Should your bot make users join your channel first?

How mandatory subscription works

The idea is simple. Someone opens your bot and tries to use it. Before doing anything, the bot checks whether that user is a member of your channel. If they are, the bot works normally. If they aren't, it replies with a message like "Join our channel to use this bot", a button that opens the channel, and a second button to check again.

1. The user sends /start or a request, like a link to download.
2. The bot checks whether they're a member of your channel.
3. If not, it shows the join message with the channel link and a check button.
4. The user joins the channel, comes back and taps the check button.
5. The bot confirms the membership and does what they asked.

To check membership, the bot has to be an admin in your channel. Telegram doesn't let a bot see who's in a channel otherwise. The bot doesn't need permission to post; it just needs to be an admin so it can check.

Many bots check again later, not just once. If someone joins, uses the bot and then leaves the channel, the bot asks them to join again next time.

What you gain

• Steady channel growth. Every new user of the bot becomes a subscriber, or at least sees the channel. For a popular bot, that can mean a steady flow of new subscribers without any other promotion.
• An audience you can post to. A bot can only message people who started it, and broadcasts to bot users carry the risk of getting blocked. A channel is a place where people expect posts, so you can share news, content and offers there more freely.
• A second place where people know you. If you ever move to a new bot, or the bot stops working for a while, your channel subscribers can still hear from you.
• Something to offer partners. A channel with real subscribers is easier to use for cross-promotion than a bot user count, because other owners can see it.

This is why the setup is so common with download and utility bots: the bot brings people in, and the channel keeps a relationship with them.

What it costs you

The downsides are real, and many bot owners underestimate them.

• Friction at the worst moment. The join message arrives exactly when the user wants a result. Some people will leave instead of joining, and you never see them again.
• Hollow subscribers. People who joined only to get into the bot often mute the channel or leave it soon after. Your subscriber count goes up faster than the number of people who actually read your posts.
• Constant churn. If the bot checks again and asks people who left to rejoin, some will rejoin and leave every time they use it. That's annoying for them and makes your channel numbers jumpy.
• Damage to the bot's reputation. Users talk. A bot known for "making you join channels" gets recommended less than one that just works.

There's no reliable public number for how many people leave at the join screen or unsubscribe afterwards. It varies a lot between bots. The only way to know for yours is to measure: compare new and active bot users, and your channel's subscriber count, before and after you turn it on.

How to do it well

If you decide to use it, a few choices make the difference between a growing channel and a bot people avoid.

Make the bot genuinely useful first

Mandatory subscription works when the bot is worth one extra tap. A fast, reliable downloader or converter can ask for it. A bot that barely works, or does something available everywhere, will mostly lose people at the join screen.

Ask for one channel, not five

Some bots ask users to join several channels before they work. Each extra channel loses more people, and the ones who stay join without any interest in what's inside. One channel, clearly related to what the bot does, brings subscribers who might actually read it.

Match the channel to the bot

A downloader bot paired with a channel of funny videos makes sense to the user. The same bot paired with a crypto signals channel feels like a trick, and those subscribers will leave.

Consider letting people try first

Not every setup allows it, but where you can, let new users get their first result before asking. Someone who has seen the bot work is more willing to join than someone who hasn't.

Make the channel worth staying in

The subscribers who stay are the ones who find something useful in the channel. Post regularly, keep it related to the bot's topic, and don't fill it only with ads. Tips on that are in how to grow a Telegram channel.

Writing the join message

The join message is a small piece of text, but it's where most people decide to stay or leave. Say why, say what to do, and keep it short.

Weak:

⛔️ ACCESS DENIED ⛔️
You must subscribe to our channels to use this bot!!!

Better:

This bot is free, and our channel keeps it running.
Join it, then tap "I've joined" to continue.

[ Open the channel ]
[ I've joined ]

The better version explains the deal honestly, gives two clear steps and doesn't shout. It also helps to say what's in the channel, like "new tools and tips every week", so joining feels like getting something rather than paying a toll.

The same principles apply to the welcome message that comes before it. See how to write a /start message people read.

Doing the same thing in a group

Mandatory subscription also works in groups. Instead of blocking a bot, it limits who can write in the group. The member verification template does this: when someone who hasn't joined your channel writes in the group, the bot removes the message and shows them the channel link and a Verify button. Once they join and tap Verify, they can talk.

The trade-offs are similar. It grows the channel from an active group, but it also stops some new members from ever saying hello. It tends to work best in groups where people really want to take part, such as a support group for a product or a community around a channel they already like. The bot needs to be an admin in both the group and the channel. The setup is in how to add a bot to a Telegram group.

Setting it up without code

If you use Echo Maker, mandatory subscription is part of the admin panel. Send /start to your own bot to open the panel, then set up mandatory subscription with your channel. Remember to make the bot an admin in that channel so it can check who joined.

A common pairing is the video downloader: people use it often, it saves videos from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other sites, and they keep coming back, so asking them to join a channel once is a fair trade. Turn it on, then watch your bot's new and active users in the statistics for a week or two. If active users drop noticeably, try a clearer join message or a more relevant channel before giving up on it.