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Troubleshooting bot messages and ad posts

This page covers what can go wrong once your Telegram account is connected: messages that do not arrive, buttons in the chat, cross-promotions, rule breaks, ad posts and the bot's access to your channel. Find the message you see, or the thing that is not working.

Problems with starting the bot, connecting Telegram, adding an email or Log in with Telegram are on Troubleshooting Telegram bot. The bot draws its titles and button labels in small capitals; this page prints them in ordinary letters.

Telegram messages that do not arrive​

Every notice goes to three places: the bell on the website, your email and the bot's chat. An order, a payment or a campaign never waits for a message, so a missing message does not mean the event failed. You can always read what you missed under History on the Notifications page.

Email and the bell work, but nothing arrives in Telegram​

  • Where you see it: The bot's chat stays silent while the bell on the website and your email carry the notices as usual.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: One of four things. No Telegram account is connected. Telegram is connected but you never pressed Start in the bot. You blocked the bot or deleted its chat, and Telegram then refuses delivery. Or every Telegram switch is off in your notification settings. Rarely, the bot itself is briefly unavailable.
  • How to fix it:
    1. Open your account page and read the Telegram connection card. If it shows Connect Telegram or Open the bot, press it and tap Start in Telegram.
    2. If you blocked the bot, unblock it in Telegram and send it any message.
    3. Open Notifications, then Settings, and switch Telegram on for the rows you want.
    4. If all of that is in order, look at the Telegram bot row on the system status page.

One kind of Telegram message stopped arriving​

  • Where you see it: The bot's chat. Some messages still arrive, but one kind, such as payment alerts or cross-promotion updates, has stopped.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The Telegram switch for that row is off under Notifications, then Settings. This includes urgent notices in the row: with Payments off, a failed payment is not sent to Telegram. Cross-promotion updates belong to Orders, and Subscriber Exchange updates belong to Marketplace. A message stopped this way is not sent later.
  • How to fix it: Switch the row's Telegram toggle back on. The missed notice is in the bell, and in your email if that row's Email switch is on. A few messages arrive whatever the switches say, such as a New booking request on your channel and security notices.

The bot stopped sending anything​

  • Where you see it: The bot's chat. No message of any kind has arrived for some time, although the Telegram connection card on your account page shows you as connected.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: All four Telegram switches (Orders, Payments, Marketplace and Account) are off. Together they mean "do not reach me on Telegram at all", so the bot's other messages stop too. Your Telegram account stays connected and your email is not affected.
  • How to fix it: Open Notifications, then Settings, and switch at least one Telegram toggle on. The bot's messages start again from that moment.

Messages arrive without icons or coloured buttons​

  • Where you see it: The bot's chat. Messages have no animated icon beside the title, and their buttons are plain.
  • Plans affected: Free and Lite by design. Occasionally any plan.
  • Why it happens: The animated title icon and coloured buttons come with Plus and above. On a higher plan, Telegram sometimes does not accept the icons, and the bot then sends the same message in the plain look so that it still reaches you.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs fixing. The words, the figures and the buttons are identical in both looks. To get the premium look, move to Plus or above on the pricing page.

An email arrived late, or as "Your Onflow Ads digest"​

  • Where you see it: Your inbox. One email with a subject that begins "Your Onflow Ads digest" carries several updates at once, some time after they happened.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Email frequency in your notification settings is set to "Hourly digest — one email an hour" or "Daily digest — one email a day". Only email waits for a digest. The bot's message and the bell were immediate, and time-sensitive emails still arrive right away.
  • How to fix it: Open Notifications, then Settings, and choose "Send each email right away" under Email frequency if you want every email at once.

No email arrived for a notice​

  • Where you see it: Your inbox. The bell and the bot's chat have the notice, but no email came.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The Email switch for that row is off, or your email is set to a digest and the notice is waiting for the next one. If you created your account with Log in with Telegram, the account may have no email address yet.
  • How to fix it: Switch Email on for the row under Notifications, then Settings. Campaign updates belong to Orders. If your account has no email address, add one as described in Why Telegram and email are both required.

"Onflow Ads security: Telegram was unlinked from your account"​

  • Where you see it: The subject of an email from Onflow Ads.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Our team unlinked the Telegram account from your Onflow Ads account, normally after a support request such as a lost Telegram account. You are signed out on every device, and the bot stops messaging that Telegram account.
  • How to fix it: Sign in again and press Connect Telegram on your account page. If you did not ask for this, contact support straight away at onflowads.com/support and say when the email arrived.

