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Getting Started With Telegram on Windows/PC

TL;DR: Install Telegram Desktop, add LaunchPass bot as admin to your group/channel (permissions: Ban users, Invite users, Add members), connect Telegram to LaunchPass dashboard, select your group/channel, set pricing, publish. Members can now pay to join.

Argyrios avatar
Written by Argyrios
Updated today

Before You Start

What You Need

✅ Windows PC (any recent version)

✅ Telegram Desktop app (free download)

✅ Phone number (for Telegram account)

✅ Telegram group or channel (existing or new)

✅ LaunchPass account (free to create)

✅ 10-15 minutes of time

Platform Note

Using a different device?

Step 0: Install Telegram Desktop (If Needed)

Downloading Telegram

If you don't have Telegram Desktop yet:

  1. Go to https://desktop.telegram.org/

  2. Click "Get Telegram for Windows"

  3. Download the installer

  4. Run the installer

  5. Follow installation prompts

  6. Open Telegram Desktop

Setting Up Your Telegram Account

First time using Telegram?

  1. Enter your phone number

  2. Receive verification code (via SMS)

  3. Enter the code

  4. Create your profile (name, optional photo)

  5. You're in!

Already have Telegram on your phone?

  • Desktop will sync automatically

  • All your chats appear on desktop

  • Works seamlessly across devices

Understanding Groups vs. Channels

What's the Difference?

Telegram Groups:

  • Members can chat with each other

  • Two-way conversation

  • Best for: Communities, discussions, interactive groups

  • Capacity: 200,000 members

  • Example: Coaching community, mastermind group

Telegram Channels:

  • Only admins can post

  • One-way broadcast

  • Members read, can't reply in channel

  • Best for: News, announcements, content delivery

  • Capacity: Unlimited members

  • Example: Newsletter, updates, course content

Which should you use?

  • Want discussion? → Group

  • Want broadcast? → Channel

  • Can't decide? → Start with Group (easier to manage)

Creating Your Telegram Group or Channel

Option A: Create a Group

If you don't have a group yet:

  1. Open Telegram Desktop

  2. Click the menu (three lines, top left)

  3. Select "New Group"

  4. Name your group (your community name)

  5. Add at least one member (can be yourself or test account)

  6. Click "Create"

  7. Your group is ready

Make it private:

  1. Click group name at top

  2. Click "Edit"

  3. Scroll to "Group Type"

  4. Select "Private Group"

  5. Save

Option B: Create a Channel

If you don't have a channel yet:

  1. Open Telegram Desktop

  2. Click the menu (three lines, top left)

  3. Select "New Channel"

  4. Name your channel

  5. Add description (optional)

  6. Click "Create"

  7. Choose "Private Channel"

  8. Your channel is ready

Important: Channels must be PRIVATE for LaunchPass to work.

Adding LaunchPass Bot to Telegram Groups

Step-by-Step: Groups

Step 1: Open your group

  1. Click on your group in Telegram Desktop

  2. Click the three dots (upper-right corner)

  3. Select "Manage Group"

Step 2: Go to Administrators

  1. Scroll to bottom of Manage Group screen

  2. Click "Administrators"

Step 3: Add Administrator

  1. Click "Add Administrator" (bottom of screen)

  2. Search box appears

Step 4: Search for LaunchPass

  1. Type "LaunchPass" in the search box

  2. Look for the rocket-ship emoji 🚀

  3. Click on "LaunchPass" bot

Step 5: Add and promote

  1. Click "OK" on the popup

  2. This adds bot as member AND promotes to admin (one step)

Step 6: Set permissions

Required permissions for groups:

  • ✅ Ban users (required)

  • ✅ Invite users via link (required)

  • ⚠️ Other permissions are optional

How to set:

  1. Check the boxes for Ban users and Invite users

  2. Leave other permissions as default (or customize if you want)

  3. Click "Save"

Step 7: Verify

  1. Look in your group members

  2. LaunchPass bot should appear with admin badge

  3. Done! ✅

Visual Path for Groups

Group → Three dots (⋮)   
→ Manage Group     
 → Administrators       
 → Add Administrator        
  → Search "LaunchPass"         
   → Select bot (🚀 rocket emoji)            
    → OK to add + promote          
      → Check: Ban users, Invite users         
        → Save

