approveChatJoinRequest

Returns: TrueOfficial docs ↗

Use this method to approve a chat join request. The bot must be an administrator in the chat for this to work and must have the can_invite_users administrator right. Returns True on success.

Parameters

chat_idIntegerStringRequired

Unique identifier for the target chat or username of the target channel (in the format @channelusername)

user_idIntegerRequired

Unique identifier of the target user

Returns

On success, True is returned.

GramIO Usage

import { Bot } from "gramio";

const bot = new Bot(process.env.BOT_TOKEN as string);

// Approve every join request automatically
bot.on("chat_join_request", async (ctx) => {
  await bot.api.approveChatJoinRequest({
    chat_id: ctx.chatJoinRequest.chat.id,
    user_id: ctx.chatJoinRequest.from.id,
  });
});

// Conditional approval based on user bio or custom logic
bot.on("chat_join_request", async (ctx) => {
  const request = ctx.chatJoinRequest;
  const isAllowed = await checkUserEligibility(request.from.id);

  if (isAllowed) {
    await bot.api.approveChatJoinRequest({
      chat_id: request.chat.id,
      user_id: request.from.id,
    });
    // Optionally notify the user
    await bot.api.sendMessage({
      chat_id: request.from.id,
      text: "Your request to join the group has been approved!",
    });
  } else {
    await bot.api.declineChatJoinRequest({
      chat_id: request.chat.id,
      user_id: request.from.id,
    });
  }
});

// Approve requests for a specific channel by username
bot.on("chat_join_request", async (ctx) => {
  await bot.api.approveChatJoinRequest({
    chat_id: "@mychannelusername",
    user_id: ctx.chatJoinRequest.from.id,
  });
});

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	Bad Request: USER_ALREADY_PARTICIPANT	The user is already a member of the chat — check before calling, or handle idempotently
400	Bad Request: HIDE_REQUESTER_MISSING	No pending join request exists for this user — the request may have expired or already been handled
400	Bad Request: chat not found	chat_id is invalid or the bot is not a member of that chat
400	Bad Request: user not found	user_id does not correspond to a known Telegram user
403	Forbidden: bot is not an administrator	The bot lacks administrator status in the target chat — promote the bot first
403	Forbidden: not enough rights to invite users	The bot is an admin but is missing the can_invite_users right — grant it in admin settings
429	Too Many Requests: retry after N	Rate limit hit — use the auto-retry plugin to handle retries automatically

Tips & Gotchas

• Bot must have can_invite_users right. This is the specific administrator permission required. Without it the call returns a 403 even if the bot is an admin.
• chat_join_request updates must be enabled. Telegram only sends chat_join_request updates when the chat has "Approve new members" enabled (i.e., join requests are required). Make sure your bot is subscribed to this update type in allowed updates.
• Join requests expire. Users can withdraw their request before the bot processes it. If a request is no longer pending, the API returns HIDE_REQUESTER_MISSING. Always handle this error gracefully.
• One request per user at a time. A user can only have one pending join request per chat. Calling approveChatJoinRequest twice for the same user/chat pair fails if the first call already accepted them.
• Notify the user after approval. The user receives a system notification from Telegram, but a personal message from your bot provides a better experience. Send a sendMessage to the user's private chat using their from.id.
• Works for groups, supergroups, and channels. The chat_id can be any of these types as long as the bot is an admin with the invite right.

See Also

• declineChatJoinRequest — Decline a pending join request instead of approving it
• ChatJoinRequest — The update object received when a user asks to join
• ChatInviteLink — Invite link metadata, including approval-required links
• Updates overview — How to subscribe to chat_join_request updates in GramIO