An effective Telegram Ads creative is a text of up to 160 characters that states a specific benefit in a neutral tone, suits any reader of the channel and fully matches the landing page. An image or 16:9 video helps you stand out in the feed but doesn’t replace strong copy.
What an ad consists of
| Element | Requirements | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Text | up to 160 characters, no formatting or line breaks | Put the point and benefit in the first 50 characters |
| Button | link up to 256 characters, HTTPS only | Test different button labels |
| Site name | up to 40 characters | A recognizable brand name |
| Image | JPEG/PNG, 16:9, 640×360–1920×1080 | One large object, minimal small text |
| Video | MP4 up to 20 MB, 3–60 seconds | Up to 12 seconds, with subtitles |
A formula for 160 characters
A working structure: what it is + what problem it solves + a specific detail. The detail is a number, format or result the reader can verify.
- Weak: “The best marketing channel! Subscribe!!!” — a superlative, a call to action and extra punctuation.
- Better: “Breakdowns of Telegram ad campaigns: budgets, bids and texts that passed moderation. A new case every week.”
Note that the second version doesn’t address the reader, makes no promises and describes a clear content format.
What the rules prohibit
- All-caps (except registered brand names) and letter spacing.
- More than one exclamation mark and excessive punctuation.
- Superlatives, subjective claims and comparisons with competitors.
- Income promises, guaranteed results, clickbait and scare tactics.
- Personal questions about finances, health, religion or ethnicity.
- Addressing an audience segment: “men only”, “for moms” and similar.
- Too many emoji. A custom animated emoji in a euro account raises the CPM bid by 20%.
Rejection reasons are covered in detail in our article on Telegram Ads moderation.
Images and video
According to agency data for 2026, about three quarters of advertisers add a photo to their ads, and around 20% use video. Media makes an ad more visible in the feed. Keep in mind:
- Use strict 16:9 — otherwise the image gets cropped.
- Keep text on the image to a minimum: small captions are unreadable on phones.
- Video: up to 12 seconds, explain the point in the first 2 seconds, always add subtitles — many people watch without sound.
- Don’t use other brands’ logos, competitors’ experts or someone else’s visual identity.
Finding ideas: competitor research
Spy tools show competitors’ ads, texts, media, placements and how long they’ve been running. An ad that has run for months probably pays off. Borrow the idea and structure, but don’t copy texts word for word or use someone else’s branding. See tools in our services section.
How to test creatives
- Run 3–5 text variants on the same audience with the same bid.
- Change one element at a time: the offer, the first phrase, the media or the button.
- Wait for at least several thousand impressions per variant.
- Turn off weak variants and scale the strong one to new audiences.
- Refresh the creative when CTR starts falling — the audience gets tired of it.
On bids and audiences, see targeting and how to lower CPC.
Read also: 12 Telegram Ads Mistakes and How to Avoid Them · Telegram Ads Spy Tools: How to Analyze Competitors
FAQ
How many characters can a Telegram ad have?
Up to 160 characters, including spaces, punctuation and emoji. Formatting and line breaks aren’t available.
Can you use emoji in an ad?
Yes, in moderation: too many emoji get rejected. A custom animated emoji raises the CPM bid by 20%.
Do you need an image?
Not necessarily, but media makes the ad more visible. According to agencies, most advertisers added a photo in 2026.
Can you write “subscribe” or “buy now”?
Direct imperative calls to action and addressing the reader are often rejected. Phrase it neutrally: what a person gets by following the link.
How often should creatives be refreshed?
When CTR drops noticeably for the same audience. With narrow audiences this can happen within a few weeks.
