Make group members join your channel before they write

Many admins run a channel for news and a group for talk. They want the people who talk in the group to also follow the channel. A “force subscribe” bot does this. When a member writes without being subscribed, the bot holds their message and shows a link to the channel.

This guide uses Subgate, made by the maker of this site. It explains the setup, what the bot checks, and how to use it without annoying your members.

Why admins ask members to join a channel

Admins ask group members to join a channel so that announcements reach everyone who talks in the group. Rules, event dates and changes go to the channel once, and the group stays on topic. The channel also grows with each active member. A bot like Subgate checks this when a member writes.

• Announcements reach everyone. Rules, event dates and changes go to the channel, and group members see them.
• The group stays on topic. People who follow the channel already know the basics, so the group gets fewer repeat questions.
• The channel grows with the group. Each active member is also a subscriber.

There is a cost. Some people will leave rather than join a channel. Use this only when the channel is useful to the people in the group.

How Subgate works

Subgate checks channel membership each time a member writes in the group. If the member is not subscribed to the required channel, the bot deletes the message, restricts the member and shows a channel link with an I subscribed button. Subgate runs as @MostLikelyToProBot, a handle older than the bot’s current name.

When a member writes without being subscribed to the required channel, the bot:

1. Deletes the message, if it has the right to delete messages.
2. Restricts the member, so they cannot write for now.
3. Shows a channel link and an I subscribed button.

After the member joins the channel, they tap I subscribed. The bot runs a fresh check, and the member can write again under the group’s usual permissions.

How to set up Subgate

Subgate needs admin rights in two places: the group, to restrict members and delete messages, and the channel, to check who is subscribed. Then a group admin sends /setchannel @channel in the group and checks the setup with /channels. Test it from a normal account that is not an admin and not subscribed.

1. Add the bot to your group as an admin. Give it the rights to restrict members and delete messages.
2. Add the bot to your channel as an admin. It must be an admin there to check who is subscribed.
3. Send /setchannel @channel in the group. Use your channel’s real username in place of @channel. Only a group admin can do this.
4. Check the setup. Send /channels to see the current channel and plan.
5. Test with a normal account. Ask a friend who is not an admin and not subscribed to send a message.

If you send /setchannel with no argument, the bot uses the group’s linked channel. To stop the check, send /removechannel @channel. With only one channel, you can leave out the argument. For help with admin rights, read how to add a bot to a group and give it admin rights.

Private channels

A private channel has no public username. Make the bot an admin of the channel, then send /setchannel with the numeric channel ID. You can also leave out the argument if it is the group’s linked channel. The bot needs a usable invite link to show members. If none is available, give it the right to create one.

What the bot checks, and what it skips

Subgate checks members when they write, not when they join, and it never checks admins, bots or messages sent as a channel. A passed check is cached for 10 minutes. A failed check restricts nobody: if Telegram cannot confirm membership, for example because the bot lost channel access, the member can still write.

• Admins are never checked. Group admins and owners can always write.
• Bots and messages sent as a channel are skipped.
• The check starts when a member writes, not when they join. A new member can read the group before they subscribe.
• A passed check is cached for 10 minutes. If a member leaves the channel, the bot does not notice at once.
• A failed check restricts nobody. If Telegram cannot confirm membership, for example because the bot lost access to the channel, the bot does not restrict the member.

Free vs Pro

Subgate is free for one required channel per group, with a small footer and an add-to-group button under the prompt. On the free plan, a new /setchannel replaces the old channel. Pro costs 150 Stars (about $3) once per group and allows up to 3 required channels.

Pro is optional. It also lets you write your own prompt with /settext, and it removes the footer. For example: /settext {name}, please subscribe before writing. The {name} part becomes the member’s name. An admin pays in a private chat with the bot. To compare Pro across all bots, see the Pro page.

Use it with respect

A subscribe rule feels like a wall if nobody explains it, so tell members why it is there. Pin the rule, explain in one short line what the channel gives them, and keep the channel useful. Pro allows 3 required channels, but most groups need 1. Fewer walls mean fewer people who leave.

• Say it in the rules. Pin a message that says the group requires the channel, and why.
• Write a clear prompt. With Pro, use /settext to explain what the channel gives them, in one short line.
• Keep the channel useful. If the channel posts ads all day, people will join, mute it and leave.
• Do not stack too many channels. Pro allows 3. Most groups need 1.

Pair it with Join Approve or Group Gate

Subgate controls who can write, and two other bots from the same maker control who gets in. Join Approve approves join requests and sends each new member a private welcome message. Group Gate mutes each new member until they tap “I’m human” and removes accounts that do not tap within 5 minutes.

Join Approve approves join requests at once and sends each new member one welcome message in private. Telegram has a Request Admin Approval setting for invite links. Turn it on, and make the bot an admin with the right to add members. Use the welcome message to point to your channel before the member writes. Pro is 150 Stars once per chat, for your own welcome text and button.

Group Gate mutes each new member until they tap “I’m human”, and removes accounts that do not tap within 5 minutes. Accounts that never tap are gone before they can write at all. Pro is 150 Stars once per group.

For more ways to keep a group clean, read how to stop spam in a Telegram group.

Common problems

If Subgate seems to do nothing, check two things: the account you test with and the bot’s admin rights. The bot never checks admins, so test with a regular member. It must also be an admin of the channel. Without that, it cannot confirm membership, and it restricts nobody. More fixes are below.

• The bot does not check you. You are an admin. Test with a regular member account.
• The bot does not delete messages. Give it the right to delete messages in the group.
• Nobody gets restricted. The bot is not an admin of the channel, so it cannot confirm membership. Restore its channel admin access.
• A member who joined is still blocked. They must tap I subscribed for a fresh check.
• A member left the channel and can still write. Wait. The passed check is cached for 10 minutes.

See the best Telegram bots for group chats for other tools by job.