> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.crevio.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Telegram

> Connect your Telegram groups and channels to sell paid access with automatic member management.

The Telegram integration lets you sell access to Telegram groups and channels as a product experience. When a customer purchases, Crevio generates a unique invite link and sends it directly to the customer via Telegram DM. When access is revoked, Crevio can remove or ban the user automatically.

## Setting up the Telegram integration

Before you begin, make sure you have:

* A Telegram group or channel where you are an admin
* The Crevio bot added to your group or channel as an admin
* A Crevio product with at least one price variant

## Connecting your Telegram group or channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Telegram experience">
    In your dashboard, go to **Products**, select a product, and add or edit a price variant. Under **Experiences**, create a new experience and choose **Telegram** as the type.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start verification">
    Click **Connect Telegram channel**. Crevio generates a unique verification code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the bot to your group">
    Add the Crevio Telegram bot to your group or channel as an **admin**. Then send the verification code as a message in the chat. The bot needs admin privileges to manage members and create invite links.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for verification">
    Crevio automatically detects the verification message and links the chat to your experience. The verification completes within a few seconds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  The verification code expires after 5 minutes. If it expires, click **Connect Telegram channel** again to generate a new one.
</Note>

## Creating a Telegram experience

Once connected, your Telegram experience is ready. You can connect multiple chats (groups and channels) to a single experience -- when a customer purchases, they receive invite links for all connected chats.

Configure these settings for each Telegram experience:

* **Connected chats** -- The Telegram groups and channels linked to this experience.
* **Cancellation action** -- What happens when a subscription is cancelled or an order is refunded.

## How auto invite and remove works

### Granting access

When a customer completes a checkout that includes a Telegram experience:

1. Crevio checks if the customer has connected their Telegram account via OAuth.
2. For each connected chat, Crevio creates a **single-use invite link** personalized for the customer.
3. The invite links are sent to the customer via a Telegram DM from the Crevio bot.
4. The customer clicks the link to join the group or channel.

### Revoking access

When a subscription is cancelled, an order is refunded, or access is revoked manually, Crevio takes action based on the configured cancellation setting:

| Action          | What happens                                                                           |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **No action**   | The customer stays in the group or channel. Handle removal manually if needed.         |
| **Remove user** | The customer is removed from the chat but can rejoin if they obtain a new invite link. |
| **Ban user**    | The customer is kicked and banned from the chat, preventing them from rejoining.       |

## Customer OAuth connection

For the Telegram integration to work, your customers need to connect their Telegram account to Crevio. This happens through Telegram's OAuth flow:

1. After purchasing a product with a Telegram experience, the customer is prompted to **Connect Telegram**.
2. They authorize Crevio to identify their Telegram account.
3. Once authorized, Crevio sends invite links via DM and manages their access going forward.

This is a one-time connection -- once linked, all future Telegram-based purchases use the same connection.

## Managing members

You can manage Telegram access for individual customers from your dashboard:

* **Add member** -- Manually generate and send invite links to a specific customer.
* **Remove member** -- Remove a customer from all connected chats.
* **Remove a connected chat** -- Disconnect a specific group or channel from the experience. This does not remove existing members from the chat.

<Tip>
  If you need to move to a different Telegram group, remove the old chat and connect the new one. Existing members are not automatically migrated -- they will need new invite links.
</Tip>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The verification code is not being detected">
    Make sure the Crevio bot is in the group or channel **as an admin** before you send the verification code. The bot needs admin privileges to read messages. Also verify that you are sending the exact code (including the `VERIFY_` prefix) as a message in the chat, not as a reply or edit.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Customers are not receiving invite links">
    The customer must have their Telegram account connected to Crevio. If they have not connected it, they will see a prompt on their experience page. Also confirm that the customer has not blocked the Crevio bot on Telegram -- blocked bots cannot send DMs.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The bot cannot create invite links">
    Ensure the Crevio bot has the **Create Invite Links** admin permission in your Telegram group or channel. Without this permission, the bot cannot generate access links for customers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I removed a connected chat by mistake">
    Reconnect it by clicking **Connect Telegram channel** and sending a new verification code in the chat. Existing members are not affected.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>