FAQ: Telegram channel catalog
Answers about the catalog, the cleanliness index, ERR, and channel metrics.
Can fake engagement be proven from outside a channel?
No. External services only see public metrics, so the conclusion is probabilistic. Multiple independent anomalies can support a high-risk assessment, but they do not prove intent.
Does low ERR always mean fake subscribers?
No. A real audience can become inactive after a rebrand, a long pause, or a change in topic. Read ERR together with growth, reactions, comments, and the age of the channel.
What is the cost of choosing the wrong channel?
Potentially the entire placement budget. Automated or inactive accounts do not become customers, so checking the channel is usually the cheapest part of the campaign.
Where can I see a channel's metrics without counting by hand?
In the TG Inspector catalog: a channel page shows the cleanliness index, ERR, a metric breakdown, and an advertising-reach estimate when enough data is available. Manual due diligence should still follow for large buys.
Can I find out the exact number of bots in a channel?
No. Only the owner can see the subscriber list. From the outside you can estimate how much of the audience does not read or react, using reach, reactions, and comments.
Does low reach always mean bots?
No. Reach also drops in live channels: the audience lost interest, posts come out too often, or the channel stopped growing long ago. Look at several signs together, not at one number.
If reach is high, are there no bots?
Not necessarily: views can be inflated too. If reach is clearly higher than for channels of the same size while reactions and comments are almost absent, take a closer look.
Where can I see these metrics for a specific channel?
In the TG Inspector catalog: a channel page combines reach, reactions, view spread, and comment makeup into a cleanliness index. If the channel is not in the catalog, add it — it is free.
Why do channel owners manipulate views?
Artificial views can hide an inactive subscriber base and make advertising inventory appear more valuable than the real reachable audience supports.
Are forwards into private chats reliable evidence?
Forward counters can also be influenced and private destinations cannot be verified externally. Public reposts with visible active audiences provide stronger evidence.
Is high ERR always better than more subscribers?
Reach is generally more relevant to an advertiser, but it still needs to be credible and matched to the right audience. High ERR alone does not guarantee conversions.
Can ERR be too high?
Yes. Repeated reach near or above the full subscriber base, especially with flat counts and little activity, can be a manipulation signal.
Why buy views after buying subscribers?
Purchased subscribers create low reach. Artificial views can be added to hide that gap and support a higher advertising price.
What is the channel cleanliness index?
The 0–100 cleanliness index combines independent public-data signals such as ERR, view distribution, view accumulation, reactions, comments, and channel metadata. A higher index means fewer observed warning signals.
How do I find a channel in the catalog?
Type a name, topic, or @username into the search in the site header. If the channel is in the catalog, its page opens with the cleanliness index and ERR; if not, you can add it. Free.
What does a low cleanliness index mean?
That the channel's public metrics are poorly consistent with each other: for example, low ERR, almost no reactions, or unusually flat views. The score is probabilistic: it describes metrics, not the owner's actions.
What is ERR in Telegram?
ERR is median post views divided by subscribers. It estimates the share of the listed audience reached by a typical mature post.
How much does catalog access cost?
Nothing. The catalog and channel pages are open to everyone, and adding a channel is free too.