How to create an invite link to a channel

Creating an invite link to your Telegram channel is one of the most essential steps for growing your audience. Every Telegram channel automatically gets a permanent invite link, but you can also create additional custom links with expiration dates, member limits, and tracking capabilities — giving you full control over how people join your channel.

Understanding Telegram Channel Invite Links

Telegram offers two types of invite links for channels: primary (permanent) and additional (custom). The primary link is generated automatically when you create a channel and looks like t.me/+AbCdEfGhIjK. Additional links can be created with specific restrictions and are perfect for tracking different promotion campaigns.

For public channels, you also have a username-based link (e.g., t.me/yourchannel), which serves as the simplest way to share your channel. However, invite links provide extra functionality that username links cannot — such as join request approval, expiration timers, and usage limits.

Primary vs. Additional Links

Feature Primary Link Additional Links Quantity 1 per channel Up to 1000 Expiration Never expires Can be time-limited Member limit Unlimited Can be capped Join requests Optional Optional Revocable Can be reset Can be deleted Tracking name No Yes

How to Create an Invite Link on Mobile (iOS & Android)

Step 1: Open Channel Settings

Open your Telegram channel, tap the channel name at the top of the screen to access the channel info page. Then tap the pencil icon (Edit) or select Edit Channel from the menu.

Step 2: Find the Invite Link Section

Scroll down to the Invite Links section. You will see your current primary invite link displayed here. Tap on it to copy, share, or manage your links.

Step 3: Create a New Additional Link

Tap "Create a New Link" to generate a custom invite link. You will see several configuration options:

  • Link name — Give it a descriptive label like "Twitter Bio" or "YouTube Description" so you can track where new members come from
  • Expiration date — Set a specific date and time after which the link becomes inactive
  • Member limit — Restrict how many people can join through this link (from 1 to 99,999)
  • Request admin approval — When enabled, users must submit a join request that you or another admin must approve manually

Step 4: Save and Share

Tap "Create" to generate the link. You can now copy it, share it directly via Telegram, or send it through any other messaging platform or social media.

How to Create an Invite Link on Desktop (Telegram Desktop / Web)

Step 1: Access Channel Management

Open your channel in Telegram Desktop. Click the channel name in the top bar, then click "Edit" (the pencil icon in the top-right corner of the info panel).

Step 2: Navigate to Invite Links

In the edit panel, find and click on "Invite Links". This section shows all existing links and their usage statistics.

Step 3: Generate a New Link

Click the "Create a New Link" button. Configure the same options as on mobile — name, expiration, limit, and approval settings — then click "Save".

Using the Telegram Bot API for Invite Links

If you manage your channel through a bot (common for automated workflows or services like tgchannel.space that help export channel content to the web), you can create invite links programmatically using the Bot API methods:

  • createChatInviteLink — creates a new additional invite link
  • editChatInviteLink — modifies an existing link's parameters
  • revokeChatInviteLink — revokes a previously created link
  • exportChatInviteLink — generates a new primary invite link (resets the old one)

Example parameters for createChatInviteLink:

  • chat_id — your channel's numeric ID or @username
  • name — label for the link (up to 32 characters)
  • expire_date — Unix timestamp for expiration
  • member_limit — maximum number of joins (1–99,999)
  • creates_join_request — set to true to require admin approval

Tracking and Managing Your Invite Links

One of the most powerful features of additional invite links is tracking. Each link keeps its own statistics:

  • Total joins — how many people used this specific link
  • Creation date — when the link was generated
  • Creator — which admin created the link
  • Remaining uses — if a limit was set, how many slots are left

This makes invite links an effective analytics tool. For example, if you create separate links for your Instagram bio, YouTube video description, and a guest post on another blog, you can see exactly which source brings the most subscribers.

Revoking and Resetting Links

If a link is compromised or you simply want to stop new joins through a specific source:

  1. Go to Channel Settings → Invite Links
  2. Find the link you want to revoke
  3. Tap or click on it, then select "Revoke"
  4. The link immediately becomes inactive — anyone trying to use it will see an error

To reset your primary link, go to the same section and tap "Revoke" on the primary link. Telegram will automatically generate a new one. The old link will stop working instantly.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Name every link descriptively. Use labels like "LinkedIn Post March 2026" or "Email Newsletter Footer" so you can trace which promotion channels work best without guessing.
  • Use time-limited links for events. If you are running a webinar or a limited-time promotion, set the expiration to match the campaign end date. This prevents late or unwanted joins.
  • Enable join requests for premium or private content. If your channel offers exclusive material, requiring admin approval lets you screen new members and maintain quality.
  • Create a dedicated link for your website. If you display your Telegram channel on a web platform like tgchannel.space, use a separate tracked link so you can measure how much traffic your web presence drives to Telegram.
  • Rotate links periodically. If you share invite links in public spaces (forums, social media), revoke and replace them every few months to prevent abuse or unwanted sharing.
  • Use QR codes for offline promotion. Telegram lets you generate a QR code for any invite link — perfect for business cards, printed flyers, or event banners.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using only the primary link everywhere
Why it's wrong: You lose all ability to track where your subscribers come from. Every join looks identical in your analytics.
How to avoid: Create a separate additional link for each distribution channel and label it clearly.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to revoke leaked links
Why it's wrong: If an invite link meant for a specific group gets shared publicly, you may get a flood of unwanted members.
How to avoid: Monitor your invite link statistics regularly. If a link shows unexpectedly high usage, revoke it immediately and create a replacement.

Mistake 3: Setting member limits too low
Why it's wrong: If you set a limit of 50 on a link shared in a post that reaches thousands, only the first 50 people can join. The rest see an error, which creates a poor first impression.
How to avoid: Estimate your audience reach before setting limits. For public campaigns, either set a generous limit or leave it unlimited.

Mistake 4: Not using join requests when you should
Why it's wrong: For channels with paid or exclusive content, open invite links can be shared freely, bypassing your intended access control.
How to avoid: Enable Request admin approval for any link distributed in contexts where you want to verify who joins.

Mistake 5: Confusing the channel username link with invite links
Why it's wrong: The t.me/yourchannel link based on your public username cannot be revoked, limited, or tracked. It always works as long as your channel is public.
How to avoid: Understand that username links and invite links serve different purposes. Use invite links when you need control and tracking; use the username link for general discoverability.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many invite links can I create for one channel?
Telegram allows up to 1,000 additional invite links per channel at any time. This is more than enough even for large-scale marketing campaigns with dozens of tracked sources.

Can I see who joined through a specific invite link?
Telegram shows the total number of joins per link but does not reveal individual usernames of people who used a specific link. For join-request links, however, you see each user's profile when they request to join.

Do invite links work for both public and private channels?
Yes. Both public and private channels support invite links. For public channels, the username-based link (t.me/channelname) also works alongside invite links. Private channels rely entirely on invite links since they have no public username.

What happens when an invite link expires?
When a link reaches its expiration date or member limit, it becomes inactive. Anyone clicking it will see a message that the link is no longer valid. Existing members who joined through the link are not affected — they remain in the channel.

Can a regular member create an invite link?
No. Only channel admins with the Invite Users via Link permission can create, edit, or revoke invite links. The channel owner can grant or restrict this permission for each admin individually.