Notification settings and history​

These messages appear on the Notifications page of the website, on its Settings and History tabs. None of them means a notice was lost: the list is kept on the website, and your saved settings stay as they were.

"Want alerts on Telegram too?"​

  • Where you see it: Notifications, then Settings (website). The Telegram column is grey and its switches cannot be changed.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: No Telegram account is connected to your Onflow Ads account, so there is nowhere to send a Telegram message. Email and the bell work as normal.
  • How to fix it: Follow the Connect your Telegram link in the message, press Connect Telegram on your account page and confirm in the bot. The switches then become yours to set. The steps are on Connecting your Telegram account to the bot.

"Your Telegram is linked, but the bot can't message you yet."​

  • Where you see it: Notifications, then Settings (website), above the switches.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your Telegram account is linked, usually because you used Log in with Telegram, but you have never pressed Start in the bot. Telegram does not let a bot message someone who has not started it. The switches still change, but nothing reaches Telegram yet.
  • How to fix it: Open your account page, press Open the bot on the Telegram connection card and tap Start in Telegram once. The card turns green on its own and the message disappears.

"Couldn't load your notification settings — refresh to try again."​

  • Where you see it: A pop-up alert on Notifications, then Settings (website). Every switch stays grey. A second wording ends "check your connection and refresh."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your saved settings could not be loaded. The switches are locked on purpose, so that an accidental save cannot switch everything off. Nothing changed.
  • How to fix it: Check your internet connection and reload the page. The switches become active once your settings load.

"Couldn't save your notification settings — please try again."​

  • Where you see it: A pop-up alert on Notifications, then Settings (website). The switch you changed jumps back. A second wording reads "Couldn't save — check your connection and try again."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The change did not reach the website. Your previous settings are still in force.
  • How to fix it: Flip the switch again and wait for Saved to appear at the foot of the panel. If it fails again, check your connection and reload the page.

"Couldn't load notifications. Try again in a moment."​

  • Where you see it: Notifications, then History (website). Other wordings are "Couldn't load notifications.", "Couldn't load more notifications — please try again." and "Couldn't load more notifications — check your connection."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The list, or the next part of it, could not be loaded. Rows already on screen stay there, and nothing is lost.
  • How to fix it: Press Load more again, or reload the page. If the list was empty, wait a moment before you reload.

"Couldn't mark your notifications as read — please try again."​

  • Where you see it: Notifications, then History (website), after you press Mark all read. A second wording reads "Network error — please try again."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The request did not go through, so the rows stay unread. No notice was removed.
  • How to fix it: Press Mark all read again. If it keeps failing, check your connection and reload the page.

"No notifications yet"​

  • Where you see it: Notifications, then History (website), in place of the list, with the line "Orders, payments and account notices will appear here." Two related titles are "No notifications here", with "Nothing in this category yet — try another one.", and "Nothing unread".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Nothing is wrong. A new account has no notices yet. "No notifications here" means the filter you chose has no rows, and "Nothing unread" means everything in the view has been read.
  • How to fix it: Choose All and switch Unread off to see every notice you have.

Buttons that act inside the chat​

Almost every button in a bot message opens a page on the website. A few act in the chat itself, such as Get the post here on a booking request. Old cross-promotion review messages may still carry Approve and Ask for changes. In every card below, your tap changed nothing and the booking or campaign is untouched. If a pop-up reads "Slow down a little and try again in a moment.", the button was tapped several times in a row: scroll up, because the post was probably sent already. That message is on Troubleshooting Telegram bot.

"That button is no longer valid."​

  • Where you see it: A pop-up in the bot's chat, after you tap Get the post here on a booking message.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The message is very old, was edited or was forwarded, and its button can no longer be read. Nothing was sent.
  • How to fix it: Press Review & respond on the same message, or open your bookings on the website. The ad is shown there in full.

"Could not fetch the post"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat after you tap Get the post here. Under the title is one reason, then "Next: Open the booking on the website to see it in full." and the button Open your bookings.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The reason line tells you which case applies:
    • "That button has expired. Open the booking on the website to view the ad." The booking message is too old for its button.
    • "This booking isn't yours to view." The tap came from a Telegram account that is not connected to the booking's owner, for example on a forwarded message.
    • "That booking no longer exists." The booking was removed.
    • "We couldn't tell which Telegram account this came from. Please try again from the booking message itself."
    • "We couldn't fetch that post just now.", "Too many attempts. Please wait a minute and try again." or "This feature is temporarily unavailable. Please try again shortly." A short-lived problem, or too many taps.
  • How to fix it: Press Open your bookings and read the ad on the website. For "isn't yours to view", use the Telegram account shown on the Telegram connection card of your account page. If the reason includes a reference, send that reference to support.

