diff --git a/popup.js b/popup.js
index 7e1d540..91f8681 100644
--- a/popup.js
+++ b/popup.js
@@ -104,12 +104,29 @@ function switchConnectForm() {
   showConnect = !showConnect;
 }
 
+async function scoreboardConnect(puzzleScoreboard) {
+  if (puzzleScoreboard.includes('/message')) {
+    const resp = await fetch(puzzleScoreboard.replace('/message', '/connect'), {
+      method: "post",
+      headers: {
+        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+      },
+    });
+    if (resp.status != 200) return {connected: false, error: 'Invalid contest token'};
+    const json = await resp.json();
+    return {connected: true, name: json?.name};
+  }
+  return {connected: false, error: 'Invalid connection link'};
+}
+
 async function initConnect() {
   const data = await chrome.storage.local.get(['puzzleScoreboard']);
   if (data?.puzzleScoreboard) {
     puzzleScoreboard = data.puzzleScoreboard;
+    const connection = await scoreboardConnect(puzzleScoreboard);
     const connectButtonEl = document.getElementById('connect-button')
-    connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `Connected: ${puzzleScoreboard.split('/message')?.at(0)}`;  
+    if (connection.connected) connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `Connected: <span style="color: green">${connection.name}</span>`;
+    else connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `<span style="color: red">${connection.error}</span>`;
     const connectTextEl = document.getElementById('connect-text')
     connectTextEl.style.display = 'none';
     const connectSubmitButtonEl = document.getElementById('connect-submit-button')
@@ -117,7 +134,7 @@ async function initConnect() {
   }
 }
 
-function connectToPuzzleScoreboard() {
+async function connectToPuzzleScoreboard() {
   const connectButtonEl = document.getElementById('connect-button')
   const connectTextEl = document.getElementById('connect-text')
   const connectSubmitButtonEl = document.getElementById('connect-submit-button')
@@ -130,10 +147,12 @@ function connectToPuzzleScoreboard() {
   } else {
     puzzleScoreboard = connectTextEl.value;
     chrome.storage.local.set({ puzzleScoreboard: puzzleScoreboard });
+    const connection = await scoreboardConnect(puzzleScoreboard);
     const connectFormEl = document.getElementById('connect-form')
     connectFormEl.style.display = 'none';
     showConnect = false;
-    connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `Connected: ${puzzleScoreboard.split('/message')?.at(0)}`;  
+    if (connection.connected) connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `Connected: <span style="color: green">${connection.name}</span>`;
+    else connectButtonEl.innerHTML = `<span style="color: red">${connection.error}</span>`;
     connectTextEl.style.display = 'none';
     connectSubmitButtonEl.innerHTML = 'disconnect';
   }