🧩 Captcha
When captcha is on, every new member has to pass a challenge. Members who don't pass in time, or use up their attempts, are muted or kicked.
Where to configure it
In the webapp: open your workspace, select the Telegram group under Channels in the sidebar, then select Onboarding, then the Captcha tab. Changes save with the Save bar at the bottom of the page. Captcha questions are added and deleted one at a time, and deleting one asks for confirmation.
In Telegram (bot menu): send /settings, open 👋 Onboarding → 🧩 Captcha, and toggle it 🟢 Enabled.
Captcha types
Inline types
These run as ordinary Telegram messages with buttons.
| Type | What the member does |
|---|---|
| ✅ Simple | Selects a button. For example: "👋 Hello {name}! Please click the button below to verify you're human." |
| 🔢 Math | Picks the answer to a simple sum. For example: "🔢 Hello {name}! What is 3 + 7? Please select the correct answer." |
| 😀 Emoji | Picks a named emoji. For example: "🔐 Hello {name}! Please click on the BALLOON emoji to verify you're human." |
| 🔤 Text | Picks the correct character at a given position in a short string of easy-to-confuse characters. Harder for bots than the others. |
| ⚙️ Custom | Answers your own questions. See Questions. |
Mini App types
These open Fren One's captcha web app inside Telegram. They appear in the type list when the captcha web app is available for your deployment (or when one of them is already selected).
| Type | What the member does |
|---|---|
| Slider | Drags a slider to line up with an on-screen marker. |
| Custom Mini App | Answers your questions inside the Mini App. |
| Snake | Plays and passes a Snake game. |
Mini App captchas only work with the official bot (@FrenOneBot). If your group runs on its own bot through Bot Customization, the agent blocks these types and tells you to use the main bot. Use an inline type instead, or switch the group back to the main bot.
Combo
Turn Combo on to require two types in a row. The messages show progress as (1/2) and (2/2). Allowed pairs:
- Any two inline types, for example Math + Emoji.
- Slider + Custom Mini App, which run in the same Mini App session: the slider first, then your questions.
Not allowed:
- Snake with anything. It's standalone only.
- The inline Custom type with Slider, Custom Mini App or Snake.
- Simple, Math, Emoji or Text with any Mini App type.
Other settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mode | Main Chat shows the captcha publicly in the group. Direct Message (DM) sends it privately, which suits custom questions. |
| Time Limit | Seconds a member has to finish before the failure action applies. Default: 60. |
| Max Attempts | Failed attempts allowed before the failure action applies. Default: unlimited. |
| Failure Action | Mute: the member stays but can't send messages until an admin unmutes them. Kick: the member is removed, and gets a new captcha if they rejoin with an invite link. |
Questions (custom captchas)
Available when Custom or Custom Mini App is selected. With Custom the questions are sent as Telegram messages with buttons; with Custom Mini App the same questions run inside the Mini App. Questions can check that members know something about your group, or collect information from them: export the answers with Export Responses in the Questions menu.
To create a question:
- Select + Create Question.
- At "📝 Please send the new question.", send the question. You can add an image.
- At "📝 Now, add options for this question separated by commas.", send the answer options.
- Choose the correct answer, or mark the question as having no correct answer.
- Optionally select Preview to see it.
After creating a question, go back to the Captcha menu, select Questions, and select the questions to show new members.
The same Questions screen is where you choose which questions are used, and delete ones you no longer need. If bots start answering your custom questions automatically, change some of them.
Troubleshooting
New members don't get a captcha
- Check captcha is 🟢 Enabled, and the agent is an admin that can send messages.
Real members keep failing
- Check the time limit isn't too short for the type, and that custom questions have the right correct answers.
The agent says a Mini App captcha needs @FrenOneBot
- Your group uses its own bot token. See the Mini App warning above.