diff --git a/docs/faq.md b/docs/faq.md
index fb5a8275..3c5fda0b 100644
--- a/docs/faq.md
+++ b/docs/faq.md
@@ -17,19 +17,32 @@ And with the introduction of the jump to date API via
 [MSC3030](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3030), we could show
 messages from any given date and day-by-day navigation.
 
-## How do I opt out and keep my room from being indexed by search engines?
-
-All public Matrix rooms are accessible to view in the Matrix Public Archive. But only
-rooms with history visibility set to `world_readable` are indexable by search engines.
-
-Also see https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-public-archive/issues/47 to track better
-opt out controls.
+## Why did the archive bot join my room?
+
+Only public Matrix rooms with `shared` or `world_readable` [history
+visibility](https://spec.matrix.org/latest/client-server-api/#room-history-visibility) are
+accessible in the Matrix Public Archive. In some clients like Element, the `shared`
+option equates to "Members only (since the point in time of selecting this option)" and
+`world_readable` to "Anyone" under the **room settings** -> **Security & Privacy** ->
+**Who can read history?**.
+
+But the archive bot (`@archive:matrix.org`) will join any public room because it doesn't
+know the history visibility without first joining. Any room without `world_readable` or
+`shared` history visibility will lead a `403 Forbidden`. And if the public room is in
+the room directory, it will be listed in the archive but will still lead to a `403
+Forbidden` in that case.
+
+The Matrix Public Archive doesn't hold onto any data (it's
+stateless) and requests the messages from the homeserver every time. The
+[archive.matrix.org](https://archive.matrix.org/) instance has some caching in place, 5
+minutes for the current day, and 2 days for past content.
 
-For [archive.matrix.org](https://archive.matrix.org/), you can ban the
-`@archive:matrix.org` user if you don't want your room content to be shown in the
-archive at all.
+The Matrix Public Archive only allows rooms with `world_readable` history visibility to
+be indexed by search engines. See the [opt
+out](#how-do-i-opt-out-and-keep-my-room-from-being-indexed-by-search-engines) topic
+below for more details.
 
-## Why does the archive user join rooms instead of browsing them as a guest?
+### Why does the archive user join rooms instead of browsing them as a guest?
 
 Guests require `m.room.guest_access` to access a room. Most public rooms do not allow
 guests because even the `public_chat` preset when creating a room does not allow guest
@@ -37,11 +50,22 @@ access. Not being able to view most public rooms is the major blocker on being a
 use guest access. The idea is if I can view the messages from a Matrix client as a
 random user, I should also be able to see the messages in the archive.
 
-Keep in mind that only rooms with history visibility set to `world_readable` are
-indexable by search engines. The Matrix Public Archive doesn't hold onto any data (it's
-stateless) and requests the messages from the homeserver every time. The
-[archive.matrix.org](https://archive.matrix.org/) instance has some caching in place, 5
-minutes for the current day, and 2 days for past content.
+Guest access is also a much different ask than read-only access since guests can also
+send messages in the room which isn't always desirable. The archive bot is read-only and
+does not send messages.
+
+## How do I opt out and keep my room from being indexed by search engines?
+
+Only public Matrix rooms with `shared` or `world_readable` history visibility are
+accessible to view in the Matrix Public Archive. But only rooms with history visibility
+set to `world_readable` are indexable by search engines.
+
+Also see https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-public-archive/issues/47 to track better
+opt out controls.
+
+As a workaround for [archive.matrix.org](https://archive.matrix.org/) today, you can ban
+the `@archive:matrix.org` user if you don't want your room content to be shown in the
+archive at all.
 
 ## Technical details
 
diff --git a/server/lib/matrix-utils/ensure-room-joined.js b/server/lib/matrix-utils/ensure-room-joined.js
index fc92536a..09826f43 100644
--- a/server/lib/matrix-utils/ensure-room-joined.js
+++ b/server/lib/matrix-utils/ensure-room-joined.js
@@ -3,14 +3,19 @@
 const assert = require('assert');
 const urlJoin = require('url-join');
 
+const StatusError = require('../errors/status-error');
 const { fetchEndpointAsJson } = require('../fetch-endpoint');
 const getServerNameFromMatrixRoomIdOrAlias = require('./get-server-name-from-matrix-room-id-or-alias');
+const MatrixPublicArchiveURLCreator = require('matrix-public-archive-shared/lib/url-creator');
 
 const config = require('../config');
-const StatusError = require('../errors/status-error');
+const basePath = config.get('basePath');
+assert(basePath);
 const matrixServerUrl = config.get('matrixServerUrl');
 assert(matrixServerUrl);
 
+const matrixPublicArchiveURLCreator = new MatrixPublicArchiveURLCreator(basePath);
+
 async function ensureRoomJoined(
   accessToken,
   roomIdOrAlias,
@@ -43,6 +48,19 @@ async function ensureRoomJoined(
       method: 'POST',
       accessToken,
       abortSignal,
+      body: {
+        reason:
+          `Joining room to check history visibility. ` +
+          `If your room is public with shared or world readable history visibility, ` +
+          `it will be accessible at ${matrixPublicArchiveURLCreator.archiveUrlForRoom(
+            roomIdOrAlias
+            // We don't need to include the `viaServers` option here because the archive
+            // will already be joined to the room from this request itself and we don't
+            // need to make the URL any longer/noisier than it needs to be.
+          )}. ` +
+          `See the FAQ for more details: ` +
+          `https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-public-archive/blob/main/docs/faq.md#why-did-the-archive-bot-join-my-room`,
+      },
     });
     assert(
       joinData.room_id,
diff --git a/test/e2e-tests.js b/test/e2e-tests.js
index 9f21fdfd..f7b4bc2b 100644
--- a/test/e2e-tests.js
+++ b/test/e2e-tests.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const chalk = require('chalk');
 const RethrownError = require('../server/lib/errors/rethrown-error');
 const MatrixPublicArchiveURLCreator = require('matrix-public-archive-shared/lib/url-creator');
 const { fetchEndpointAsText, fetchEndpointAsJson } = require('../server/lib/fetch-endpoint');
+const ensureRoomJoined = require('../server/lib/matrix-utils/ensure-room-joined');
 const config = require('../server/lib/config');
 const {
   MS_LOOKUP,
@@ -999,10 +1000,11 @@ describe('matrix-public-archive', () => {
               // avoid problems jumping to the latest activity since we can't control the
               // timestamp of the membership event.
               const archiveAppServiceUserClient = await getTestClientForAs();
-              await joinRoom({
-                client: archiveAppServiceUserClient,
-                roomId: roomId,
-              });
+              // We use `ensureRoomJoined` instead of `joinRoom` because we're joining
+              // the archive user here and want the same join `reason` to avoid a new
+              // state event being created (`joinRoom` -> `{ displayname, membership }`
+              // whereas `ensureRoomJoined` -> `{ reason, displayname, membership }`)
+              await ensureRoomJoined(archiveAppServiceUserClient.accessToken, roomId);
 
               // Just spread things out a bit so the event times are more obvious
               // and stand out from each other while debugging and so we just have