"Could not show the post here"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat after you tap Get the post here. It reads "Telegram would not take the post in this chat."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Telegram did not accept the copy of the ad in your chat, or the copy could not be prepared. The ad itself is intact and the booking is unchanged.
  • How to fix it: Press Open your bookings and read the ad on the website before you accept or decline.

"The ad's media is not shown here"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat after you tap Get the post here. It says the ad's photo, video or photos "could not be shown in this chat". If the ad has text, it adds "The text above is the ad's own."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The ad's picture or video could not be delivered into the chat, for example because it is too large to send there. You may have seen only part of the ad. The ad will still be published with its media.
  • How to fix it: Press Open your bookings and look at the whole ad on the website before you answer the request.

"This ad has no text."​

  • Where you see it: The bot's chat, after you tap Get the post here. A related message is titled "The ad's buttons".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: "This ad has no text." appears when the bot found no caption to show for the ad. "The ad's buttons" appears for an ad with several photos: an album cannot carry buttons, so the bot shows them in a separate message.
  • How to fix it: For "This ad has no text.", open the booking on the website to confirm what was booked. For "The ad's buttons", nothing needs fixing.

The booking card has no Get the post here button, or lost its buttons​

  • Where you see it: A booking request in the bot's chat. It shows only Review & respond, or it has no buttons at all.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: A message with only Review & respond could not be given the in-chat button when it was sent. A message with no buttons belongs to a booking that was already answered or has lapsed. The buttons are removed so that it cannot be answered twice.
  • How to fix it: Press Review & respond, or open your bookings on the website. The ad and the booking's current status are shown there.

"This review is no longer active."​

  • Where you see it: A pop-up in the bot's chat after you tap Approve or Ask for changes on an old cross-promotion review message. Other pop-ups there are "Campaign not found.", "That partner slot is not valid." and "Only the assigned reviewer can act on this post."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The review was already decided or the campaign has moved on, the campaign no longer exists, or someone other than the reviewer tapped the button. Reviews now happen on the website, so these buttons remain only on old messages.
  • How to fix it: Open the campaign on the website to see its current state, and review the post there.

A partner's post was approved without your decision​

  • Where you see it: An old cross-promotion review message in the bot's chat. Its buttons have gone and the campaign has moved on.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The review message states how long you have to decide. If no decision is made in that time, the post is approved automatically and the campaign can proceed.
  • How to fix it: Nothing can be changed for that post. Next time, if you are unsure about a post, ask for changes instead of leaving the review unanswered. Help with cross-promotion reviews is on Troubleshooting Cross-Promotion.

"We could not show the media preview here."​

  • Where you see it: An old cross-promotion review message in the bot's chat. It continues "Open the campaign on the website to see the exact post before you approve it." and carries the button View the exact post.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your partner's picture or video could not be shown in the chat. You can still decide, but you have not seen the media.
  • How to fix it: Tap View the exact post and look at the post on the campaign page before you decide.

Following a cross-promotion​

These messages come from the bot while a cross-promotion runs, or appear on the campaign's page on the website. A cross-promotion is a free swap: none of these messages means money was taken from you. Full help for creating and running campaigns is on Troubleshooting Cross-Promotion.

"Cross-promotion could not start"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat at the campaign's start time, in place of "Your cross-promotion is live". It carries the lines "Reliability: No change — this was our failure, not yours" and "Wallet: No change — a run that does not start costs nothing".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The bot could not post one or both ads, so the campaign was called off and any ad that did go up was taken down. The message says which: neither ad, your partner's ad in your channel, or your ad in your partner's channel. Most often the bot is no longer an admin that can post in a channel, or an ad's image could not be loaded. Nobody is penalised. The campaign cannot be restarted.
  • How to fix it:
    1. Open your channel's page on the website and find the card Our bot on this channel.
    2. Press Check again and fix whatever the card lists.
    3. If the message says "One ad could not be taken down automatically", delete that ad from your channel yourself if it is still there. This message reaches you even with Telegram notifications off.
    4. Create a new cross-promotion on the website.

"Your partner's ad could not be taken down from your channel"​

  • Where you see it: Inside the bot's "Cross-promotion finished" message, and in the bell and email for the same campaign. A second line reads "Your ad could not be taken down from your partner's channel, and they have been asked to delete it."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The campaign finished, but the bot could no longer delete posts in that channel. It lost the right to delete, or it was removed from the channel during the run. The ad stays up until someone deletes it.
  • How to fix it: Delete your partner's ad from your channel yourself. Then give @OnflowAdsBot the Delete Messages right again in your channel's administrator settings before your next campaign. If the second line applies, your partner has been asked to do the same.

