diff --git a/keyserver/src/fetchers/link-fetchers.js b/keyserver/src/fetchers/link-fetchers.js
--- a/keyserver/src/fetchers/link-fetchers.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/fetchers/link-fetchers.js
@@ -39,4 +39,20 @@
   };
 }
 
-export { verifyInviteLink };
+async function checkIfInviteLinkIsValid(
+  secret: string,
+  communityID: string,
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  const query = SQL`
+    SELECT i.id 
+    FROM invite_links i
+    INNER JOIN threads c ON c.id = i.community
+    WHERE i.name = ${secret}
+      AND i.community = ${communityID}
+      AND c.community IS NULL
+  `;
+  const [result] = await dbQuery(query);
+  return result.length === 1;
+}
+
+export { verifyInviteLink, checkIfInviteLinkIsValid };
diff --git a/keyserver/src/responders/thread-responders.js b/keyserver/src/responders/thread-responders.js
--- a/keyserver/src/responders/thread-responders.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/responders/thread-responders.js
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@
 const joinThreadRequestInputValidator = tShape({
   threadID: t.String,
   calendarQuery: t.maybe(entryQueryInputValidator),
+  inviteLinkSecret: t.maybe(t.String),
 });
 async function threadJoinResponder(
   viewer: Viewer,
diff --git a/keyserver/src/updaters/link-updaters.js b/keyserver/src/updaters/link-updaters.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keyserver/src/updaters/link-updaters.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// @flow
+
+import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database.js';
+
+async function reportLinkUsage(secret: string): Promise<void> {
+  const query = SQL`
+    UPDATE invite_links
+    SET number_of_uses = number_of_uses + 1
+    WHERE name = ${secret}
+  `;
+  await dbQuery(query);
+}
+
+export { reportLinkUsage };
diff --git a/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js b/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
--- a/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import { promiseAll } from 'lib/utils/promises.js';
 import { firstLine } from 'lib/utils/string-utils.js';
 
+import { reportLinkUsage } from './link-updaters.js';
 import { updateRoles } from './role-updaters.js';
 import {
   changeRole,
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 import { createUpdates } from '../creators/update-creator.js';
 import { dbQuery, SQL } from '../database/database.js';
 import { fetchEntryInfos } from '../fetchers/entry-fetchers.js';
+import { checkIfInviteLinkIsValid } from '../fetchers/link-fetchers.js';
 import {
   fetchMessageInfos,
   fetchMessageInfoByID,
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@
   verifyUserIDs,
   verifyUserOrCookieIDs,
 } from '../fetchers/user-fetchers.js';
+import { handleAsyncPromise } from '../responders/handlers.js';
 import type { Viewer } from '../session/viewer.js';
 import RelationshipChangeset from '../utils/relationship-changeset.js';
 
@@ -807,13 +810,16 @@
     throw new ServerError('not_logged_in');
   }
 
+  const permissionCheck = request.inviteLinkSecret
+    ? checkIfInviteLinkIsValid(request.inviteLinkSecret, request.threadID)
+    : checkThreadPermission(
+        viewer,
+        request.threadID,
+        threadPermissions.JOIN_THREAD,
+      );
   const [isMember, hasPermission] = await Promise.all([
     fetchViewerIsMember(viewer, request.threadID),
-    checkThreadPermission(
-      viewer,
-      request.threadID,
-      threadPermissions.JOIN_THREAD,
-    ),
+    permissionCheck,
   ]);
   if (!hasPermission) {
     throw new ServerError('invalid_parameters');
@@ -859,6 +865,10 @@
     calendarQuery,
   });
 
+  if (request.inviteLinkSecret) {
+    handleAsyncPromise(reportLinkUsage(request.inviteLinkSecret));
+  }
+
   const messageData = {
     type: messageTypes.JOIN_THREAD,
     threadID: request.threadID,
diff --git a/lib/types/thread-types.js b/lib/types/thread-types.js
--- a/lib/types/thread-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/thread-types.js
@@ -454,10 +454,12 @@
 export type ServerThreadJoinRequest = {
   +threadID: string,
   +calendarQuery?: ?CalendarQuery,
+  +inviteLinkSecret?: string,
 };
 export type ClientThreadJoinRequest = {
   +threadID: string,
   +calendarQuery: CalendarQuery,
+  +inviteLinkSecret?: string,
 };
 export type ThreadJoinResult = {
   threadInfos?: { +[id: string]: RawThreadInfo },