---
title: "Deploy Telegram MTProto Proxy"
description: "A zero-config container that auto-sets up an MTProto proxy server"
category: "Other"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/telegram-mtproto-proxy
---

# Deploy Telegram MTProto Proxy

A zero-config container that auto-sets up an MTProto proxy server

**[Deploy Telegram MTProto Proxy on Railway](https://railway.com/template/telegram-mtproto-proxy)**

- **Creator:** codestorm
- **Category:** Other
- **Total deploys:** 1,441

## Template content

### app https://devicons.railway.app/telegram

- **Image:** telegrammessenger/proxy:latest
- **Start command:** `bash -lc 'while true; do echo "$(date) - Server is active"; sleep 30; done & exec /run.sh'`

## Documentation

# Deploy and Host Self-Hosted Telegram MTProto Proxy on Railway

Run your own private Telegram MTProto proxy in minutes using Railway. This template uses the official `telegrammessenger/proxy` container with persistent storage and Railway TCP Proxy support.

## About

This template deploys a lightweight Telegram MTProto Proxy using Telegram's native protocol. It is designed for simple self-hosted deployment without managing a VPS, firewall rules, or server infrastructure.

The proxy runs as a pure TCP service (not HTTP), so it requires Railway TCP Proxy to expose it correctly to Telegram clients.

## Features

- One-click deployment with sensible defaults
- Persistent configuration using Railway Volume
- Pre-configured with `WORKERS=4` for better performance
- Support for Advertisement Tag (`TAG`) via @MTProxybot
- Easy proxy link generation
- No web dashboard or unnecessary services

## Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | Default | Required |
|---------|-------------|---------|----------|
| `SECRET` | MTProto proxy secret (32 hexadecimal characters). Keep this value private. | Auto-generated (32 hex) | Yes |
| `WORKERS` | Number of worker processes. Higher value = better performance with many concurrent users. | `4` | No |
| `TAG` | Advertisement tag from @MTProxybot (used to promote a Telegram channel to users connecting through your proxy). | (empty) | No |

> **Note about `TAG`**: This value is **not persistent**. You must set it as an environment variable every time you redeploy the service.

### How to Get a TAG (Advertisement Tag)

1. Deploy the proxy first and copy your `SECRET`.
2. Open Telegram and search for **@MTProxybot**.
3. Send the command `/newproxy`.
4. Input your Railway TCP Proxy hostname, port, and your `SECRET`.
5. The bot will reply with a `TAG` (example: `3f40462915a3e6026a4d790127b95ded`).
6. Copy the `TAG` and paste it into the `TAG` environment variable in your Railway service.

## Networking Setup

Telegram MTProto Proxy uses raw TCP, not HTTP/HTTPS.

After deployment:
1. Enable **Railway TCP Proxy** on your service.
2. Set **Internal Port** to `443`.
3. Railway will generate a TCP endpoint like:
   ```
   your-service.proxy.rlwy.net:12345
   ```

Use this hostname and port when creating the proxy link in Telegram.

## Creating the Telegram Proxy Link

After deployment, create your proxy link using this format:

```
https://t.me/proxy?server=YOUR_TCP_PROXY_HOST&port=YOUR_TCP_PROXY_PORT&secret=YOUR_SECRET
```

**Example:**
```
https://t.me/proxy?server=my-proxy.proxy.rlwy.net&port=12345&secret=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef
```

You can also use the `tg://` format:
```
tg://proxy?server=my-proxy.proxy.rlwy.net&port=12345&secret=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef
```

## Improving DPI Resistance (Optional)

The official proxy supports **Fake-TLS** mode, which disguises MTProto traffic as normal HTTPS traffic. This can help bypass DPI in restrictive networks.

To enable Fake-TLS, your `SECRET` must start with `ee`. You can generate one manually using:

```bash
echo "ee$(openssl rand -hex 15)"
```

Then replace the `SECRET` environment variable with the generated value.

> **Note**: Fake-TLS support in the official image is basic. For stronger anti-DPI features, modern implementations are recommended for production use in heavily censored networks.

## Comparison

| Aspect                        | This Template on Railway          | Manual VPS Setup              | Free Public Proxies      |
|------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------|
| Setup time                   | ✅ ~1-2 minutes                   | ❌ 15-40 minutes              | ✅ Instant               |
| No server management         | ✅ Yes                            | ❌ Required                   | ✅ Yes                   |
| Persistent storage           | ✅ Railway Volume                 | ✅ Manual                     | ❌ No                    |
| Private & controlled         | ✅ Fully under your control       | ✅ Yes                        | ❌ Shared / risky        |
| Performance tuning           | ✅ `WORKERS` variable             | ✅ Full control               | ❌ Limited               |
| Ad tag / channel promotion   | ✅ Supported via `TAG`            | ✅ Supported                  | ❌ Not available         |
| TCP exposure                 | ✅ Railway TCP Proxy              | ✅ Manual configuration       | ✅ Usually available     |
| Cost                         | Pay only for actual usage         | Fixed monthly cost            | Free (but unreliable)    |

## Important Notes

- This template does **not** expose a web interface or dashboard.
- Do **not** use the normal Railway HTTP domain. MTProto requires raw TCP via Railway TCP Proxy.
- The `SECRET` is stored in the persistent volume (`/data`). Without attaching a volume, the secret will be lost on redeploy.
- The `TAG` must be re-entered as an environment variable after every redeploy.

## Troubleshooting

**Proxy shows "Connecting..." or doesn't work**
- Confirm Railway **TCP Proxy** is enabled.
- Internal Port must be `443`.
- Double-check the `server`, `port`, and `secret` in the Telegram proxy settings.

**Secret changes after redeploy**
- You did not attach a persistent volume to `/data`.

**Want to promote a channel through the proxy**
- Follow the guide above to get a `TAG` from @MTProxybot and set it in the environment variables.

**High traffic / many users**
- Increase the `WORKERS` value (e.g. `8` or `16`) according to your Railway plan resources.

## Why Deploy on Railway?

Railway provides a simple platform to deploy infrastructure without managing servers, firewalls, or low-level networking. This template leverages Railway's TCP Proxy and persistent volumes so you can run a reliable private MTProto proxy with minimal effort.

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