"Did not run"​

  • Where you see it: A label beside Results on the campaign's page (website), with the banner "Neither ad could be posted", "One of the two ads could not be posted" or "This campaign could not run". The bell and email carry the title "Your cross-promotion didn't run".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The campaign was called off before it ran. Either the ads could not be posted, or the campaign was on hold when its start time came and the agreed time passed. Nothing stayed live and nobody is penalised.
  • How to fix it: Check the card Our bot on this channel on your channel's page and fix what it lists. Then press Run a fresh campaign. If the banner is "This campaign could not run" and it happens again, send support the campaign code.

"Not fully published"​

  • Where you see it: A label beside Results on the campaign's page (website), with the banner "Neither ad could be published" or "One of the two ads could not be published".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: On an older campaign, the bot could not post one or both ads when the run started, usually because it was no longer an admin of a channel. Only a side that did go out has real numbers. Campaigns today are called off instead and show "Did not run".
  • How to fix it: Add @OnflowAdsBot back as an admin of the channel, with the rights the card Our bot on this channel lists. Then run a new cross-promotion.

"Network error — refresh to try again."​

  • Where you see it: The campaign's page (website), in place of everything under the heading. A related line is "Couldn't load this campaign."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The page could not load the campaign. This is a connection problem or a short-lived fault. The campaign is not gone and keeps running.
  • How to fix it: Check your internet connection and refresh the page. If a sentence with a reference appears instead, send that reference to support.

"Campaign not found. It may have been removed or the code is wrong."​

  • Where you see it: The campaign's page (website), when it is opened from a typed or pasted address.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The address carries a campaign code that does not exist. Most often it was mistyped or only partly copied.
  • How to fix it: Open the campaign from your campaign list on the website, or press View campaign on one of the bot's messages about it.

"You don't have access to this campaign."​

  • Where you see it: The campaign's page (website).
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: You are signed in to an account that is neither the creator of this campaign nor a partner in it. Only the two sides of a campaign can open its page.
  • How to fix it: Sign out, then sign in to the account that created or joined the campaign, and open the link again.

"Stopped by Onflow Ads"​

  • Where you see it: A label beside Results on the campaign's page (website). The side responsible also sees the banner "Your side was penalised".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Our team stopped the cross-promotion. If the banner is shown, the stop was because of your side, and the banner states any reduction to your reliability score.
  • How to fix it: Open your reliability page and read the entry under Your ledger. If you believe it is a mistake, press Appeal on the entry, explain why and press Submit appeal. The rules are on Appealing a penalty or a decision.

The numbers are lower than you expected, or the report and the page differ​

  • Where you see it: The bot's end-of-run report and the Results on the campaign's page (website). Opens are fewer than you expected, a subscriber figure is missing, or the two differ by a few opens.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Not every tap is counted. Some taps are served but left out of your figures, and the Click analytics panel lists them under Not counted. A subscriber figure that could not be recorded is left out instead of being shown as zero. The bot writes its report when the run closes, while the page keeps counting.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs fixing. Treat the campaign's page as the record. Open Click analytics for your ad there and read Not counted to see what was left out and why. More detail is on Published ad posts and how taps are counted.

"This live tracker can't be opened from here."​

  • Where you see it: A page opened from a very old bot message. It continues "Your campaign's full stats are on the website." Other lines on that page are "Only the two sides of this campaign can see its tracker.", "This campaign could not be found.", "This link is not valid." and "Missing campaign code. Open this link from the bot."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The old tracker page has been retired. Campaign results now live on the campaign's page on the website.
  • How to fix it: Press Open the campaign on onflowads.com on that page, or open the campaign from your campaign list. See Following a cross-promotion in Telegram.

Rule breaks and penalties​

A rule break is confirmed before anything is recorded. Every penalty can be appealed: the rules and the steps are on Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Rule break recorded"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat during a cross-promotion. The bell and email carry "A rule break was recorded on your cross-promotion". The campaign's page shows the label "Violation" with the banner "You removed the cross-post early" or "You left your partner's channel early".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your partner's ad came down from your channel before the run ended, or you left your partner's channel before the run ended. Both count as breaking the deal. The Reliability line shows the amount recorded against your reliability score. The Wallet line shows whether insurance cover you declared is paid to your partner. The campaign otherwise continues to its end.
  • How to fix it: The amount shown in the message and on your reliability page is the one that applies. If you believe the finding is wrong:
    1. Press See why and appeal on the message. Your reliability page opens.
    2. Under Your ledger, press Appeal on the entry.
    3. Explain briefly why the penalty is wrong and press Submit appeal. A person reviews every appeal. See Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Reliability: Logged for review"​

