the answers and lets you go back to any of them.

Language, IANA time zone, theme and level are stored per operator and per workspace. The defaults are the browser language, the device time zone, the system theme and the Simple interface. Changing the language keeps the panel session. Times in the signed journal never change.

`/settings` edits the same records as the wizard. Search covers the main fields, parameters and the extended forms; a hidden field can be opened without changing the level. Levels only change what is shown: the server checks permissions on its own. Collection settings and the first connection belong to the workspace administrator.

| Level | Fields | Sidebar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple | Only the essentials | Home, Chats, Changes, Archives, Settings |
| Standard | Common settings with explanations | Adds Case Board, Accounts and Access |
| Expert | All fields, limits and technical details | Adds Sources, Extras, Ask the archive, Parameters, Account, System log and Integrations |

The [panel guide](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/panel/) describes each section.

## Goals

| Goal | Collection | Files | Outside services | Server address |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Archive copy | Off; **Start** runs an export | Photos up to 20 MB | Off | Automatic |
| Follow chats | Continuous | Photos and videos up to 60 seconds / 20 MB | Timestamps and problem notifications | Automatic |
| Evidence | Continuous | All files up to 1 GB | Timestamps, drand, notifications | No, hide it |

Off-site copy, the witness bot and the code check are recommended for evidence. Storage and notification addresses need a destination first. A feature that talks to an outside service asks to allow requests outside Telegram; turning that off offers to switch off timestamps, notifications and the off-site copy with it.

Changing the goal shows the difference first, and manual changes can be kept. A field that differs from the goal is marked **Changed by you** and can be restored. The settings revision keeps a reviewed difference from being applied over a change made in another tab.

## Connection

**Automatic** tries public MTProxy servers, then WARP, then a direct connection, the last only when the server's address may be shown. Automatic and WARP can install hash-checked components and register the server with Cloudflare. WARP uses the existing wgcf/wireproxy manager and a local SOCKS5 port; the system routing table is not changed. When outside services are needed, Automatic prefers WARP to MTProxy.

Your own proxy accepts `tg://proxy`, `socks5://`, `http://` and `https://`. An HTTPS proxy's certificate is checked before credentials are sent to it.

A connection check is valid for five minutes and is bound to the route, the policy and the wizard answers; changing any of them needs a new check. **Continue without checking** is available and does not replace the Telegram sign-in. The chosen route is rechecked in the background, and Automatic runs its chain again after a lost connection. When no public proxy answers, the count turns red with WARP and recheck actions.

## Account groups

Accounts in a group share their settings. Open **Accounts → Groups and shared settings → Shared settings**, or **Group settings** on an account's Settings page.

The group shares the goal, saved files, timestamps, drand, problem notifications, off-site copy, requests outside Telegram, IP mode, what to record, the recheck schedule, notification rules, report settings, parameters and the connection route. Notification destinations, proxy credentials and sign-in stay per account, as do starting and pausing collection.

- Every member follows the group. Settings marks a value 🔗 **From the group** or ✏️ **Own value**; **Return to the group value** puts it back.
- A change lists the accounts it reaches (**Applies to 2 of 3 accounts**) and asks per account before replacing an own value. Unticked accounts keep theirs.
- A parameter the group does not share stays **Not shared: each account keeps its own value** until you press **Share this value**.
- **Copy settings from one account** takes the chosen account's values as the group's.
- An account moved into a group is asked **Take the group's values?** Otherwise it keeps its own values, marked ✏️. Accounts added later start with the group's values.
- An observing account keeps its IP mode until it is paused.

Each change is recorded in the signed journal of the main workspace and of every member it reaches. Deleting a group keeps its accounts and their current values.

The group page `/groups/<id>` shows the members, what needs attention and the chats several accounts see. See [account groups](https://phishdestroy.github.io/TgWitness/docs/reference/accounts/#bulk-import-and-account-groups).

## Existing workspaces

A workspace with a session or an earlier completed setup does not get the wizard. Its values are not replaced by a goal when the page loads. Hiding a field does not turn the feature off or delete its value.

The size and time estimate reads up to three selected chats and up to 20 messages from each. It is an estimate: it does not predict Telegram limits, the speed of a given server or the files in every chat.