telegram
Telegram @SpamBot replies explained: what each message means and how to appeal
What each @SpamBot reply means, what a limited account can still do, how long limits last, when and how to appeal, and how to tell a spam limit apart from other Telegram errors.
Key takeaways
@SpamBot is Telegram's own bot for checking spam limits. Open it from the link in Telegram's Spam FAQ and never give it a login code.
A limited account can still message people who saved your number and reply to anyone who writes first.
A first limit usually lasts a few days, repeat limits last longer, and Telegram says it cannot release anyone early.
Appeal only when the limit is a mistake. A frozen account appeals through a longer @SpamBot form. FLOOD_WAIT, PRIVACY_PREMIUM_REQUIRED, blocks by one person and login lockouts are separate problems.
Message @SpamBot from the account in question and it tells you whether Telegram has limited that account for spam. A no-limits reply means the cause lies elsewhere. A limit with an end date lifts by itself. A limit with no end date, or one you did not earn, is the case for an appeal.
Reply or state | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
"Good news, no limits are currently applied to your account. You're free as a bird!" | Telegram has no spam limit on the account right now. | Look for a rate limit, a privacy setting or a block by one person instead. |
"I'm afraid some Telegram users found your messages annoying" and "your account is now limited until" a date | Users reported your messages, moderators confirmed it, and the account is limited until that date. | Stop first messages to strangers and wait for the date. Appeal only if you sent nothing unwanted. |
"Unfortunately, some actions can trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems" with no date | The anti-spam system limited the account on its own and set no release date. | Appeal if it is a mistake. Otherwise use the account only for warm contacts. |
"Your account was blocked for violations of the Telegram Terms of Service based on user reports confirmed by our moderators." | The account is frozen: read-only, and deleted later unless an appeal succeeds. | Run the appeal in @SpamBot before the deletion date. |
"Unfortunately, some phone numbers may trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems" | The number's past owner, or its virtual or VOIP type, triggered the limit. | Tell @SpamBot your story, as Telegram's FAQ suggests. |
"It is possible that you did too many similar actions at once" | A short speed limit for repeating the same action, not a limit from reports. | Wait and slow down. An appeal changes nothing here. |
"Unfortunately, you cannot create new bots at this time" (in @BotFather) | The spam limit also blocks creating bots. | Check the account in @SpamBot and appeal there if the limit is a mistake. |
PEER_FLOOD in an app or tool | The API code for a spam-reported account. | Open @SpamBot from that account and treat it as a spam limit. |
FLOOD_WAIT_X | You repeated an action too fast and must wait X seconds. | Wait out the timer and lower the sending rate. |
PRIVACY_PREMIUM_REQUIRED | The recipient accepts new chats only from contacts, existing chats and Premium users. | Send from a Premium account or ask the person to write first. |
USER_IS_BLOCKED | One person blocked your account. | Stop writing to that person. Other chats still work. |
Too many attempts at login | Too many code requests or password tries in a short time. | Wait, stop any tool that retries, then use Telegram's login support if it persists. |
What is @SpamBot and how do you know it is the real one?
@SpamBot is Telegram's official bot for accounts limited after spam reports. Telegram's Spam FAQ names it as the place to appeal a limit, and Telegram's error database points spam-reported accounts to it for details. You message it from the account you want to check, press Start, and it replies with that account's status.
Lookalike bots and accounts can copy the name, so check these points before you type anything:
Open the bot from the @SpamBot link on Telegram's Spam FAQ, which points to telegram.me/spambot. Do not use a link from a group, an ad or a stranger.
Check that the username reads exactly SpamBot, with no extra letters, underscores or digits.
Never send a login code or password. Telegram's FAQ says login codes arrive only in the verified Telegram service chat and should never be shared with anyone.
Ignore anyone who sells an early release. Telegram's Spam FAQ says releasing a limited account sooner is impossible.
Telegram's FAQ also warns that anyone on Facebook or another platform who claims to be Telegram is not.
What does each @SpamBot reply mean?