Adding LaunchPass Bot to Telegram Channels

Step-by-Step: Channels

Step 1: Open your channel

  1. Click on your channel in Telegram Desktop

  2. Click the three dots (upper-right corner)

  3. Select "Manage Channel"

Step 2: Verify it's private

  1. Check "Channel Type"

  2. Should say "Private Channel"

  3. If it says "Public":

    • Click "Channel Type"

    • Change to "Private"

    • Save

  4. Once private, continue

Step 3: Go to Administrators

  1. Scroll to bottom of Manage Channel screen

  2. Click "Administrators"

Step 4: Add Administrator

  1. Click "Add Administrator" (bottom of screen)

  2. Search box appears

Step 5: Search for LaunchPass

  1. Type "LaunchPass" in the search box

  2. Look for the rocket-ship emoji 🚀

  3. Click on "LaunchPass" bot

Step 6: Add and promote

  1. Click "OK" on the popup

  2. This adds bot as member AND promotes to admin

Step 7: Set permissions

Required permission for channels:

  • ✅ Add members (required)

  • ⚠️ Other permissions are optional

How to set:

  1. Check the box for "Add members"

  2. Leave other permissions as default (or customize)

  3. Click "Save"

Step 8: Verify

  1. Look in your channel admins

  2. LaunchPass bot should appear with admin badge

  3. Done! ✅

Visual Path for Channels

Channel → Three dots (⋮)   
→ Manage Channel    
 → Verify Private (change if public)    
  → Administrators      
   → Add Administrator         
    → Search "LaunchPass"           
     → Select bot (🚀 rocket emoji)            
      → OK to add + promote                 
        → Check: Add members                 
          → Save

Connecting Telegram to LaunchPass

Linking Your Accounts

After adding bot to your group/channel:

Step 1: Go to LaunchPass

  1. Visit https://www.launchpass.com/telegram/

  2. Log in to your LaunchPass account (or create one)

Step 2: Connect Telegram

  1. Click "Connect Telegram" or "Create Community"

  2. Select "Telegram" as platform

  3. You'll be redirected to Telegram authorization

Step 3: Authorize LaunchPass

  1. Telegram asks permission to connect

  2. Click "Accept" or "Authorize"

  3. Redirected back to LaunchPass

Step 4: Select your group/channel

  1. Look for "Select Channel" dropdown

  2. Your groups/channels appear (ones with LaunchPass bot as admin)

  3. Select the one you want to monetize

  4. Click "Next" or "Continue"

If you don't see your group/channel:

  • Verify LaunchPass bot is added

  • Verify bot has admin permissions

  • Refresh the page

  • Wait 1-2 minutes and try again

Setting Up Your Paid Access

Configuring Pricing

Step 1: Set your price

  1. Choose billing cycle:

    • Monthly subscription

    • Annual subscription

    • One-time payment

  2. Enter amount (e.g., $29/month)

  3. Select currency (USD, EUR, etc.)

Step 2: Configure settings

  1. Free trial? (optional - choose days)

  2. Member role? (usually auto-configured)

  3. Auto-kick on cancel? (recommended: Yes)

  4. Welcome message? (optional custom message)

Step 3: Create signup page

  1. Name your community

  2. Add description (what members get)

  3. Upload image (optional, recommended)

  4. List benefits

  5. Preview how it looks

Step 4: Publish

  1. Click "Publish" or "Go Live"

  2. Your signup page is now live

  3. Get your signup link

Step 5: Share your link

  1. Copy the signup link

  2. Share on social media

  3. Email your list

  4. Promote anywhere

  5. People click → pay → get added to Telegram

How It Works for Members

Member Experience

When someone signs up:

  1. They click your signup link

  2. They see your signup page (pricing, description, benefits)

  3. They enter email and create password

  4. They add payment method (credit card through Stripe)

  5. Payment processes

  6. They get Telegram invite link (via email and on success page)

  7. They click invite link

  8. They're added to your Telegram group/channel

  9. They can access content immediately

If they cancel:

  • Their subscription stops billing

  • They're automatically removed from Telegram (if auto-kick enabled)

  • They lose access

If payment fails:

  • Stripe retries 3 times

  • If all fail, member is removed

  • They get email notification

Troubleshooting

"I Don't See My Group/Channel in LaunchPass"

Why this happens:

  • Bot isn't added yet

  • Bot doesn't have admin permissions

  • Group/channel is public (must be private)