  • Where you see it: The Reliability line of a "Rule break recorded" message in the bot's chat. A related line reads "Reliability: Recorded, no change".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: "Logged for review" means the event was noted and no change has been applied to your score yet. "Recorded, no change" means the event is on your record without a change to your score.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs doing now. Look at Your ledger on your reliability page later. If an entry appears that you believe is wrong, press Appeal on it and then Submit appeal, as described on Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Partner removed your ad early"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat. A second title is "Partner left your channel early". The bell and email say "Your partner broke the cross-promotion deal". The campaign's page shows the label "Partner pulled early" with the banner "Your partner removed their post early", or the label "Partner left early" with the banner "Your partner left your channel early". On a Blitz, the results list shows "Partner broke the deal" or "Creator broke the deal" beside that member.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your partner took your ad down, or left your channel, before the agreed time. It is recorded against them. The message shows "Your reliability: No change". Its Wallet line shows whether declared insurance cover is paid to you. Insurance is not paid on a Blitz.
  • How to fix it: You do not need to do anything. If cover is due, it is added to your wallet on the website, so check your wallet there. If the same campaign shows a penalty on your side that you believe is wrong, appeal it under Your ledger on your reliability page. See Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Wallet: Claim under review"​

  • Where you see it: The Wallet line of a rule-break message in the bot's chat. A message about a partner's rule break can read "Wallet: Claim recorded" instead, which means a claim was noted and nothing has been paid yet. The bell says "Your partner broke the cross-promotion deal too".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: A rule break was recorded on both sides of the same campaign. In that case no insurance cover is paid automatically, and Onflow Ads decides the claim.
  • How to fix it: Open your reliability page and read the entry for your side under Your ledger. If it is wrong, press Appeal on it and then Submit appeal. The steps are on Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Your channel posted during an ad's exclusive window"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat to a channel owner, and in the bell, by email and in your Paid Promotions panel. It carries the lines "Reliability: Counted against you" and "Payout: Not affected".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Your channel published something else while a paid ad was sold with an exclusive time at the top of the channel. It counts against your reliability. No money is affected: your payout still depends only on leaving the ad up for its full run.
  • How to fix it: Hold your other posts until the exclusive window of each booking has passed. If the finding is wrong, press Appeal on the entry under Your ledger on your reliability page, then Submit appeal. See Appealing a penalty or a decision.

"Your ad did not get its full time at the top"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat to an advertiser, and in the bell and by email. It ends "We have recorded it against the channel. Your ad is still running for its full booked duration."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The channel carrying your ad published something else during the exclusive window you booked. It is recorded against the channel, not against you. The ad keeps running, and this message alone does not bring a refund.
  • How to fix it: Nothing is needed from you. If the placement was not delivered in some other way, raise it from the order on the website. A channel owner who disagrees can appeal, as described on Appealing a penalty or a decision.

The first cards appear in the post composer on the website when a post is saved. In each of them the post is not saved, and nothing is published without the part that was refused. The later cards are what a reader of a published ad can meet. What each plan may put in a post is on Post buttons and links by plan.

"Inline buttons are not available on this account."​

  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website, when you save a post that has buttons. The composer shows the row Inline buttons with a Locked chip.
  • Plans affected: Free.
  • Why it happens: Buttons under a post start on Lite. The post was not saved.
  • How to fix it: Clear the buttons, using Remove on a locked row that still holds content, and save again. To use buttons, press the Locked chip, then See plans, and move to Lite or above.

"Your plan allows up to number buttons per post."​

  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website, when you save a post with more buttons than your plan includes. On Lite the sentence ends "1 button per post."
  • Plans affected: Lite, Plus and Elite. Master and Ultimate include the most buttons a post can carry.
  • Why it happens: Each plan includes a set number of buttons per post, and the message names your own limit. It most often appears after a move to a lower plan, on a post that was written before.
  • How to fix it: Remove the extra rows, which show a Locked chip and a Remove button, and save again. A higher plan includes more buttons.