@SpamBot replies in one of five ways: no limits, a limit with an end date, a limit with no end date, a note that the limit came from your phone number, or a block. We quote the replies as @SpamBot sent them to our own accounts in the English app. Telegram can change the wording, so if yours differs slightly, match it by meaning.
What does a no-limits reply mean?
A no-limits reply means Telegram has no spam limit on the account right now, and you can start chats with strangers again. If messages still fail, the cause is something else. The usual causes are a flood timer, a recipient's privacy setting, a block by one person or a frozen account. Check the exact error your app or outreach tool shows, because each of those has a different fix.
The English reply reads "Good news, no limits are currently applied to your account. You're free as a bird!"
What does a limit with an end date mean?
A limit with an end date means people reported your messages and Telegram limited the account until that date. Telegram's Spam FAQ says human moderators check reports before an account is limited. The limit lifts by itself on the date, and you do not need to do anything. Use the time to work out what people reported. The same FAQ names unsolicited ads, links, invite links, random photos and anything about commerce or online popularity.
The full English reply, as one of our accounts got it (yours shows its own date and time in UTC):
"I'm afraid some Telegram users found your messages annoying and forwarded them to our team of moderators for inspection. The moderators have confirmed the report and your account is now limited until 3 Aug 2026, 11:16 UTC. While the account is limited, you will not be able to do certain things on Telegram, like writing to strangers who haven't contacted you first or adding them to groups and channels. Your account will be automatically released on 3 Aug 2026, 11:16 UTC. Please note that if you repeat what got you limited and users report you again, the limitations will last longer next time. Subscribers of Telegram Premium have reduced times for initial limitations."
What does a limit with no end date mean?
A limit with no end date means Telegram's anti-spam system limited the account on its own and set no release date. The reply admits the system can react too harshly and invites a complaint. On one of our accounts it arrived right after several no-limits replies in a row. Telegram's Spam FAQ warns that an account that keeps writing unwanted messages to strangers may lose that ability forever. If you sent nothing unwanted, appeal. If you did send cold messages, keep the account for people who already know you.
The full English reply:
"Hello [your name]! I'm very sorry that you had to contact me. Unfortunately, some actions can trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems. If you think your account was limited by mistake, you can submit a complaint to our moderators. While the account is limited, you will not be able to send messages to people who do not have your number in their phone contacts or add them to groups and channels. Of course, when people contact you first, you can always reply to them."
What does it mean when the reply blames your phone number?
A limit tied to your phone number means the account was limited before it did anything, because of the number itself. Telegram's Spam FAQ explains that some numbers trigger an overly harsh response, either because of their previous owners or because they are certain virtual or VOIP numbers. Telegram's advice is to contact @SpamBot and tell it your story. This is the clearest case for an appeal. New accounts can also face quieter limits, covered in our guide to shadow restrictions on new accounts.
The English reply reads "Unfortunately, some phone numbers may trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems. If you think this is the case with you, you can submit a complaint to our moderators or subscribe to Telegram Premium to get less strict limits."
What does it mean when @SpamBot says your account was blocked?
A block reply means the account is frozen. Telegram's FAQ says a frozen account can read chats but cannot send messages or post. Its API docs add that the account is deleted after a set time unless an appeal is accepted. Pressing /start on a frozen account we followed returned this reply, and the same reply came back after a denied appeal:
"Your account was blocked for violations of the Telegram Terms of Service based on user reports confirmed by our moderators."
The appeal for a block is longer than for a limit. Its questions are in the table below and the steps in the appeal section.
What does every @SpamBot message say, word for word?
@SpamBot moves through a fixed set of messages, from the greeting to the appeal result, and people often paste one into a search bar to find out what it means. The tables quote each message as the English app shows it and say what to do next. Most of them come from our own accounts. Telegram can reword them, so match by meaning if yours differs slightly. If your app is in Russian, the bot words its messages differently, and our Russian version quotes them as the Russian app shows them.
Which messages report your account status?
