diff --git a/backend/app/channels/service.py b/backend/app/channels/service.py
index 8d17f7481..8042733c2 100644
--- a/backend/app/channels/service.py
+++ b/backend/app/channels/service.py
@@ -23,6 +23,16 @@ _CHANNEL_REGISTRY: dict[str, str] = {
     "wecom": "app.channels.wecom:WeComChannel",
 }
 
+# Keys that indicate a user has configured credentials for a channel.
+_CHANNEL_CREDENTIAL_KEYS: dict[str, list[str]] = {
+    "discord": ["bot_token"],
+    "feishu": ["app_id", "app_secret"],
+    "slack": ["bot_token", "app_token"],
+    "telegram": ["bot_token"],
+    "wecom": ["bot_id", "bot_secret"],
+    "wechat": ["bot_token"],
+}
+
 _CHANNELS_LANGGRAPH_URL_ENV = "DEER_FLOW_CHANNELS_LANGGRAPH_URL"
 _CHANNELS_GATEWAY_URL_ENV = "DEER_FLOW_CHANNELS_GATEWAY_URL"
 
@@ -88,7 +98,16 @@ class ChannelService:
             if not isinstance(channel_config, dict):
                 continue
             if not channel_config.get("enabled", False):
-                logger.info("Channel %s is disabled, skipping", name)
+                cred_keys = _CHANNEL_CREDENTIAL_KEYS.get(name, [])
+                has_creds = any(not isinstance(channel_config.get(k), bool) and channel_config.get(k) is not None and str(channel_config[k]).strip() for k in cred_keys)
+                if has_creds:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Channel '%s' has credentials configured but is disabled. Set enabled: true under channels.%s in config.yaml to activate it.",
+                        name,
+                        name,
+                    )
+                else:
+                    logger.info("Channel %s is disabled, skipping", name)
                 continue
 
             await self._start_channel(name, channel_config)
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_channels.py b/backend/tests/test_channels.py
index e6fb0213f..bdb4584e5 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_channels.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_channels.py
@@ -2011,6 +2011,65 @@ class TestChannelService:
         assert service.manager._langgraph_url == "http://custom-langgraph:2024"
         assert service.manager._gateway_url == "http://custom-gateway:8001"
 
+    def test_disabled_channel_with_string_creds_emits_warning(self, caplog):
+        """Warning is emitted when a channel has string credentials but enabled=false."""
+        import logging
+
+        from app.channels.service import ChannelService
+
+        async def go():
+            service = ChannelService(
+                channels_config={
+                    "wecom": {"enabled": False, "bot_id": "corp123", "bot_secret": "secret"},
+                }
+            )
+            with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="app.channels.service"):
+                await service.start()
+            await service.stop()
+
+        _run(go())
+        assert any("wecom" in r.message and r.levelno == logging.WARNING for r in caplog.records)
+
+    def test_disabled_channel_with_int_creds_emits_warning(self, caplog):
+        """Warning is emitted even when YAML-parsed integer credentials are present."""
+        import logging
+
+        from app.channels.service import ChannelService
+
+        async def go():
+            # Simulate YAML parsing a numeric token/ID as an int
+            service = ChannelService(
+                channels_config={
+                    "telegram": {"enabled": False, "bot_token": 123456789},
+                }
+            )
+            with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="app.channels.service"):
+                await service.start()
+            await service.stop()
+
+        _run(go())
+        assert any("telegram" in r.message and r.levelno == logging.WARNING for r in caplog.records)
+
+    def test_disabled_channel_without_creds_emits_info(self, caplog):
+        """Only an info log (no warning) is emitted when a channel is disabled with no credentials."""
+        import logging
+
+        from app.channels.service import ChannelService
+
+        async def go():
+            service = ChannelService(
+                channels_config={
+                    "telegram": {"enabled": False},
+                }
+            )
+            with caplog.at_level(logging.DEBUG, logger="app.channels.service"):
+                await service.start()
+            await service.stop()
+
+        _run(go())
+        warning_records = [r for r in caplog.records if "telegram" in r.message and r.levelno == logging.WARNING]
+        assert not warning_records
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Slack send retry tests