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Telegram link not working

A Telegram link usually fails for one of five reasons: a typo in the username, a username that was changed or removed, a phone number link blocked by privacy settings, an invite link that was revoked, expired or used up, or a join request still waiting for an admin. Look at what the link starts with to see which one applies.

Telegram link generatorUpdated 4 min read

| The link looks like | It is | Most likely problem | |---|---|---| | t.me/name | A username link | Typo, or the username changed | | t.me/+447700900123 (digits) | A phone number link | Privacy settings | | t.me/+AbC12… or t.me/joinchat/… | A private invite link | Revoked, expired or used up | | t.me/name?start=… | A bot link | Bad start parameter |

Username links

Check the spelling. Telegram usernames use only a–z, 0–9 and underscores, so a dot, a hyphen or a space means the link is wrong. Capital letters don't matter: Telegram treats Telegram and TeleGram as the same user. Paste the link into the tool above and it tells you if the username can't be valid.

Check the username still exists. If the owner changed their username, or removed it by saving an empty one in Settings, Telegram's FAQ says people can no longer find them by it. Old links then lead nowhere, or to whoever takes the name next. Ask the person for their current username and make a new link.

If it's your own link, open Telegram's Settings, check the username shown there, and rebuild the link from it.

Phone number links

A t.me/+ link with a phone number only works if that person's privacy settings let others find them by number. Telegram's FAQ says this in its explanation of t.me links.

If it's your number, open Settings > Privacy and Security > Phone Number in Telegram and check who can find you by it. The simpler fix is to set a username and share that link instead; it works whatever your number settings are.

Also check the format: international, with the country code and without the leading 0. t.me/+447700900123 is right; t.me/07700900123 isn't.

Invite links that expired or stopped working

Private groups and channels use invite links. An admin can give an extra invite link an expiry date, a usage limit, or both, and can revoke any link. A revoked link can't be used to join. That's the usual reason for "link expired" or "invite link is invalid".

  • If you're joining: you can't fix it on your side. Ask an admin for a fresh link.
  • If you're the admin: open the group or channel's Profile > Edit > Invite Links, check the link's limits, and create a new one or share the main link. Update the link wherever you posted it; if it's printed as a QR code, reprint it.

The link opens, but you can't join

Some invite links need admin approval. Telegram shows a button to send a join request instead of a Join button, and you're in only after an admin approves it. Nothing is broken; you have to wait.

Bot links with a start parameter

A link like t.me/your_bot?start=promo passes promo to the bot. Telegram allows only A–Z, a–z, 0–9, _ and - in it, up to 64 characters. Spaces, accents or symbols break it. Choose Bot in the tool and it checks the parameter for you.

The link opens a web page, not the app

On a computer or a phone without Telegram, t.me links open a web page first. Install Telegram, or open the page and use its button to continue to the app. If you have Telegram but the browser still doesn't hand the link over, copy the link and paste it into Telegram's search or a chat with yourself, then tap it there.

Make a link you can trust

Build the link in the tool on this page, then tap Test the link and open it on a second phone before you print anything. For printed links, a QR code from the Telegram QR code generator saves people from typing errors. For more on each format, see Telegram link format, and for sharing group links, Telegram share links.

Telegram link generator

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Sources

Questions

Why does my Telegram invite link say it has expired?

The admin who made it gave it an end date or a maximum number of uses, and it has reached one of them, or the link was revoked. Ask an admin for a new link.

How can I check if a Telegram link works?

Open it on a phone that has Telegram but isn't logged in as you, for example a friend's. If it opens the right chat there, it works. For a username link, the tool on this page also checks the username's format as you type.

Do t.me username links expire?

No. A username link works for as long as that username belongs to the same account, group, channel or bot. It stops working if the username is changed or removed.