"Button text must be 1–48 characters."​

  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website, on save. Related messages are "Button text cannot contain line breaks.", "Each button needs a label and a link." and "Those buttons couldn't be read. Please reload the page and try again." The page may also say "Give every button both a label and a link — or clear the half-filled row."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: A button's label is empty, too long or spread over two lines, or a button has a label without a link. The last message means the form itself could not be read.
  • How to fix it: Give every button a short one-line label and a link, or clear the half-filled row. If you are asked to reload, reload the page and add the buttons again.
  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website. The full sentence is "That link doesn't look valid. Use a full https:// URL."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: A link in the text or on a button is not a complete web address. It may lack the https:// at the start, contain spaces, be far too long, or be in a form that Telegram apps do not open reliably.
  • How to fix it: Paste the full web address, starting with https://, and save again.
  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website, when the text or a button holds an invite link or a link to a private channel.
  • Plans affected: Free.
  • Why it happens: Private Telegram links in a post start on Lite. Public Telegram links are allowed on every plan.
  • How to fix it: Use the channel's public link instead, or move to Lite or above on the pricing page.
  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website, when you add a link to a page outside Telegram, or save a post that holds one. The sentence ends with the add-on's price in brackets.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Links outside Telegram are an add-on on every plan, and you have not bought it yet. The link was not added, or the post that holds it was not saved.
  • How to fix it: Buy the add-on where the composer offers it, then add the link or save the post again. The price that applies is the one shown when you buy. To avoid the add-on, use a public Telegram link.
  • Where you see it: The post composer on the website. The matching sentence for other links is "Links outside Telegram can't be used in ads right now."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: That kind of link is switched off for every member for the time being. No plan and no add-on changes this while it lasts.
  • How to fix it: Use a public Telegram link for now and save again. You can add the other link back later.

"Telegram cannot put buttons under an album."​

  • Where you see it: Paid Promotions checkout on the website. The sentence continues "Keep the buttons with a single photo, a video or a text-only post — or drop to one photo."
  • Plans affected: Lite and above. Free has no buttons.
  • Why it happens: The ad has buttons together with more than one photo. Telegram itself does not show buttons under an album.
  • How to fix it: Keep one photo, a video or text only with the buttons, or remove the buttons and keep the album.

"Post not saved"​

  • Where you see it: A pop-up titled "Post not saved" in the composer on the campaign's page (website). Under the title is one of these: "Trim the post to fit the 1024-character limit.", "Write your post text first.", "Write your Blitz post text first.", "The composer is still loading — try again in a moment.", "That image could not be attached.", "Could not save your post." or "Network error — please try again."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The text is too long or missing, the composer or the image was not ready, or the save did not go through. Part of the character limit is held back for the "advertisement via onflowads.com" line.
  • How to fix it: Shorten the text until the composer's counter shows it fits, write the text, or wait a moment and save again. For an image, attach it once more. Full composer help is on Troubleshooting cross-promotion posts and delivery.

An ad was published without the button colours you chose​

  • Where you see it: A published ad in a channel. Its buttons are plain although a colour was set.
  • Plans affected: Free and Lite.
  • Why it happens: Button colours come with Plus and above. Below Plus a colour is left out and the post is still saved and published. Older Telegram apps also draw every button plain, on any plan.
  • How to fix it: Nothing is broken, and the buttons work. For coloured buttons, move to Plus or above. Readers on an old Telegram app see colours once they update it.

The line "advertisement via onflowads.com" is under an ad, or missing​

  • Where you see it: Under a published ad in a channel.
  • Plans affected: Channels whose owner is on Free or Lite carry the line. Channels whose owner is on Plus or above do not.
  • Why it happens: The line follows the plan of the owner of the channel that carries the ad, not the advertiser's plan. It can be missing in a Free or Lite channel when the caption had no room left for it, or when a Paid Promotions owner published the ad by hand.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs fixing. If the line appears in your own channel while you are on Plus or above, send support the campaign code or order ID.

An address you typed shows as "click here"​

  • Where you see it: A published ad. A web address you pasted into the text appears as the words "click here".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: This is by design. A bare address in an ad is shown as "click here", so that readers do not see a long address.
  • How to fix it: To choose the words yourself, write them in the composer and turn them into a text link instead of pasting a bare address.
  • Where you see it: A web page a reader lands on after tapping a link in an ad. It reads "The page this ad links to is not available through us right now. Please try again a little later." A different page, "Opening your link", reads "One moment, taking you there."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: "This link is paused" means the destination could not be opened safely at that moment, or links are paused for a short time. The reader was not sent on. "Opening your link" only means the site was busy; it tries again on its own.
  • How to fix it: On "Opening your link", wait or press Continue. If you are the advertiser and "This link is paused" stays, check that your destination works and is a direct address, not a shortened one. If it is fine, send support the campaign code.