What the bot says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
"Hello! I'm Telegram's official Spam Info Bot. I can help you find out if your account was limited. I'll also explain why this happens and what you can do to regain the full functionality. Send /start to launch me." | The greeting. It says nothing about your account yet, so send /start. |
"Good news, no limits are currently applied to your account. You're free as a bird!" | No spam limit. If messages still fail, look for another cause. |
"I'm afraid some Telegram users found your messages annoying and forwarded them to our team of moderators for inspection. The moderators have confirmed the report and your account is now limited until [date], [time] UTC." | A limit from confirmed reports. It lifts by itself on that date. |
"While the account is limited, you will not be able to do certain things on Telegram, like writing to strangers who haven't contacted you first or adding them to groups and channels." | What a dated limit blocks. Replies to people who wrote first still go through. |
"Your account will be automatically released on [date], [time] UTC. Please note that if you repeat what got you limited and users report you again, the limitations will last longer next time. Subscribers of Telegram Premium have reduced times for initial limitations." | The release date, a warning that the next limit will be longer, and a note that Premium shortens a first limit. |
"Hello [your name]! I'm very sorry that you had to contact me. Unfortunately, some actions can trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems. If you think your account was limited by mistake, you can submit a complaint to our moderators." | The anti-spam system limited the account with no end date. This reply is where the appeal starts. |
"While the account is limited, you will not be able to send messages to people who do not have your number in their phone contacts or add them to groups and channels. Of course, when people contact you first, you can always reply to them." | What the limit blocks: first messages to non-contacts and adding people to groups or channels. Replies still go through. |
"People usually don't like it when strangers contact them - so they will report you if they find your messages annoying. And if our moderators confirm the report, your account will be limited. Please only contact people if you're sure that they are expecting messages from you." | Why it happened: recipients reported your messages and a moderator agreed. |
"Unfortunately, some phone numbers may trigger a harsh response from our anti-spam systems. If you think this is the case with you, you can submit a complaint to our moderators or subscribe to Telegram Premium to get less strict limits." | The number itself is the problem, not what you sent. Telegram offers a complaint or Premium. |
"It is possible that you did too many similar actions at once - such limits are temporary and will soon be removed automatically. Please try later or subscribe to Telegram Premium to get less strict limits." | A speed limit that lifts by itself. Slow down and try later; an appeal does nothing. |
"Your account was blocked for violations of the Telegram Terms of Service based on user reports confirmed by our moderators." | The account is frozen. Appeal before the deletion date. |
"OK. Send /start if you need me again." | The bot's reply when you press OK. Nothing has changed. |
"Unfortunately, you cannot create new bots at this time. For more information on why this happened and what your appeal options are, kindly contact @SpamBot." | Shown by @BotFather: the spam limit also blocks creating bots. Check and appeal in @SpamBot. |
Which messages come during an appeal?
What the bot says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
"If you think the limitations on your account were applied by mistake, you can submit a complaint. All complaints will be reviewed by the team's supervisor. Please note that this will have no effect on limitations that were applied with a good reason. Would you like to submit a complaint?" | The appeal offer for a limited account. A complaint will not lift a limit you earned. |
"If you think your account was blocked by mistake, you can submit a complaint. All complaints will be reviewed by the team's supervisor. Please note that this will have no effect on limitations that were applied with a good reason. Would you like to submit a complaint?" | The same offer for a frozen account, shown after you press "This is a mistake". |
"Great! Please confirm that you have never sent this to strangers: unsolicited advertising of any kind, promotional messages, shocking materials. Did you ever do any of this?" | The first question for a limited account, about the past. Answer truthfully: moderators can see the reported messages. |
"First, please confirm that you will never send this to strangers: unsolicited advertising of any kind, promotional messages, shocking materials. Were you going to do anything like that?" | The same check, about the future. |
"Great! I'm very sorry if your account was limited by mistake. Please write me some details about your case, I will forward it to the supervisor. Why do you think your account was limited, what went wrong?" | Type your appeal for a limit here, in one message. |
