Telegram Group Links: How Invite Links Work and When They Expire

What t.me/name and t.me/+ links mean, why invite links expire or stop working, how usage limits and revoked links behave, and how to read a link before you tap it.

Published Oct 31, 2026 · 9 min read

A Telegram group link is either a public link, like t.me/groupname, which points to a group's public username and stays the same, or a private invite link, like t.me/+ followed by a random string, which an admin creates and can limit, expire or revoke at any time. Most "this link doesn't work" problems come from the second kind. This guide explains each link format, what the different parts mean, why links stop working, and how to read a link before you trust it.

The two kinds of group link

Public links: t.me/groupname

A public group has a public username, chosen by its admins. Its link is simply t.me/ followed by that username, for example t.me/examplegroup. You may also see the same link written with telegram.me instead of t.me; both point to the same place.

Key things to know about public links:

They do not expire. As long as the group keeps the same username, the link keeps working.
They have no usage limit. Any number of people can use them.
They change if the username changes. If the admins rename the username, the old link stops leading to the group. The old username can eventually be taken by somebody else, so an old public link might later lead to a completely different group or channel. This is worth remembering when you follow a link from an old post.
They can be found in search. Because the group is public, it can also appear in Telegram's global search under its name or username.

Opening a public link usually lets you read the group's recent messages before joining.

Private invite links: t.me/+ followed by a code

A private group has no public username, so it is reached through invite links instead. A modern invite link looks like t.me/+ followed by a string of letters, numbers, dashes and underscores. The string is random; it says nothing about the group's name or topic.

You will also still see the older format, t.me/joinchat/ followed by a string. These are the same kind of link in an older shape, and existing ones generally still work.

Key things to know about private invite links:

The code is the key. Anyone with the link can use it, unless an admin has added limits or approval. That is why private groups ask members not to share links publicly.
They can expire, run out or be revoked. Admins control each link individually, as described below.
They give only a preview. Opening one usually shows the group's name, picture and member count, and perhaps some members you know, but not the conversation.
They never appear in search. The only way to find a private group is to be given a link or added by a member.

Admins of public groups can create these invite links too. That is how a public group can hand out a link with tracking or approval attached, while also keeping its permanent public link.

How admins control invite links

Telegram gives group admins a fair amount of control over invite links. Knowing what they can set explains what you see when a link fails.

The primary link

Every group has a primary invite link. Admins can reset it, which generates a new one and makes the old one stop working. This is often done after a link leaks somewhere it should not have.

Additional links

In current versions of Telegram, admins can create additional invite links alongside the primary one, and set options on each. These include:

An expiry date or time. After it passes, the link stops working.
A usage limit. After a set number of people have joined through it, it stops working.
Request admin approval. People who use the link send a join request instead of joining immediately, and an admin approves or declines each one.
A name for the link. Visible to admins only, so they can tell their links apart.

Admins can see how many people joined through each link, and who. So a group might give one link to a newsletter, another to a partner community and a third to a one-day event, each with its own limits.

Revoking a link

Admins can revoke any invite link at any time. A revoked link stops working immediately for everyone who has not already used it. People who joined through it before it was revoked stay in the group; revoking does not remove them.

Why a group link stops working

When you tap a link and Telegram says it has expired or is invalid, the cause is almost always one of these. The exact message differs between apps, but the meaning is the same: the link no longer leads into the group.

It reached its expiry time. Links created for an event or a limited period simply run out.
It hit its usage limit. A link that allowed a set number of joins is used up once that many people have joined.
It was revoked. An admin turned it off, perhaps because it was shared too widely.
The primary link was reset. Every copy of the old primary link stopped working at once.
The public username changed. For a public link, the group may now be under a different name.
The group was deleted. Or, rarely, restricted by Telegram.
The link was copied wrongly. A missing character or an extra space breaks it, especially with long private codes.

Nothing in your own settings can make a dead link work again. The fix is to get a current link from someone in the group, an admin, or the official website of whatever the group belongs to.

When the link works but you still cannot join

Sometimes the link is fine but joining is not:

The link requires approval. You will see a request button instead of a join button, and you wait for an admin.
You were banned. If admins removed and banned you, links will not let you back in.
The group is full. Telegram groups can have up to 200,000 members.
Your account is limited. Telegram restricts some accounts that join or message many groups in a short time, and accounts can only be in a limited number of chats. Leaving groups you no longer use frees space.

