How to set up a welcome message and captcha in Telegram

The first ten seconds after someone joins your group set the tone. A welcome message tells them where they are and what to do next; a captcha makes sure they're a real person, not a spam bot. Set up together, they create a clean, friendly onboarding that scales. Here's how to do both.

Why you need both

A welcome message without a captcha greets bots as warmly as humans. A captcha without a welcome message feels like a locked door. Combine them and every genuine new member gets oriented while automated spam never makes it past the gate.

Writing a welcome message that works

• Greet them by name to feel personal.
• State what the group is about in one line.
• Point to the rules and any pinned resources.
• Give one clear first action — introduce yourself, read the pin, grab a freebie.
• Keep it short; nobody reads a wall of text on arrival.

Setting up the captcha

A captcha challenges each new joiner before they can post. The most common form is a button tap or a simple puzzle that bots can't complete. Members who don't verify within a time limit are removed automatically, so spam accounts never get a foothold.

Step by step

1. 1Connect your bot and give it admin rights in the group.
2. 2Enable captcha for new members and set a verification timeout.
3. 3Write your welcome message with a greeting, the group's purpose and a first action.
4. 4Optionally restrict media or links until a member is verified.
5. 5Test by joining with a second account to confirm the flow.

Tuning over time

Watch how many joiners complete the captcha. If real people are getting stuck, simplify the challenge; if spam is sneaking through, tighten it. The right balance lets humans in instantly and stops bots cold.