"Please write us more details about your case. Why do you think your account was blocked, what went wrong?" | Type your appeal for a block here, in one message. |
"Please enter your full legal name." | Asked only for a block. Use the name you would show on an ID. |
"Please enter your contact email." | Where Telegram can reach you about the appeal. |
"Approximately, what year did you sign up for Telegram with this account?" | The year the account was created. A rough year is fine. |
"Please provide a brief general description outlining how you discovered Telegram and, if applicable, who invited you to join (e.g. a friend, a colleague, family members etc)." | How you came to Telegram. A full sentence gives the moderator more to check than two words. |
"Please briefly describe your average daily use of Telegram — including what you like doing the most on the platform and which features you prefer." | How you use the account day to day. Name real chats, groups or channels you use. |
"By submitting this appeal, you hereby acknowledge and agree that all the information you provided is accurate and truthful. In the event of providing false information or other abuses of the appeals system, Telegram may suspend the review of appeals submitted by you." | A warning before you press Confirm: an untrue story can cost you future appeals, not just this one. |
"Please verify you are a human." | Open the link, pass the check, then press Done. |
"Thank you! Your appeal has been successfully submitted. Our team's supervisors will check it as soon as possible." | The appeal is queued. Telegram gives no review time. |
"Thank you! Your complaint has been successfully submitted. Our team's supervisors will check it as soon as possible. If this was a mistake, all limitations will be lifted from your account soon." | The same confirmation for a limit. If the complaint is upheld, the limit lifts with no separate notice, so press /start again later. |
"Dear [your name], The team's supervisors have reviewed your appeal and all relevant materials. We regret to inform you that your appeal has been denied and the restrictions have not been lifted." | The appeal was denied and the account stays as it is. |
"You've already submitted a complaint recently" | You already have an appeal in the queue. Wait for it instead of sending another. |
What can a limited Telegram account still do?
A limited account can still message anyone who has saved your phone number as a contact, and it can always reply to people who write to you first. Both rules come from Telegram's Spam FAQ. What the limit takes away is the ability to start new private chats with strangers, which is the behaviour people reported. The FAQ adds that accounts posting spam in groups lose that ability too. Telegram's main FAQ describes the same rule in its entry on messaging non-contacts.
While the limit runs:
Keep answering existing leads, since replies to people who wrote first still go through.
Ask warm contacts to save your number or to message you first.
Pause every campaign step that sends a first message from the limited account.
Open @SpamBot again on the end date before you restart any first messages.
How long does a Telegram spam limit last?
A first spam limit usually lasts a few days, and each repeat lasts longer. Telegram's Spam FAQ gives that range for a first offence by someone who is not an industrial-scale spammer. Repeated offences bring longer blocks, and continued unwanted messages can remove the ability to message strangers for good. Telegram also says it cannot release a limit early, so a request for a faster release does not work.
For outreach teams, count every limit as a strike on that account. A second limit soon after the first is a signal to cut volume, not to restart the same campaign. Our explainer on how reports lead to bans looks at the reporting side of this.
Why does crmchat say pressing /start can clear a restriction in a minute?
crmchat's technical FAQ reports a faster pattern on outreach accounts: press /start in @SpamBot from the restricted account, and the restriction is often gone after about 1 minute. The same page says repeat restrictions can stretch the delay to 24 hours. That is crmchat's guidance from running outreach accounts, not a Telegram statement.
One reading fits both sources. Short restrictions on sending accounts often clear once you check in with the bot. A moderator-reviewed limit that names a date stays until that date, and pressing /start will not change it. So press /start first, then act on what the bot says. crmchat includes SpamBot tracking that detects temporary spam blocks, pauses sending from the restricted account and resumes once the block lifts.
When should you appeal a Telegram spam limit?
Appeal when the limit is a mistake: you sent nothing unwanted, you wrote only to people who expected your message, or a new account was limited before it sent anything. Telegram's Spam FAQ invites appeals in those cases and admits that its systems and moderators sometimes get it wrong. Skip the appeal when people reported cold messages you really sent. The same FAQ answers requests for early release with a plain no.