  • LaunchPass hasn't synced yet

What to do:

  1. Verify bot is added:

    • Go to your group/channel

    • Check member list

    • Look for LaunchPass bot

  2. Verify bot is admin:

    • Check admin list

    • LaunchPass bot should have admin badge

  3. Verify permissions:

    • Groups: Ban users + Invite users

    • Channels: Add members

  4. Verify it's private:

    • Public groups/channels don't work

    • Must be Private

  5. Wait and refresh:

    • Wait 2-3 minutes

    • Refresh LaunchPass page

    • Try selecting again

  6. If still missing:

    • Remove bot from Telegram

    • Re-add bot with correct permissions

    • Refresh LaunchPass

"LaunchPass Bot Isn't Responding"

Why this happens:

  • Bot doesn't have required permissions

  • Bot was removed from group/channel

  • Temporary connection issue

What to do:

  1. Check bot is still in group/channel:

    • Look at members list

    • Is LaunchPass bot there?

  2. Check permissions:

    • Go to Administrators

    • Check LaunchPass bot permissions

    • Should have Ban/Invite (groups) or Add members (channels)

  3. Re-add if needed:

    • Remove bot

    • Re-add with correct permissions

    • Test again

  4. Contact support:

"Members Aren't Being Added"

Why this happens:

  • Payment didn't process

  • Bot lost permissions

  • Member's Telegram account issue

  • Sync delay

What to do:

  1. Verify payment went through:

    • Check Stripe dashboard

    • Did charge succeed?

  2. Check bot permissions:

    • Still have Ban/Invite or Add members?

    • Re-verify in Telegram

  3. Wait 5 minutes:

    • Sometimes takes a moment to sync

    • Member might get invite link via email

  4. Check member's email:

    • Invite link sent to their email

    • They need to click it

  5. If still not working:

"Group/Channel Is Public Instead of Private"

Why this matters:

  • LaunchPass only works with Private groups/channels

  • Public means anyone can join free

  • No way to control paid access

What to do:

  1. Change to Private:

    • Go to Manage Group/Channel

    • Click "Channel Type" or "Group Type"

    • Select "Private"

    • Save

  2. Re-verify in LaunchPass:

    • Refresh LaunchPass page

    • Group/channel should now appear

Note: Changing to private removes the public link. You'll use LaunchPass signup instead.

Best Practices

Setting Up for Success

✅ Make it private - LaunchPass requires private groups/channels

✅ Add bot first - Before connecting to LaunchPass

✅ Give correct permissions - Ban/Invite for groups, Add members for channels

✅ Test with yourself - Sign up as test user to verify

✅ Set clear pricing - No hidden fees or confusion

✅ Write good description - Explain what members get

✅ Welcome new members - Post in Telegram when they join

✅ Deliver value - Give people reason to stay subscribed

Managing Your Community

✅ Post regularly - Keep community active

✅ Engage with members - Answer questions, start discussions

✅ Monitor signups - Check LaunchPass dashboard

✅ Handle cancellations - Understand why people leave

✅ Improve based on feedback - Make it better over time

✅ Export member emails - For marketing (optional)

✅ Track revenue - Know your business metrics

Telegram-Specific Tips

✅ Pin important messages - Rules, resources, links

✅ Use Telegram bots - Automate welcome messages, moderation

✅ Organize with topics (if group) - Separate conversations

✅ Schedule posts - Keep content flowing

✅ Use polls - Engage members, get feedback

✅ Share files - Documents, images, videos work great

✅ Voice/video messages - Personal touch for premium communities

Related Resources

Key Takeaways

✅ Install Telegram Desktop for Windows

✅ Create private group or channel (not public)

✅ Add LaunchPass bot as admin with required permissions

✅ Groups need: Ban users + Invite users permissions

✅ Channels need: Add members permission

✅ Connect Telegram to LaunchPass dashboard

✅ Select your group/channel from dropdown

✅ Set pricing and create signup page

✅ Publish and share your signup link

✅ Members pay → automatically added to Telegram

Need Help?

Have questions about setting up Telegram with LaunchPass?

Email LaunchPass support: [email protected]

We can help with:

  • Connecting Telegram to LaunchPass

  • Bot permission issues

  • Groups/channels not appearing

  • Payment setup questions

  • Member access problems

  • General setup questions

For Telegram-specific help:

Response time: Usually within 24 hours

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