How to revoke an invite link

To revoke an invite link in Telegram, open your channel or group settings, navigate to the "Invite Links" section, find the link you want to disable, tap on it, and select "Revoke Link." This immediately deactivates the link so no new users can join through it. Any previously shared copies of that link become useless instantly.

Understanding Invite Links in Telegram

Telegram channels and groups use invite links as one of the primary methods for adding new members. Every channel has a primary invite link that is created automatically, plus the ability to generate additional invite links with custom parameters.

When you revoke a link, you permanently disable it. Anyone who clicks the revoked link will see a message indicating the link is no longer valid. This is an essential security and management tool, especially if a link has been shared in an unintended context or has been leaked publicly.

Types of Invite Links

Before revoking, it helps to understand which type of link you are dealing with:

Primary invite link — the default link created when the channel or group is set up (e.g., t.me/+aBcDeFgHiJk). Revoking this generates a new primary link automatically.
Additional invite links — custom links created by admins, which can have expiration dates, member limits, or request-approval requirements.
Username-based link — if your channel has a public username like @mytechblog, the link t.me/mytechblog cannot be revoked (you would need to change or remove the username instead).

Important: Revoking a link does not remove members who already joined through it. It only prevents new joins via that specific link.

Step-by-Step Guide: Revoking an Invite Link

Step 1: Open Channel or Group Info

Launch Telegram and navigate to the channel or group where you want to revoke a link. Tap on the channel name at the top of the screen to open the Channel Info panel.

Step 2: Access Invite Links

Scroll down and tap on "Invite Links". On some Telegram versions, this may appear under "Subscribers" or "Members" section. You will see a list showing all active invite links, how many people joined through each, and who created them.

Step 3: Select the Link to Revoke

Find the specific link you want to disable. Tap on it to open its details page. Here you can see:

Number of members who joined via this link
Creation date
Expiration date (if set)
Member limit (if set)
The admin who created the link

Step 4: Tap "Revoke Link"

At the bottom of the link detail page, tap "Revoke Link". Telegram will ask you to confirm the action. Tap "Revoke" again to confirm.

Step 5: Verify the Revocation

The link will move to the "Revoked Links" section at the bottom of the Invite Links page. You can view revoked links there and permanently delete them if needed.

Revoking the Primary Invite Link

If you need to revoke the primary link:

Go to Channel Info → Invite Links
Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the primary link, or tap on the link itself
Select "Revoke Link"
Telegram will automatically generate a new primary invite link to replace it

This is useful if your main invite link was accidentally posted somewhere you didn't intend.

Revoking Links on Desktop (Telegram Desktop / Web)

The process on desktop is nearly identical:

Right-click the channel name or click the channel header to open info
Click "Invite Links" in the sidebar
Click on the link you want to revoke
Click "Revoke Link" and confirm

On Telegram Web (web.telegram.org), the interface is similar but some options may be nested under a settings gear icon.

Managing Invite Links at Scale

For channels with many admins or frequent link creation, managing invite links becomes critical. Telegram provides several built-in tools:

Filtering by Admin

In the Invite Links section, you can filter links by the admin who created them. This is helpful when you have a team of 5-10 admins and need to audit or revoke links from a specific person — for example, if an admin leaves your team.

Setting Expiration Dates Proactively

Rather than manually revoking links after the fact, you can create links that expire automatically:

Time-limited links — expire after a set period (1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, or a custom date)
Member-limited links — deactivate after a certain number of people join (e.g., 50, 100, or 500 members)

Join Request Links

Links with "Request Admin Approval" enabled require each person to be manually approved before joining. While this does not replace revocation, it adds an extra layer of control.

When Should You Revoke an Invite Link?

Common scenarios where revoking a link is the right action:

A link was leaked to an audience you did not intend (e.g., posted on a public forum)
A promotional campaign ended and you no longer want new members through that specific link
An admin left your team and you want to invalidate all links they created
You suspect bot spam — revoking the compromised link and creating a new one with join-request approval can help
Tracking purposes — when you want to create fresh links to measure new campaign performance separately

If you maintain a public web presence for your Telegram channel — for instance, through services like tgchannel.space that export channel content to SEO-optimized blogs — you should also update any invite links displayed on your web pages after revocation.

Tips & Best Practices

Label your links clearly. When creating additional invite links, use the name field to describe their purpose (e.g., "Twitter bio link," "Newsletter promo March 2026," "Partner cross-promo"). This makes it easy to identify which link to revoke later.
Rotate links periodically. For security-conscious channels, revoke and replace invite links every 1-3 months, especially if links are shared publicly.
Use separate links for each distribution channel. Create distinct invite links for your website, social media profiles, email newsletters, and cross-promotions. This way, you can revoke a single compromised link without affecting others.
Audit revoked links regularly. Old revoked links pile up in the Revoked Links section. Periodically delete them to keep your link management tidy.
Communicate with your team. If you revoke a link that other admins are actively sharing, inform them immediately and provide the replacement link.
Consider join-request links for sensitive channels. Instead of revoking links reactively, use approval-required links so every new member is vetted before joining.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Thinking revocation removes existing members
Why it's wrong: Revoking a link only prevents future joins. Members who already joined through that link remain in the channel. To remove them, you need to ban or kick them individually.
How to avoid: If a link was compromised and unwanted members joined, use the link's statistics to identify recent joiners and remove them manually.

Mistake 2: Revoking the public username link
Why it's wrong: The t.me/channelname link tied to a public username cannot be revoked through the invite links interface. It is not a traditional invite link.
How to avoid: To disable a username-based link, go to Channel Info → Edit → Channel Type and either change the username or switch the channel to private.

Mistake 3: Forgetting to update shared links after revocation
Why it's wrong: If you revoke a link that is embedded in your website, email signatures, QR codes on printed materials, or bio sections of social profiles, visitors will encounter a dead link.
How to avoid: Keep a record of everywhere each invite link is published. After revoking, update all external placements with the new link.

Mistake 4: Revoking instead of editing link parameters
Why it's wrong: If you just want to change the member limit or expiration date, you may not need to revoke the link entirely. Telegram allows editing some parameters of existing additional links.
How to avoid: Check if the adjustment you need can be made by editing the link before resorting to full revocation.

Mistake 5: Not creating a replacement link before revoking
Why it's wrong: If you revoke your only active link without preparing a new one, you temporarily lose the ability to invite anyone.
How to avoid: Create the new invite link first, distribute it where needed, then revoke the old one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a revoked invite link?
No. Once a link is revoked, it cannot be reactivated. You will need to create a new invite link. However, you can view the statistics of revoked links (how many members joined) in the Revoked Links section before deleting them permanently.

Does revoking a link notify the channel members?
No. Revoking a link is a silent action. No notification is sent to existing members or to people who previously used the link to join. Only admins with the Invite Users via Link permission can see link management changes.

How many invite links can a channel have?
Telegram allows up to 1,000 additional invite links per channel or group, created across all admins. Each admin can create and manage their own links. Revoked links do not count toward this limit once deleted.

Can a regular member revoke invite links?
No. Only admins with the "Invite Users via Link" permission can create, edit, or revoke invite links. The channel owner can manage all links, including those created by other admins.

Is there a way to revoke all invite links at once?
Telegram does not offer a bulk revoke option. You must revoke links one at a time. However, if you need to revoke all links created by a specific admin, you can filter by that admin in the Invite Links section and revoke them sequentially.