Cold outreach is the hard case. Telegram's FAQ says that for private messages, what you send does not matter if the receiver finds it unwelcome. If a campaign drew reports, wait out the limit and fix the targeting instead of appealing.
How do you submit an appeal to @SpamBot?
Open @SpamBot from the limited account, using the link on Telegram's Spam FAQ.
Press Start and read the status reply.
When the bot asks "Would you like to submit a complaint?", confirm. Button labels vary by app language.
Answer the two questions about "unsolicited advertising of any kind, promotional messages, shocking materials" honestly, then write your explanation when the bot asks "Why do you think your account was limited, what went wrong?"
Wait for the result. The bot confirms with "Your appeal has been successfully submitted", and a second try gets "You've already submitted a complaint recently".
How do you appeal a frozen account?
Telegram's FAQ says you appeal a freeze from the app. On the frozen account we followed, the appeal itself ran in @SpamBot as a longer form:
Send /start. The bot replies that the account "was blocked for violations of the Telegram Terms of Service".
Press "This is a mistake", then "Yes" when the bot asks "Would you like to submit a complaint?"
Write your explanation in one message.
Answer five questions: your full legal name, a contact email, the year you signed up, how you found Telegram and how you use it every day.
Press Confirm under the warning about false information, pass the "verify you are a human" check and press Done.
Both appeals we watched from that account were denied, 22 and 6 minutes after they were submitted. In each, the answers to the five questions were two or three words long. We cannot say that caused the denials, but full sentences give a moderator more to check.
What should you write in a spam limit appeal?
Write a short, factual note: how you use the account and why the people you wrote to expected your messages. A clear, checkable story is easier to confirm than an emotional one. Keep it true: before you submit, the bot warns that false information can lead Telegram to "suspend the review of appeals submitted by you".
Say what the account is for, such as support for your own customers or chats with your team.
Explain who you contacted and why they expected it, for example they asked you to write or they are existing clients.
For a new number, say you just signed up and had not sent any messages yet.
Leave out links, promotions and threats to leave Telegram.
Keep it to a few sentences in one language.
A sample: I use this account to answer customers of my online shop. I only write to people who placed an order and gave me their username. I believe the limit was applied by mistake.
Which Telegram errors look like a spam limit but are not?
Most failed messages have nothing to do with a spam limit, and @SpamBot will report no limits for them. Apps and outreach tools show these failures as Telegram API errors, which Telegram lists in its error documentation. One code, PEER_FLOOD, is the exception: it is the spam limit seen from the API side.
What does FLOOD_WAIT mean?
FLOOD_WAIT_X means you repeated an action too often and must wait X seconds before trying again. Telegram's error docs file it under code 420 FLOOD, which means the allowed number of calls to a method was exceeded. It is a rate limit, not a penalty, and it ends when the timer runs out. Wait the full time, then lower the sending rate. A related code, FLOOD_PREMIUM_WAIT_X, adds that Telegram Premium removes that particular limit. Our explainer on Telegram flood limits goes deeper.
What does PEER_FLOOD mean?
PEER_FLOOD means the account has been spam-reported and cannot perform the action. Telegram's error database describes it that way and points to @SpamBot for more information. So unlike the other codes here, PEER_FLOOD is the same spam limit that @SpamBot reports. If your tool shows it, open @SpamBot from that account and act on its reply.
What does PRIVACY_PREMIUM_REQUIRED mean?
PRIVACY_PREMIUM_REQUIRED means the recipient only accepts new private chats from contacts, people they already chat with and Premium users. Telegram's privacy documentation explains the setting and the error. Your account is fine. Send from an account with Telegram Premium, or ask the person to write first. Star Messages work in a similar way: some users charge Telegram Stars for messages from non-contacts. Telegram's FAQ says you can pay, wait for them to write, or ask to be added as a contact.
What happens when the recipient blocks you?
A block means one person stopped your messages, and apps report it as USER_IS_BLOCKED. Telegram's sendMessage documentation describes the error as You were blocked by this user. It affects only that chat, and @SpamBot will not show it. Stop writing to that person. If many recipients block you in a short time, take it as a sign that your message is unwelcome, because unwelcome messages are what people report.
