How to make members subscribe to your channel before writing in a Telegram group
Subgate asks members of your Telegram group to subscribe to a channel before they can keep writing. It runs as @MostLikelyToProBot. When an unsubscribed member sends a message, the bot deletes it if it has permission, restricts the member and posts a channel link with an I subscribed button. The member joins the channel, returns to the group and taps that button for a fresh check.
The check happens when someone writes. It doesn't screen every person at the moment they join, and it doesn't check group admins. You need control of both the group and the channel to set it up. One required channel is free. Pro is optional and costs 150 Stars once per group if you need more channels or want to change the prompt.
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Steps
- Add Subgate as a group admin. Use the add-to-group button on this page and choose your group. In the group's administrator settings, allow the bot to restrict members and delete messages. Both permissions matter. Restriction stops further messages while the member subscribes; deletion removes the message that triggered the check. Being an ordinary group member isn't enough for the bot to do this.
- Make the bot an admin of your channel. Open your channel's administrator settings and add @MostLikelyToProBot. The bot needs this role to check whether other people are subscribed. This applies to public channels as well as private ones. A private channel also needs a usable invite link so that members can join. If the bot can't obtain one, give it permission to create an invite link and try the setup again.
- Choose the channel in the group. Send /setchannel @channel as a group admin, replacing @channel with your channel's public username. For a private channel, use its numeric channel ID instead. If the channel is already linked to the group, send /setchannel without an argument to use that linked channel. Read the bot's reply before testing. It explains missing channel access or missing group permissions. Then use /channels to see the saved setup.
- Test with a regular member. Use an ordinary member account that hasn't subscribed to the channel. An admin account won't trigger the check. Send a message in the group and follow the channel button in the bot's reply. Subscribe, return to the group and tap I subscribed. The bot checks membership again and lifts its own restriction using the group's normal permissions. If writing is still unavailable, review the group's default permissions and any restrictions an admin applied separately.
Good to know
- On the free plan, setting a different channel replaces the old one. It doesn't add another requirement. Pro allows up to 3 required channels in a group. Use /removechannel @channel to stop checking a channel, or omit the argument when only one channel is configured. /channels shows what is currently required.
- Pro also lets you set your own text above the buttons with /settext and removes the footer. The placeholder {name} inserts the member's name, and /settext reset restores the default text. Send /pro for the group upgrade and follow the private payment link. The payment is 150 Stars once for that group, not a recurring subscription.
- Admins and the group owner are never checked. Bots, automatic channel forwards and messages sent as a channel are skipped too. Subgate doesn't replace restrictions that an admin applied independently. These exceptions are part of its behavior, so testing only with your owner account won't tell you whether ordinary members see the prompt.
- A successful membership check is cached for 10 minutes. Someone who leaves the channel may still write during that period. If Telegram cannot verify membership, the bot doesn't restrict a member on that failed check. The check applies a subscription requirement within these limits. It cannot guarantee that every message comes from a current subscriber.
FAQ
- Can I require a private channel subscription?
- Yes. Make the bot a channel admin, provide the numeric channel ID or use the group's linked channel, and ensure the bot has an invite link it can show members. If necessary, grant it permission to create that link.
- Why can an admin write without subscribing?
- Group admins and owners are exempt by design. Try the setup with a regular member. Messages sent under a channel identity are also skipped, so write as a person when checking the member flow.
- Is the subscription check free?
- One channel per group is free, with a small footer and an add-to-group button. Pro is optional. For 150 Stars once per group, it supports up to 3 required channels and your own prompt text, with no footer.
- What should a member do after subscribing?
- Return to the group and tap I subscribed under the bot's prompt. That requests a fresh membership check. If all required channels are joined, the bot lifts the restriction it applied and restores the group's default permissions.
Related guides
- How to delete links in a Telegram group automatically
- How to Run a Fair Giveaway in a Telegram Channel
- 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
- MostLikelyToProBot. Ask group members to subscribe to your channel before they can write.
- 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.