Other t.me links you may meet

Not every t.me link is a group invite. A few other shapes come up often, and it helps to recognize them.

Message links: t.me/groupname/1234. A link to one specific message in a public group or channel. Opening it jumps to that message.
Private message links: t.me/c/ followed by numbers. A link to a message inside a private group or channel. It only works for people who are already members, so for everyone else it leads nowhere. It is not a way to join.
Folder links: t.me/addlist/ followed by a code. In current versions, these share a whole chat folder. Opening one shows a list of the chats in the folder and lets you join several at once. Look at the list before you accept; you can usually untick ones you do not want.
Bot links: t.me/ followed by a username ending in bot. These open a bot, not a group. Some groups use bots to handle joining, but a bot is a separate thing.
tg:// links. Some websites use links starting with tg:// that open the Telegram app directly. They do the same job as t.me links.

How to read a link before you tap it

A link's format tells you what it points to, not whether it is trustworthy. Still, a careful look catches a lot.

Check the domain

Real Telegram links use t.me or telegram.me. Scammers sometimes use look-alike domains with extra letters, swapped characters, or words added before or after "telegram", to send you to a fake login page. If a link that claims to open a Telegram group goes to any other domain, do not tap it, and certainly do not enter your phone number or login code on a web page it opens.

Check where it came from

The safest source for a group link is the official website or profile of whatever the group is about: the project, course, club or organization itself. A link posted by a trusted friend or a long-running group is reasonable. A link in an unsolicited DM, a comment under an unrelated post, or a message promising "exclusive" or "VIP" access is the kind most often used to pull people into scam groups.

Check the preview

When you open a link, Telegram shows a preview before you join. Look at the name, picture and member count. For a public group, read some recent messages. If the preview does not match what the link claimed to be, close it.

Remember that a link cannot ask for your code

Opening or using a group link never requires you to give anyone your login code, your password, or any payment details. Telegram sends login codes only to log in to your account. If a page or person says you need a code "to verify" before joining, it is an attempt to take over your account.

Sharing group links responsibly

If you are a member of a group and someone asks for the link:

For a public group, share the t.me/username link. It does not expire, and anyone can check the group before joining.
For a private group, check the group's rules. Many private groups only want links shared with specific people, and some admins prefer to issue their own links so they can see who joined through each.
Do not post private links publicly unless the admins have said it is fine. A link posted in a busy public place tends to bring spam accounts, and it often leads admins to revoke the link for everyone.

If you run a public group and want people to find it, a directory is a better place for the link than a random comment thread. You can list a group on Group Wall; its page will show the member count and members online read from Telegram's public page, and visitors can report it if something is wrong.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between t.me/+ and t.me/joinchat/ links?

They are both private invite links. The t.me/+ form is the current one; t.me/joinchat/ is the older format. Existing links in either shape generally keep working until an admin revokes them or they expire.

Can a public group link expire?

No. A public t.me/username link has no expiry or usage limit. It only stops working if the group changes or drops its username, or if the group is deleted. In that case, the old username may later be used by someone else entirely.

If an invite link is revoked, am I removed from the group?

No. Revoking a link only stops new people from joining through it. Members who already joined stay in the group unless an admin removes them.

Can I tell how long an invite link has left?

Usually not. Expiry times and usage limits are visible to the group's admins, not to people opening the link. You find out a link has expired when Telegram tells you it no longer works.

Why does a link take me to a group with a different name?

Admins can rename a group at any time, so the title may differ from the one you were told. For public links, the username itself may also have changed hands. Check the preview, read recent messages, and if in doubt, confirm the link with the source you expected it from.

Is it safe to open a t.me link from a stranger?

Opening a genuine t.me link only shows a preview inside Telegram, which is low-risk in itself. The risk is in what comes after: fake domains that imitate t.me, groups set up to scam newcomers, and people who DM you once you join. Check the domain, the source and the preview, and never share codes or passwords. If something looks wrong, use Telegram's own report option, or the Report button on the group's page if it is listed on Group Wall.