# 🛠️ Chat group setup To help the Countersign Bot work more effectively, there are some changes you can make to your Telegram chat group setup. These will also improve the security of your group. ## Only use "Request invite" links to add people to your chat ### Why? If the "Requires approval" setting is turned on for your invite links, then the Countersign Bot will DM anyone who requests to join, and perform the verification process via DMs. Alternatively, if you have people joining the chat directly without having to be approved first, the bot will have to send messages in the group chat to send the verification link to the new joiner, which can clutter up the chat and lead to confusion for both new and existing chat members. ### How? To set up "Requires approval" links, first you need to open the group management window. How you do this differs between desktop and mobile Telegram clients. On Telegram desktop, tap the three dots to the right of the group header, then go to _Manage Group_: ![[Chat admin desktop dots and Manage group.png|200]] On Telegram mobile, open the profile of the group chat then tap the pencil icon in the top right: ![[Chat admin mobile pencil button.png|200]] Once you're in the manage group menu, go down to the _Invite links_ option and open it: ![[Invite links menu shown.png|200]] At the top of the _Invite Links_ menu is your primary link. This is the default one generated when a group is created, but can be revoked and regenerated when needed. You will do that and the end of this process, but it will not be used as it can't have the admin approval requirement enabled for it. ![[Invite links menu showing primary link and create new link.png|200]] Go to _Create a New link_, and the _New Link_ window will appear. Set it up as such: - Make sure _Request admin approval_ is activated for this new link. - Give it a name to remind you and **your other chat admins** that this is the **only link** that should be used from now on. - Keep the _Limit by time period_ option at _No limit_ [^1] ![[New Link menu with Request admin approval on.png|200]] Then, go back to the _Invite links_ menu and revoke the existing primary link and any other links listed in the _Invite links_ menu - this will prevent anyone from using any previously shared links to gain direct access to the chat without going via the request approval stage. ![[Revoke primary link.png|200]] # How this works with the Countersign bot When _Request to join_ links are used with the Countersign bot, then the bot will handle the verification stage in DMs, rather than in the chat itself. It will automatically add anyone who passes the verification checks into the chat. ## Manual admin approval If you still want some level of manual admin approval in additional to the protection that the Countersign bot offers, then we suggest you create a waiting room chat, where new joiners initially join and get verified by the Countersign bot before they enter, using the request to join links process above - that handles the Countersign verification checks. Admins can then chat to those who have passed verification, before then giving them a link to join the actual group chat. In this scenario, we would ask chat admins _not_ to delete any messages from users in these waiting rooms, as sometimes these can provide useful information to help catch scammers lying, such as claiming to be from different cities when trying to gain entry into different chats. # Things to be aware of ## New joiner stuck at approval stage ![[New joiner stuck at approval stage.png|200]] If a user seems to be stuck in the waiting for approval stage - as shown in the image above - it is likely that either their verification link timed out and couldn't be reset, or there was an issue with Telegram notifying the Countersign bot that a new joiner is awaiting approval. The simplest way to resolve this is to message the user (a template message you can use for this is below) and explain that there was an issue with the verification, and that you need to reject their approval and get them to request to join again. Then, reject their request and send them the invite link again. > [!tip]- Template message for asking a user to re-request to join > > > [!info] Click the little 📚-like icon in the top right of the text block below to copy it to your clipboard > > > ```Telegram > Hi there! > > Unfortunately there's been a technical issue somewhere between Telegram's servers and the bot that does the verification process for our chat, so you'll need to request to join again. > > Firstly, I'll need to reject your current request. Then, I'll paste the link to request to join again below. > > Click on it, then the @CountersignBot should send you a message to do the verification right away - let me know if it doesn't! > ``` [^1]: [No no, no no no no, no no no no, no no there's no limit!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kmEEkECFQw)