"Please wait a minute"​

  • Where you see it: A web page a reader lands on after tapping a link in an ad. It ends "Wait a minute, then tap your link again."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The link could not be opened for that reader at that moment, and the page asks them to wait.
  • How to fix it: Wait a minute and tap the link in the ad again. Nothing is wrong with the ad.

A reader lands on the Onflow Ads home page​

  • Where you see it: A reader taps a link in an ad and arrives on the Onflow Ads home page instead of the advertiser's page.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The short onflowads.com link is not known any more. Most often the ad belongs to an old or removed campaign and is still visible in a channel.
  • How to fix it: If you are the advertiser, check that the campaign is still running. If a live ad does this more than once, send support the campaign code.
  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat after a reader taps a button on an old ad, one that opens the bot instead of a web page. It reads "This link could not be opened. The campaign may have ended, or the link was not copied in full." Other titles from old ads, in the chat or on the page such a button opens, are "Button unavailable", "Link not available", "That link has expired", "Link Expired", "Link incomplete" and "Temporarily unavailable". A working old button answers "Sponsored content" or "Here is your link".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The ad was published before links became short onflowads.com links. Its campaign has ended or been cancelled, the link is damaged, or the page could not load at that moment.
  • How to fix it: For "Link not available" or "Temporarily unavailable", try again in a minute. For "Link incomplete", open the link again from the post in Telegram. Otherwise the ad is over and its link cannot be reopened.

"Preview Mode"​

  • Where you see it: A message in the bot's chat after tapping a button on a post that has not been published yet. It reads "You tapped a button in Preview Mode: this post has not gone live yet."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The button belongs to a preview of a post. It is not connected to the promoted page until the post goes live.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs fixing. Once the post goes live, the same button opens the promoted page.

The bot in your channel​

The bot can publish, pin and remove ads only where it is an administrator of your channel with the right permissions. These messages appear when you add a channel on the website, and later on the card Our bot on this channel on the channel's page. What each permission is for is on What the bot needs and checks in your channel.

"We couldn't find that channel."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel panel on the website, after you press Fetch & preview. The sentence continues "Add @OnflowAdsBot to your channel as an administrator, then try again." Short forms are "Add our bot to your channel as an admin, then try again." and, for an empty field, "Enter your public channel link."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The channel could not be read. Usually the bot is not in the channel yet, or the link or @name is mistyped.
  • How to fix it: Check the channel's @name. Press Add @OnflowAdsBot as admin, confirm in Telegram, then press I’ve done it — check again.

"Only public Telegram channels can be verified — that looks like a group or user."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel panel on the website, after you press Fetch & preview.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The link you pasted points at a group or at a personal Telegram account, not at a public channel.
  • How to fix it: Paste the public link or @name of the channel itself and press Fetch & preview again.

"Add our bot to verify your channel"​

  • Where you see it: The title of an amber panel in the add-a-channel form (website). Its message reads "Add @OnflowAdsBot to your channel as an administrator (with “Post Messages” and “Delete Messages”), then try again." If the page has no message of its own to show, the panel reads "To confirm your channel exists and go live, add our bot to it as an administrator with the rights below. We verify instantly — no waiting."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The bot is in your channel but is not an administrator, or it has not been added yet. The channel was not added.
  • How to fix it:
    1. Press Add @OnflowAdsBot as admin. Telegram opens its add-admin screen with the rights already selected.
    2. Keep Post Messages and Delete Messages switched on. The panel marks both "required". Edit Messages is optional.
    3. Save in Telegram, return to the website and press I’ve done it — check again.

"@OnflowAdsBot is an admin but is missing the “right” right."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel panel on the website. The sentence names the missing right and continues "Turn it on in the channel's admin settings, then try again." When two are missing it names both and says "Turn them on".
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The bot is an administrator of your channel, but a right it needs is switched off. The panel marks the missing right with a red "!".
  • How to fix it: In Telegram, open your channel's Administrators, tap @OnflowAdsBot and switch the named right on. Save, wait a few seconds, then press I’ve done it — check again.

"You must be an administrator of this channel to list it."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel panel on the website, under a title that says your Telegram account "is not an admin of this channel". The message names the Telegram account that was looked up.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The bot has what it needs. The Telegram account connected to your Onflow Ads account is not one of the channel's admins. This often happens when you manage the channel from a different Telegram account.
  • How to fix it: Make the named Telegram account an admin of the channel, then press Check again. To see which Telegram account is connected, press See your linked Telegram.

"This channel is already on Onflow Ads under another account."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel panel on the website. The sentence continues by asking you to connect your Telegram account in your account settings, then try again.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Another Onflow Ads account already holds this channel, and nothing yet confirms that you are one of its administrators.
  • How to fix it: Connect Telegram on your account page, then try again. If the other account is not yours, contact support and give the channel's @name.