What does a frozen account mean?
A frozen account is read-only: you can read chats, but you cannot send messages or post content. Telegram's FAQ links freezing to reports from other users, and its API docs to serious violations of the Terms of Service. A freeze is heavier than a spam limit. The account is deleted after a set time unless an appeal is submitted and accepted, and @SpamBot reports it as a block, not a limit. Tools see FROZEN_METHOD_INVALID or FROZEN_PARTICIPANT_MISSING. crmchat's account FAQ adds a practical step: cancel Premium auto-renewal with /stop in @PremiumBot right after buying, because a frozen account cannot do it later.
What does a too-many-attempts message at login mean?
A too-many-attempts message at login means you requested codes or entered a password too often, and Telegram has paused further tries. Telegram's auth.sendCode docs list PHONE_NUMBER_FLOOD for too many code requests and PHONE_PASSWORD_FLOOD for too many login attempts. It has nothing to do with spam, and @SpamBot cannot help while you are logged out. Wait before trying again, and stop any tool that keeps retrying. If you still cannot log in, Telegram's FAQ points to its login support form and the official @SmsTelegram account.
How do you keep a spam limit from coming back?
Keep limits away by sending fewer, more expected messages from accounts that look and act like real users. Telegram's Terms of Service forbid using the service to send spam. Its Spam FAQ asks you to contact only people who are expecting your message. Warm-up, daily limits and account checks all serve that rule.
How should you warm up an outreach account?
Warm up a new or idle account for 10 to 14 days before it sends a single cold message, as crmchat's warm-up guide recommends. The same guide asks for Telegram Premium and a complete profile with username, name, photo and bio. crmchat includes an AI account warmup that runs human-like activity, such as two-way chats, reactions and channel joins, before an account starts outreach. The crmchat warmup tool starts with 5 actions on day one and scales to more than 20 by week two. For the full process, see how to warm up new accounts.
How many cold messages a day are safe?
Start at 5 cold messages a day per account, add 2 or 3 each week and stop at 15, as crmchat's warm-up guide recommends after warming. These are crmchat's working limits, not Telegram rules, and Telegram's own pages give no daily number. crmchat's account FAQ ties the 15-a-day ceiling to Telegram Premium on each account. Volume is only half of it. A personal, relevant message sent to the right person draws fewer reports than a generic one sent within the limit.
How do you check account health?
Check each account's status every day and stop sending the moment one is limited. crmchat's outreach FAQ suggests opening @SpamBot from each account, reading the reason on failed messages and reviewing daily limits and message content. After a restriction, crmchat's warm-up guide says to stop outreach, press /start in @SpamBot and pause campaigns for 1 day. In crmchat, each account shows a status of active, offline, unauthorized, banned or frozen. An automatic cooldown also starts when an account is flagged several times in a row. For a wider checklist, read how to avoid account restrictions.
FAQ
Can Telegram Premium remove a spam limit?
No. Telegram's Spam FAQ says early release is impossible. @SpamBot's own limit message says "Subscribers of Telegram Premium have reduced times for initial limitations", so Premium shortens a first limit but does not lift one already in place. It also lets you write to users who accept new chats only from Premium accounts and removes the FLOOD_PREMIUM_WAIT limit.
Can I still reply to customers while my account is limited?
Yes. Telegram's Spam FAQ says a limited account can always reply to anyone who messages first and can message people who saved its number. The limit targets new chats with strangers.
Is PEER_FLOOD the same as FLOOD_WAIT?
No. PEER_FLOOD means the account is spam-reported, and Telegram's error database points to @SpamBot for details. FLOOD_WAIT is a short timer for repeating an action too fast, and it ends after the stated number of seconds.
How long does a @SpamBot appeal take?
Telegram's help pages give no review time for appeals. Two appeals we watched on a frozen account got a reply 22 and 6 minutes after submission, and both were denials. If a limit has an end date, it lifts on that date whatever happens to the appeal, so plan around the date rather than the appeal.
