Verifying your channel
Verification is how Onflow Ads confirms two things before your channel can go anywhere near the marketplace: that the channel really exists on Telegram, and that you actually control it. You prove both at once by adding our verification bot to your channel as an administrator — something only a channel admin can do.
The same verification panel appears on every surface that lists or confirms a channel, so once you know it here, you know it everywhere.
Why a bot, and why admin rights
- Proof of control. Only an administrator of a channel can appoint another administrator. If our bot shows up in your channel's admin list, you (or someone on your team) put it there.
- Proof of existence. Once the bot is inside, we ask Telegram directly for the channel and its admin list — no guesswork, no screenshots.
- Ability to deliver. The engines that publish posts for you (cross-promotion, sponsored posts) need the bot to be able to post in the channel. That is why the Post Messages right is required, not just membership.
Verification is instant. The moment the bot is an admin with the required right, the check passes — there is no waiting period and no human in the loop.
When verification runs
You will meet the verification panel at these moments:
- When you add a channel — on the Add your channel page, after you click Fetch & preview. The channel's details are only fetched after the bot check passes.
- When you submit your listing for review — clicking Submit for review in the setup wizard re-runs the check. If the bot was removed in the meantime, the panel reappears and the submission is held until you fix it.
- On other engines that confirm channels — for example when enlisting a channel for Cross-Promotion or submitting a Paid Promotions listing. It is the exact same panel with the same rules.
The Subscriber Exchange additionally requires the Delete Messages right, because it promises advertisers that a placement comes down on schedule — and the bot cannot keep that promise without it. The panel always shows exactly which rights the surface you are on needs.
The verification panel, piece by piece
When a check fails, the panel "Add our bot to verify your channel" appears with everything you need:
- The bot's @username, shown as a chip with a Copy button next to it, in case you prefer to add the bot manually from inside Telegram.
- A rights checklist. Each admin right we ask for is listed with a short explanation of why it is needed. Rights marked with a red required badge block verification if missing; the rest are recommended. Once the bot is an admin, each right it already holds shows a green check, and any missing required right is highlighted with an exclamation mark.
- The "Add @bot as admin" button — a one-tap Telegram deep link. It opens Telegram, lets you pick which of your channels to add the bot to, and pre-selects the exact admin toggles we ask for, so you can just confirm.
- "I've done it — check again" — click this after adding the bot. The button shows a brief "Checking…" spinner and the panel updates with the result.
The rights we ask for
| Right | Required? | Why we ask |
|---|---|---|
| Post Messages | Required | So the bot can publish the sponsored or cross-promo post |
| Edit Messages | Recommended | So the bot can fix or refresh a post it published |
| Delete Messages | Recommended | So the bot can remove the post when the placement ends |
If your Telegram account is the creator of the channel and you make the bot an admin, Telegram lets you choose its rights just like for any admin — the deep-link button pre-selects them for you.
What the check verifies
| Check | What it means |
|---|---|
| The channel exists and is public | We can reach it on Telegram from the link you pasted |
| It really is a channel | Groups and personal accounts are rejected — only public channels can be listed |
| Our bot is an admin | The bot appears in the channel's administrator list |
| The bot has the required rights | In particular, Post Messages must be switched on |
| You are an admin | If your Telegram account is linked to Onflow Ads, we also confirm that you are an administrator of the channel — so nobody can list a channel they do not control |
The "you are an admin" check only runs when your Onflow Ads account is linked to your Telegram account (by starting our bot and signing in with it). Linking is worth doing anyway — it also unlocks Telegram DM notifications.
Every result message, decoded
| Message you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "We couldn't find that channel. Add @bot to your channel as an administrator, then try again." | The link is wrong, the channel does not exist, or the bot has not been added yet — Telegram will not show us a channel the bot cannot see | Check the link, add the bot, check again |
| "Only public Telegram channels can be verified — that looks like a group or user." | You pasted a group or a personal profile link | Paste your channel's public link instead |
| "Add @bot to your channel as an administrator (with 'Post Messages'), then verify again." | The bot is in the channel but not as an administrator, or not there at all | Promote the bot to admin |
| "@bot is an admin but is missing the 'Post Messages' right." | The bot is an admin, but that specific toggle is off | Open your channel's admin settings, edit the bot's rights, switch Post Messages on |
| "You must be an administrator of this channel to list it." | Your linked Telegram account is not in the channel's admin list | Have the channel owner add you as an admin, then check again |
| "We couldn't reach Telegram from our server right now. Please try again in a moment." | A temporary connectivity issue on our side | Wait a moment and retry — nothing you did was wrong |
After verification passes
- On the Add your channel page, the panel disappears and the live preview card appears with the badge Public channel found — you can continue to setup.
- On Submit for review, your submission goes through and the channel enters the moderation queue.
- Your subscriber count is taken directly from Telegram via the bot, so the number on your listing is exact, not an estimate.
Keep the bot in your channel
Verification is not a one-off hoop:
- Removing the bot later means the next check fails — you will not be able to resubmit a listing, and engines that post through the bot cannot deliver into your channel.
- Turning off the Post Messages right has the same effect as removing the bot for verification purposes.
- The bot never posts anything in your channel on its own — it only publishes the placements you accept through the engines.
FAQ
Can I verify a private channel?
No. Only channels with a public @username / t.me link can be verified and listed. Private channels, groups and personal accounts are all rejected.
The deep-link button opened Telegram but my channel is not in the list
Telegram only offers channels where your account has the right to add admins. If your channel is missing, your Telegram account is not an admin of it (or lacks the "Add New Admins" permission there).
I added the bot but the check still fails
Give Telegram a few seconds to register the change, then click I've done it — check again. If it still fails, confirm you added the bot to the channel itself — not to a linked discussion group — and that the Post Messages toggle is on.
Does the bot see my subscribers or messages?
The bot uses its admin position to confirm the channel, read its public details and exact subscriber count, and publish the placements you accept. Granting only the rights in the checklist is enough — nothing more is asked for.
Next: Setting up your channel listing — the three-step wizard that turns a verified channel into a listing.