"Add our reading account as an admin with no powers"​

  • Where you see it: A panel in the add-a-channel form (website), only if the page asks for it. The title names the account to add. The panel says "It can only see the channel's Recent actions" and "It cannot post, edit, delete or invite anyone."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: For this channel the page asks for a second admin besides @OnflowAdsBot, with every power switched off. The channel is not added until that is done.
  • How to fix it: Follow the steps the panel lists:
    1. Open your channel in Telegram and tap its name at the top.
    2. Tap Edit (the pencil), then Administrators.
    3. Tap Add Admin, search for the account the panel names and select it.
    4. Switch off every power on the screen that opens.
    5. Tap Save, return to the website and press I’ve done it — check again.

"It has powers it does not need."​

  • Where you see it: The channel's page on the website, on the line Our reading account, with the status "Added, but with powers it does not need". A related line reads "From date it is needed to keep this channel verified."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The reading account was added as an admin with one or more powers left on. It should have none. The dated line gives the date from which the account is needed on this channel.
  • How to fix it: In Telegram, open the account under your channel's Administrators and switch every power off. If the dated line is shown and the account is not added yet, open How to add it and add the account before that date.

"The bot needs your help on this channel."​

  • Where you see it: The card Our bot on this channel on the channel's page (website), with the label Needs your help. After Check again it may read "The bot still needs your help on this channel." One sentence under it names the problem.

  • Plans affected: Every plan.

  • Why it happens: The sentence under the label tells you which case applies:

    • The bot needs a permission, such as to post messages or to delete messages of others, for the services it names.
    • The bot is not an administrator of the channel.
    • "@OnflowAdsBot was removed from this channel."
    • "We could not find this channel on Telegram." The channel is private or has a new name.

    Until it is fixed, ads for the named services cannot be published, pinned or taken down in that channel.

  • How to fix it: Open How to fix it on the card and follow its steps in Telegram: open Administrators, add or tap @OnflowAdsBot, turn on the right the card names and save. Then press Check again. The label changes to All set.

"We could not reach Telegram just now."​

  • Where you see it: The card Our bot on this channel (website), with the label Checking. The sentence continues "Nothing needs doing on your side; we will try again shortly." Related lines are "We have not checked this channel yet." and "We could not check right now. Please try again in a moment."
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Telegram did not answer, or the request from the page did not go through. The card has no fresh result to show yet.
  • How to fix it: Nothing is needed. The page updates on its own. You can press Check again once after a short while.

"You have checked this channel a few times in the last ten minutes. Please wait a little and try again."​

  • Where you see it: The card Our bot on this channel (website), after you press Check again.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: Check again was pressed several times in a row. The earlier result still stands and nothing on the channel changed.
  • How to fix it: Make your change in Telegram first and wait a little. Then press Check again once.

The card Our bot on this channel is not on the page​

  • Where you see it: The channel's page on the website. The card that reports the bot's access is missing.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The card is shown only for a channel that uses a service the bot works in. A channel that is not listed, not in the exchange and not used in a campaign has no card yet. Rarely, the card did not load.
  • How to fix it: Nothing needs fixing. The card appears once the channel is listed for Paid Promotions, joins the Subscriber Exchange or is used in a campaign. If the channel already is, reload the page.

"Our bot can't pin in @your channel yet, so this can't be offered there."​

  • Where you see it: Your Paid Promotions rate card on the website, when you switch the pin on and save.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The bot lacks the right that lets a bot pin a post in a channel. The rate card was not saved with the pin switched on.
  • How to fix it: Open the channel's admin settings in Telegram and give the bot Manage Messages → "Edit Messages of Others". Then switch the pin back on and save the rate card.

"You've already added that channel."​

  • Where you see it: The add-a-channel form on the website, after you press Fetch & preview.
  • Plans affected: Every plan.
  • Why it happens: The channel is already on your own Onflow Ads account, so there is nothing to add.
  • How to fix it: Open the channel from your channel list on the website and manage it there.

Still stuck?​

The fastest way to reach support is onflowads.com/support. It opens the support chat whether you are signed in or not. Include these so the first reply can be an answer:

  • What you were doing, and whether it was in the bot's chat or on the website.
  • The exact message you saw, word for word.
  • The reference shown on screen: the campaign code (the Reference in the bot's message), the order ID on a booking card, or the channel's name.
  • Your OFA ID and the time it happened.

Every way to reach the team is on Help and support overview.

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