# Link Telegram and fix an expired link code

You can connect Telegram to your signed-in website account from the Dashboard. A Telegram link code is temporary; it is not your account access key.

## Connect Telegram

1. Open the [Dashboard](https://retrostress.net/dashboard) while signed in.
2. Find **Telegram notifications** and select **Connect**.
3. Open the bot link offered by the Dashboard. Use that link to identify the correct bot.
4. Follow the linking prompt or send `/link CODE`, replacing CODE with the temporary code shown in your Dashboard.
5. Return to the Dashboard and refresh to check the connection status.

A completed connection is shown as **Connected to your account**. Generating a code alone does not complete the connection.

## The link code expired or is invalid

Link codes expire after five minutes and can be used only once. Generating a new code invalidates your previous unused codes.

Generate a fresh code from the Dashboard, then use the newest code in the offered bot. Do not reuse a code from an older tab or screenshot. Keep the code private while it is valid.

## My account is already linked

An account or Telegram user can have only one active link. If you control the linked Telegram account and intend to disconnect it, send `/unlink` to the same bot. Wait for the unlink confirmation, then generate a fresh code from the intended website account to reconnect. Disconnecting changes the account association, so check which account you are using first.

If you cannot access the linked Telegram account or do not recognize the connection, ask human support to review it. Do not send your account access key or try to connect somebody else's account.

Include the exact linking error and whether it appeared in the Dashboard or Telegram. The assistant can explain these steps, but a general documentation answer cannot confirm or change your account's link.