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Set up GramGroupsBot

Follow these steps to connect your first Telegram group. Start with one group, check bot permissions and test rules on real messages before applying the same setup to the rest of your network.

1. Open GramGroupsBot in Telegram

Open the bot in a private chat. This is where you start login and receive dashboard links.

You need your Telegram account, access to the bot in private chat, and admin rights in the target Telegram group.

2. Log in to the dashboard

Send /start or /login in the private chat. The bot sends a one-time login link to /auth/telegram-login/:token.

Open the link immediately. It is single-use and time-limited.

If login fails, request a fresh link with /login.

3. Create your account

After login, open the dashboard. If this is your first session, use Create account in onboarding.

Expected result: your workspace is created and you can open /groups.

If you skip this step, group connection through /connect will fail.

4. Add the bot to a Telegram group

Add GramGroupsBot to the target Telegram group or supergroup.

Use the same Telegram user that logged into the dashboard when you continue with connection.

5. Make the bot an administrator

Promote GramGroupsBot to group admin before running /connect.

For moderation actions, the key permission is can_delete_messages. Mass actions also need can_restrict_members.

If the bot is not admin, connection returns an error and the group is not connected.

6. Send /connect in the group

In that group, send /connect from the same Telegram user who logged in and created the account.

Expected result: bot reply Group connected successfully.

Use only /connect. Extra text after the command is ignored in the current version.

7. Check the group in the dashboard

Open /groups. The connected group should appear in the list.

After /connect, the group is stored as status=active and billing_status=billable.

Open the group page from /groups to review bot status and moderation assignments.

8. Fix permission warnings

If you see warnings like Cannot delete or Cannot restrict, update bot rights in Telegram first.

Then open the group page and run Check bot to refresh stored permission flags.

The panel stores bot capability fields such as bot_status, bot_can_delete_messages, and bot_can_restrict_members.

9. Assign your first rules

Assign rules on the group page or via bulk actions in /groups.

  • /stop_word_lists for stop words
  • /required_word_lists for required words
  • /link_rules for links
  • /rate_limit_rules for message limits
  • /welcome_message_rules for greetings

A rule works only where it is assigned. A created but unassigned rule does not affect the group.

10. Test rules on real messages

Run quick checks in the connected group:

  • message with a stop word
  • message without required word
  • message with a link
  • several repeated messages for limits

Note: required-word checks can skip replies with reply_to_message. Other filters can still apply to replies.

11. Check billing status

A connected active group is counted as a paid group. The charge is not applied immediately when you send /connect; it is calculated by the daily billing job.

New accounts start with a $1.50 test balance.

Technically, the group is stored as status=active and billing_status=billable.

12. Connection errors

Error message

Use /connect inside a group or supergroup chat.

Meaning: the command was sent in private chat.

What to do: send /connect inside a Telegram group or supergroup.

Error message

Only group admins can connect this group.

Meaning: the command was sent by a user who is not a group administrator.

What to do: run /connect from a group admin account.

Error message

Please make this bot an admin in this group first.

Meaning: bot is in the group but not admin.

What to do: promote the bot to admin and retry /connect.

Error message

Please open @<bot_name> in private chat first and use /start.

Meaning: the system cannot link this Telegram user yet.

What to do: open private chat and run /start or /login, then retry in group.

Error message

You do not belong to any account yet. Open dashboard and create or join an account.

Meaning: login exists but account is missing.

What to do: open dashboard and create the account first.

Error message

You belong to multiple accounts. Open dashboard and select which account should own this group.

Meaning: your Telegram user is linked to more than one account.

What to do: select the target account in dashboard, then run /connect again.

Error message

This group is already connected to your account.

Meaning: the group is already linked correctly.

What to do: open /groups and continue with permissions/rules.

Error message

This group is already connected to another account.

Meaning: this chat belongs to another GramGroupsBot account.

What to do: use the owning account; automatic reassignment is not performed.

Error message

Could not connect group right now. Please try again.

Meaning: temporary Telegram API or internal error.

What to do: recheck rights, wait briefly, and retry.

13. Common issues

  • Command sent by a non-admin user.
  • Bot is not admin or lacks can_delete_messages.
  • Account was not created after login.
  • Rule exists but is not assigned to this group.
  • Test was done in a reply, where required-word behavior differs.

Next step: configure rules

After the group appears in /groups, configure your first rule and assign it to this group. Start with one stop word or one link rule, test it on a real message, and only then apply the same setup to other groups.

Read rules guide →
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