How to delete links in a Telegram group automatically
Group Shield can delete new messages with links from ordinary members of your Telegram group. It runs as @WordRaceGroupBot. Add it as an administrator, give it the required permissions and turn on /links. The bot uses links Telegram recognises in message text or captions, including a link hidden behind a word. A plain @mention doesn't count as a link.
Nothing is switched on when you add the bot. You choose the rules your group needs. Link deletion is free, as are join and leave message cleanup and a flood mute. Pro is optional and costs 150 Stars once per group. You don't need to buy it to turn on /links. Admins are never checked, so an owner account won't work for testing the filter.
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Steps
- Add Group Shield to your group. Use the add-to-group button on this page and choose your group. The bot's handle is @WordRaceGroupBot, even though the product is called Group Shield. Open the group's administrator settings and give it permission to delete messages and restrict members. Deletion is needed for links and service messages; restriction is needed for the flood mute. Save those permissions before testing. Simply adding the bot as an ordinary member isn't enough.
- Turn on link deletion as an admin. Send /links on in the group from an administrator account. Then send /status to see the saved switches and plan. The other switches stay off unless you enable them separately. Read the reply if the bot reports missing rights, and check its administrator permissions before continuing. To stop deleting links later, send /links off. Turning this switch off doesn't clear a Pro group's blocked-word list, which is a separate rule.
- Test a new message from a regular member. Use an ordinary member account to send a new message containing a link. Don't test from an admin account or send under a channel identity, because those messages are exempt. The bot deletes the whole message when the link rule matches, not just the link text. Captions can trigger deletion too. If the message stays, check /status and the delete permission. Editing a link into an existing message is not a valid test because edits aren't processed.
- Choose whether to enable the other switches. Send /clean on if you want join and leave service messages removed. Send /flood on if you want a 10-minute mute when a non-admin sends 5 messages in 10 seconds. These are independent choices. A busy conversation can meet that message threshold without being spam, so tell members what rule you've enabled. Use /clean off or /flood off to disable the corresponding switch, and read /status again to confirm the setup.
Good to know
- Pro adds an allowlist of up to 20 domains. Send /allow example.com to permit that domain and its subdomains through the link filter. Use /allow to view the list or /allow remove example.com to remove an entry. A different blocked link in the same message can still cause deletion. Allowing a domain doesn't exempt the message from the word filter or the flood rule.
- With Pro, /block followed by a word or phrase adds it to a list of up to 50 entries. Matching uses whole words and ignores case. The bot deletes matching messages rather than banning their authors. This filter starts as soon as an admin adds a word, even if /links is off. Use /block to inspect the list and /block remove followed by an entry to remove it.
- Pro also lets you write your own warning with /settext. The placeholder {name} inserts the member's name, and /settext reset restores the standard text. Pro removes the footer. Send /pro for the group upgrade and follow the private payment link. The price is 150 Stars once for that group. It isn't a recurring charge or an upgrade for every group you manage.
- The bot doesn't stop all spam. It skips admins, bots, automatic channel forwards and messages sent as a channel. Members already restricted by an admin are also exempt from its message filters. Links added by editing old messages aren't checked. Missing rights or Telegram errors can prevent deletion or muting. Review the group's rules and permissions if the result differs from your test; buying Pro doesn't remove these limits.
FAQ
- Can I delete links without paying?
- Yes. Link deletion is free. Add the bot with delete and restrict rights, then send /links on as a group admin. All switches start off. Pro is only needed for the domain allowlist, blocked words, your own warning text and removal of the footer.
- Why can admins still send links?
- Admins and the group owner are never checked. Test with a regular member account and a new message. Messages sent as a channel are skipped too.
- Will the bot catch a link added in an edit?
- No. Edited messages aren't processed. The link rule applies to new messages with links recognised by Telegram, including captions. It doesn't treat every piece of text that resembles an address as a link.
- Does a flood mute mean someone was banned?
- No. With /flood on, 5 messages in 10 seconds trigger a 10-minute restriction on sending messages. The person remains in the group. The rule counts messages; it doesn't decide whether their content is spam.
Related guides
- How to make members subscribe to your channel before writing in a Telegram group
- How to Auto-Approve Join Requests in a Telegram Channel or Group
- How to Send a Secret Message on Telegram That Only One Person Can Open
- How to Send a Secret Message in a Telegram Group Chat
- How to Send an Anonymous Message on Telegram
Related bots
- WordRaceGroupBot. Choose which messages Group Shield removes from your group.
- AnonInboxProBot. A personal link where strangers write to you anonymously; you reply and can block.
- AnonSayProBot. Post anonymously into a Telegram group through the bot.
- JoinApproveProBot. Approves every join request at once and sends each new member one welcome message.
Curious what the Pro features cost? See pricing.